The Temuka Leader SATURDAY, JANUARY 20, 1883. THE PENINSULA ELECTION.

Temuka Leader, Issue 1057, 20 January 1883, Page 2

The Temuka Leader SATURDAY, JANUARY 20, 1883. THE PENINSULA ELECTION.

The Bight Bev. Dr Moran’s candidature for election to Parliament is an event which has excited much interest throughout the colony, Never in the history of New Zealand has there been such widespread attention bestowed on the candidature for one constituency as that for which four candidates are now in the field —the Peninsula electoral district. Mr Larracb, the first in the field of these candidates, is well known iu politics. It was on his motion that the Atkinson Ministry were ousted from office in 1877, and the Grey Ministry placed in their stead. Besides being a politician of some repute he is a local magnafe of importance, and one of the principal coranurcial men of Dunedin, Under these circumstances his prospects ought to be good. Mr Michael Dounolly is a Dunedin reporter, who has risen to no higher position than his present one—that is sub-editor of the Christchurch Press. He has studied law to some extent, and may possibly become a lawyer some day. M> Cutten, another old Otago politician, was in the field m the beginning, but finding the wind unfavorable he retired quietly, and is now forgotten. Mr Wells, whom nobody seems to know much about, is another candidate. But all these are hum-drum personages. Men of the same stamp may crop up at any election. The candidate towards whom all eyes are turned is the Right Rev. Dr Moran, the Roman Catholic Bishop of Otago. He is the centre figure of the group, and, so far as intellectual attainments go, head and shoulders over all the others. Bishop Moran is recognised amongst newspaper men as one of the ablest political writers in New Zealand. In fact only three others are put on the same footing with him He is besides an excellent speaker, and certainly a man who is never afraid to say what he means. Ho is admired by those who differ from him for his courage, pluck, and independence more ; than for anything else. But it is not political ambition that has brought him into the arena of politics. Wljat has induced him to take this step according to his published address is a desire to have an opportunity of placing before Parliament the grievance of Roman Catholics in regard to Educ ition. All he asks for is that Roman Catholic Schools shall get assistance from the State to maintain them and pay their teachers. If the people do not desire a change he is ready to allow the present schools to remain as they are, and has no objection to Bible reading in them provided Catholic Schools are subsidised. Ths Education Question is the groat problem of New Zealand legislation, and until something is done there will be dissatisfaction and discontentment. The Catholics are not ibe only people who are dissatisfied. The ministers of every religious denomination are crying out f. r Bible reading in schools. It is, therefore, necessary that something should be done, and the way to do it is to subsidise Catholic Schools, This is the great, point which we have never seen taken up yet. Episcopalians, Presbyterian*, Wesleyan s ahd Methodists will all be satisfied if the Bible is allowed t > be read in tiie school' The only branch of the Christian Church which objects 1o tb 3 Bible reading is the Roman Catholic. The best way to settle the difficulty, therefore, is to set apart for the Catholic Schools just sufficient to

maintain them, and then there will be an end to nil disputes, for all the other denominations can agree with regard to the Bible-reading. This is what has brought Bishop Moran into the political arena, and from the kindly and respectable manner in which he has been received, it strikes us that he has many symphatisers outside his own creed. With the exception of the Dunedin papers, the Press speaks most favorably of him— those ' who differ from him do so respectfully—and at the meetings which he has addressed ho has been treated most courteously, and has received unamous voces of confidence. AH this, indicates that there are many who sympathise with Dr Moran, and would like to see the reforms of which ho is the champion brought about,. Still wo feel satisfied he will not be elected. In our opinion Mr Larnach will be returned, with Bishop Moran second, and Mr Donnelly where he deserves to be—nowhere.