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Oamaru Mail, Volume IV, Issue 1032, 11 August 1879, Page 2

Thf. Freeman, the Auckland Catholic organ, gives the following advice to Catholics : —" There is one reason why we should like to see Roman Catholics waive their educational claim altogether at the present time at all events. By pressing it frhey ma}' assist the enemies of Sir George Grey to upset his Government. Roman Catholics will, we repeat, assuredly embarrass and weaken Sir George Grey s Government, or weaken lii 3 personal power at least. That would be a calamity to the whole Colony, and to this part of it more especially. Sir George Grey is 110 ordinary man—no commonplace Premier. We think it is both an advantage and high honor to the Colony to have such a man at the head of it. However we may impugn his wisdom or his judgment on certain questions, we think the mass of the people have no reasonable ground to suspect his integrity or goodness, and the disinterestedness of hi 3 intentions. He has no selfish or sinister purpose to serve in his present position, and can have none. He fears God and loves justice ; therefore he is the true friend of the people, without distinction of creed, or rank, or party." There can be no doubt that the Freeman has laid on laudation pretty thickly; and, although we may not be prepared tr> go quite so far as it does in our opinion of the suitability of Sir George Grey for the Premiership, there is, we think, a great deal of truth and reason in its remarks. That the Premier possesses many virtues, few can deny. These only have apparently been taken notice of by the Freeman, and those failings which have opportunely provided excuses for hon. members to transfer themselves into dishonorable ;£ rats,' have, perhaps wisely at the present juncture, not been mentioned. As Sir George Grey is held up by the real Opposition and those who have been silly enough to abandon their principles and go with them, as a bogie to frighten the electors into placing them again in power, so must the friends of the Government prove that he is nothing of the kind, where it is necessary to do so in order that they maj'keep them out of power. The '* Opposition ' can urge no serious objections against tne policy of the Government, and they know that it would be imprudent to attempt to do so. Their only hope of once more yamtner ascendancy is that, by continually ridiculing and badgering the initiator and upholder of the Liberal policy, tuuy may

get the electors to hate the pi>licy itself t<7 ptace them in power. This is a clever dodge ; but Sir George Grey is quite as clever as lii.s detractors. But. returning to the subject, the Freeman has taken a very proper view of the attitude that Catholics should assume during the elections. If they make the treatment of Catholics in reference to education a test question. they may get men into the House who are good promisors but bad performers—who will neither vote for giving them justice in the matter of edttcationnorin anything else—whose only object is to get into Parliament somehow, even if they have to climb up tho back way, or sneak in at the side door. If Catholics are admirers of popular Government —and we think they are — they will insist upon the first qualification of any candidate seeking their support being Liberalism. The more Liberals there are in nest Parliament the better will be their chance for having their wrongs fairly inquired into.