Questions for Candidates

New Zealand Tablet, Volume XXXIII, Issue 41, 12 October 1905, Page 1

Questions for Candidates

T'ha BiWo-in-schools party are just now busy prodding Parliamentary candidates with sundry sharp-pointed questions. This is one of the little games in which two parties can take a hand. In reply to many qiudnes from various parts of New Zealand, we venture to suggest the following questions to candidates whose attitude towards the c ectoarianisi'ng of the public. s<. h jo'ls hag .not yet been declared, or, if declared, is not as clear or as satisfactory as might he desired :—: — 1. Do you approve of the broad lines of the scheme adopted by the Biible-in-schools Referendum League — namely, to introduce into the State, schools of New Zealand, as part of live school curriculum, a course of lessons drawn up l>y -a Protesta-nt Committee from the Protestant Authorised Version of the Bible ? 2. Do you, specifically, approve of the following further planKs in tihe scheme of the Bib|le-in-schools Referendum Lcaa^ie— namely :—: — (a) The proposal to compel Catholics and otber conscientious objectors <— with the alternative of distraint of goods, imprisonment, or other 'eg,al penalty —to pay taxes for the teaching, by State officials, of the aforesaid lessons from the Protestant Authorised Version of the Bible ? (b) The proposal <\,o legalise the introduction, into the State schools, of a religions test— namely a conscience clause— for pupils an»d teachers ? .

'• (c) The proposal to' determine this question of personal conscience and religious freedom by a plebis- ' cite?' 3, Are you, as a general principle, in favor of the compulsory payment of taxes by conscientious objectors, for the direct teaching of religious tenets or principles in which they tio not believe ? 4. Are you, as -a general principle, in favor of determining jqiues-tions of personal conscience and religious freedom by popular vote ? 6« In the event of the scheme of the Bible-in-schools Referendum League, or any scheme of like import, becoming law, will you, if elected, vote for a fair captation or other grant to Catholic schools for the purely secular instruction imparted therein, in accordance with the* Government curriculum, and certified by Government inspectors ?

The questions here suggested would by themselves alona suffice to show candidates that there is another and very important side to this question. We strongly urge upon all our readers the systematic distribution of the two pronouncements of our Hierarchy among both candidates and electors during the present electoral campaign. An announcement in reference thereto appears on page 17 of this issue.