TOLLING DOWN THE STATE SCHOOLS.

Taranaki Daily News, 29 July 1919, Page 2

TOLLING DOWN THE STATE SCHOOLS.

To the Editor. Sir,—Tour Stratford correspondent, under date 22nd July, gives a wry fair outline of the opening of the Catholic Bazaar in thai town on tlie 21st Inst. Your renders will remember that the bazaar was held In aid of the Catholic School (wildings, and that the Roe. Father Staples expressed the pleasure it gave him to welcome home that gallant soldier, Major Hlne, M.P., who bore on his person the scars of wounds and other lasting proofs of his loyalty and courage, and, if he might say so, his khaki seemed to he impregnated with tho breath of the Holy Lurid, etc., etc. This little complimentary oration seems to have completely. lifted the •gallant Major completely off his feet, and sent him floating and diving in a supposed religious atmosphere, after the Ptylo of a waterfowl which has Just reached its proper element. It must be acknowledged that Major Hlne has done good work as a soldier, and as the member for Stratford, Id attending to the material requirements of lite constituents. All praise to him up to that point; but when ho, its a representative of a progressive people "turns tho cat," and syt \pnthetlcally gives Ihe order "eyos backwards," it Is about time to have, a good look at lilut. He Is reported ns saying: "The present system of secular 1 education seemed to be surrounded by a stonewall which apparently could not be broken down; but religious teaching was as necessary as education. The Catholics were' doing thoir best to give religious instruction, ] and the church to which he belonged was do- 1 ing tho same thing. It looked as if the time would come when State schools would be wiped out, and be replaced by denominational schools. They should all i,ull together so as to avoid conflicts. Let us have a look into this matter. Tho law cstnbllshlng free, secular and compulsory education In this coun- , try is one of tiio best, safest and brightost enactments that has ever been enacted by any sot of human beings In the true interests of humanity; and any man who would attempt to pull down tho institutions built up under that enactment should be hounded out of tho public life of the community, no mat:tfer. how loyal and useful ha otherwise may .have been. "Love the truth and the truth shall make you free" Tbi»t truth smells more of the "Holy Land"' than does Major nines ldmki! Another'noble ninn has said: ;Of all things desirable.;,give me to know the troth. Now, the .went,.benefit of secular' education Is this: It lenves the mind open to receive the truth from any"Kn'd every source Is Major Hlne such i>n .'lntellectual infant as to believe that children's oyo? would be better set in their hlndhend, rather, than in their forehead? , Can he' Wot understand that the real truths of exlsteivel? are much more likely H reach the honrts «fid minds of the young r the an id voung are allowed to freely use their cj'<>3 In the direction clearlv Indicated bj nature. namely, in' look forwards and around them, rather than that they should mh C i f', r ""I? snri ,le ' ld3 clapped into the mbondable. reflective blinkers of a blundering dead-past? I,ct the dead-past bury its dead: and it is our duty to ourselves and in our children that the young of , h ? race should visit the graveyards of the dp n( j. ros wltlii unWlmled eves, and unprejudiced minds Vhat a shock'nclv cruel thing It Is! thin ne should svstematienllv throw tile dust nml mental dross of well-meaning past' ages h«n»f « ? ,VM 0f (11 "' olliUlrell 'he absurd lam etc ,encl ' lnj! ,hom religion! Ijepporton, .Tuly, ° TAY LOIt,