BISHOP MORAN THE DUNEDIN ELECTION.

Evening Star, Issue 3505, 18 May 1874, Page 3

BISHOP MORAN THE DUNEDIN ELECTION.

To the Editor. SiR, —I have waited anxiously to see if Mr Barton had any answer to make to Bishop Moran’s letter, and am glad to find that he can so well vindicate himself. I had myself intended to reply to the Biat.op’a letter, but as Mr Barton was the party concerned, I delayed doing so that Mr Barton might have a first opportunity of explanation ; and I must say that although the explanation he has given in the Evening star of Ilth inst. is thoroughly satisfactory to me, yet I still desire to exp,ess my sentiments upon the subjects of the correspondence. And as to the Bishop’s letter, I cannot believe that he is correct when he says that he is surprised the number of Catholic voters in this City is so large. Does he not admit that he told Mr Barton that “ we” (presumably the Homan Catholics) “are strong enough to keep you out ?” That looks as if he knew both the strength and the compliance of his following. There are one or two questions I would wish to put to Bishop Moran auent this election. Is he not aware that two or three days before the polling day (I believe it was on the night of Tuesday, from about J 1 p.m. till about 2 a.m. on Wednesday morning) a meeting of sound Homan Catholics was held in St. J wseph’s school-room, when the question of the course to be pursued upon the candidature of Mr Barton and Mr Wales was discussed ? Will he deny that on the day of the polling he was seen, policemanlike, vyalking up and down Princes street, passing and repaying repeatedly the Provincial Government Buildings, where the polling was going on ? Tor what purpose did he march up and down such a beat on such a day? No one can expect Bishop Moran to admit tbaf; he took any part in the election, or that he canvassed or aske4 any quo to vote. He \youia be a fool—and that, he is not-—-if he 4id. W by should he ? The only persons bo would be likely to haye any influence over are the members of hfs own Church, and they can be taught better than to dare to oppose their spiritual pastor in trifles of this kind. As an outsider, and one who is not concerned in political parties, I think it quite time that public attention should, for the sake of the future peace of the commonwealth, be concentrated on this subject. As 1 have no knowledge of the interviews between Mr Barton and Bishop Moran, I shall not presume to pass anv opinion as to who is in the right in detailing the particulars of these. But I notice that both accounts agree as to one very remarkable circumstance, for Bishop Moran admits he told Mr Barton “We are strong enough to keep you out.” If that does not indicate a consciousness of bis power to cast a block vote of Catholics against Mr Barton or any other candidate untavoiable to his views, i know not what it does mean. JSow, I ask my fellow Protestants this question—Shall we, the electors of this City, living presumably under free institutions, allow ourselves to be overridden and dictated to upon this education question (that is, upon our fitting ourselves to preserve our liberties-) by any man or body of men who can command a block vote of some 300 or 400 ? I hope and trust not. May the day be far distant in which we are reduced to the degradation of being controlled by the Ultramontane Roman Catholic vote, in the manner in which many of the cities and states of the United States are now habitually controlled May we never see such evils'as those of the Tammany, Erie, and Philadelphia rings, promoted and fostered as they were by corrupt politiciaus deriving their principal power from such votes. The good taste which led Bishop Moran to designate a gentleman of Mr Barton’s position 3,8 “ a blatant Liberal, now become an Orangeman,” X leave for the consideration of the' Bishop’s admirers. Mr Barton has, I see, replied with becoming dignity to that delicate insinuation. It may suit the purposes of priests and Jesuits to say that Mr Barton displays lamentable ignorance in reference to the designs of the Catholic Church; and I doubt not that if- Bishop Moran did me the honor to reply to this letter he would say the same of myself. But let him be under no misapprehension as to the determination of us Pro-. 1 testants, The designs o£ his Church may or

ma y n °fc ha thoroughly and perfectly understood by persons outside the pale of his communion who think and judge for themselves, but whether we do or not, we shall force on education with all our might. No cloud of words or Jesuitical pretences t an shut our eyes to the importance of securing free tducation, and the matter is clinched by the expressions used by the bishops of Ur Moran’s own Church set out in the concluding paragraph of vlr Barton’s last letter. There is a statement in Bishop Moran’s letter to which I will now refer, and whicli I venture to challenge. He says that all electors of all denominations vote in a body to enforce their principles. If he mean religious pnnciules, I deny that assertion in toto, and I ‘ sk him to point to a single instance of such an event outside his own particular following. Furthermore, I say that it is unjust to both the clergy and members of the Protestant Churches in Dunedin, or anywhere else, to charge them with blockvoting. Bi-hop Moran asks if there be any crime in block voting. Certainly not; no crime. The laws of the land permit it just as they equally pernrt any fool to offer his nose to anybody, and permit himself to be led by it, if he so please, into any civil or religious piece of nonsense. I quite agree with Bishop Moran, that people ought to vote according to their consciences. The only point on this matter on which we might possibly disagree would be as to the kind of conscience a person should keep. I have a notion, perhaps a foolish one, that it should be the person’s own, I notice that Bishop Moran fays that his idea is that, had the Catholics supported Mr Barton in the late election, they would have proved themselves slaves. Did the Biriiop ever study logic ? Perhaps logic is not taught in Maynooth. How could voters become slaves by supporting Mr Barton ? For, inasmuch as the Bishop gives no other suggestion than the alleged neglect of a petition sent by himself, I may fairly assume that he means that the mere fact of their support • ing Mr Barton under such circumstances would make them slaves. Now, it seems to me to amount to what is termed in logic a reductio ad absurdum. The absurdity of the conclusion may be shown thus ; be who votes for Barton, against the will of the Bishop, is a slave; he who votes against Barton, because the Bishop wills that he .ihould do so, is no r . a slave. I suppose the real meaning lying hid under > r Moran’s obscure expressions is, that if Mr Barton were unfortunately elected, the objects of Dr Moran’s sympathy might, in some untoward event, become slaves to education. I confess my opinion is that the slavery seems at present to be endured by the sheep depasturing under the pastoral care of the Roman Catholic clergy. Dr Moran*is, no doubt,jjanxious that his light should be hid under a bushel, but Mr Barton has dragged it out before the public, and has raised a broad issue. I expect that one of the most prominent questions at the next general election will be that of education, and that his .Lordship the Bishop’s bold assertion that “we are strong enough to keep you out ” will be then contested to the utmost—and that notwithstanding all the efforts of the ‘Tablet,’ ‘Guardian,’ or au> other organ of the Press the Catholic clergy mayppatronise at that time.—l am, &c., ■ _ Prynne, Dunedin, May 16.