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New Zealand Tablet, 22 November 1906, Page 13

...To "the Editor. „, , _ . „ . Sir> JT J T I x if very ref reshing -to~find in your columns that Mr. J. a. Scott's valiant proposal has been supported by rUie- Very Rev: Dean BuriS aS Mr - Marlow. Their prompt,, and * hearty responses .to his appeal have done excellent ' service by setting the ball rolling That the field is now - open for discussion and action I take for granted. Therefore I venture to SSlloi SSt^ftw 01 th ° Ught °\** a!«.orbinS. hear\ %**»£' t f^ £££?> «* JT^' campaign, he. need; have no misgivings. Nor need he fear a hostile- criticism from any Catholic quarter His initial treatment of a supremely grave question is sagacious enough to win the sympathy of every fa i ' nwml. The policy he propounds is lucid, vigWus and servS ma £^- Tl ! e Plan r° f cam P ai S'» he' advances' deseives high applause. It, holds the field • and nn braver or .wiser seems feasible. It reveals a thoughtful • thio^Srfo Zf' Z^ IOUS for Catholic interest!; and throbbing to solve a deep and perplexing problem The u\\* ? unng . on he &duc ation question. It is calculated to create a compact and solid phalanx of all who appreciate the necessity of religious education" Mr, Scott's appeal to the clergy for an expression of their views on the great question under detate must - S?>L? c ,d, d - lsregarded -. Ever^ Catholic should 'study 'and s^tioftheSi 10115 ' aiKl gat ' hCr Pledge indTn* w.c 2 " Th r r ®' WaS ,- a time - whc " the education question" ot conflict In those days the Catholic claims 'were debated wit^i persistent vigor. The pulpit the hust ings, and Parliament resounded with eloquent advocacy of our just and equitable cause. In the tLoutc of rJ' presentalives an^l throughout the country there waft lnZ^L m& uenti!llu enti!l1 h °, d7 Of 'air-minSd Pro estantt on our side. Brave- and constant agitation had won cS a Ho e % Mr - Py f >S Biil for th^ Payment of us? capitation our schools was lost only by a small minority.. But the lamented death of the 7 Uvo ? E Hvion S Now c L the qUeSIi 1 1 ° U to , layse and into oblivion. Now for a revival on the lines of the nlan of campaign devised by Mr. Scott. Now for a rlnewS of the conflict, which was all but crowned with vTctorv some years ago. The Catholic position is . stronger X the additfnf f llCn - U haS - ac « ulred fresh strength by the addition of many new schools, and the eatherBe g s,ides° the^CM, T ev^increasing number^ of pupils. i t! P / • Cath olic prelates, ably supported by the to St 'aßin7 9n V l T iea Viclol ' y °™ r th e attemjt to loist a Bible-in-schools religion on the country cithnli? 6 ,, SC V lal ' PTP T r T eSS reco Snised and supported the Sthft ■ Position. • Herein I see a decided gain Thi - nM }. l a J? nofcl oblivious, that,"- in- matters of faith and Churcif' 8^^ 0 f u « 'the cittiouS Lnurch and the Protestant denominations. Yet " there" wull^e^L oo^-™*. 01 ' mu , tual interest, 61 vs' E Therlihf 8 ' 01 operations on Mrl Scott's as the liwQ ; ule f, that . go^rn their actions are not such as t^e laws of - the - ancient Medes and Persian's They SSff t n n° i b^ tc^ lded as- wooden rules: They wifl " ?Iw ° rp 1 ,^ 10 a '? d ., self-in-terest' on the question under leSt 'phase w^ 1 "^!} 01 } 0 ."W^en in" its mdst W lent pnase,,' will yield: to- the " logic of utilrfV - Thoeire mcoft Mr. Scott desiderates • finite posS* wheJe ' mutual interests. are-fcTund in .accord. This mutual ih '' mmmm-

State; schools, and a 'large numbpr/ofqa^oiie'ehiidreri ' * r< W, , then i- "Our opponents-^have "for ''long (l ' years ■.treated us unjustly by opposing pur .undoubted^ right to support for the educational ".woiVvwe have" Been doing:. 1 hey cannot logically coinpjain, that we "refuse .them the unmerited, privilege, of^.converling^^ie piiblic schools ' n }}° endowed j Protestant; schools,. 'to. tjie. detriment '* of our ohildren. . Let them M .ecect ..thelr-jowii 'sclipols; : ' pay ' % their own -teachers, "and JJOieu join' in bWUleAwi'th 'us for a- system ot denominational educartion suitable ; to both 1 partaes. - Here ate,, then," two "conilictliig forces-having ~ apparently, one common " object " in* view— religious education Mr. Scott' is sanguine, of establishing ' a modus vivendi between the interested . -parties.- '-- His bold and original scheme deserves. bo thtfpjraise, -and, -practical -trial Even failure,. would not be, total Vdefeat: " The * '.debate/ .would raise, the y education question "£o- a-level-V a nd -an interest of very great . value.- While {yrp., maintain, oiu - principles intact, the gulf between us and. our antagonists might be biidged.over. , The. proposed deputations " to their conferences would remove misgivings, dissipate . misconceptions, and end in mousing ,their. minds upon our views and conceptions, of religious education.^ , -'-, ■ 4. This consummation appears .quite feasible -iTake an example of . much ".cogency. NoTtwo bodies, could' be' more mutually antagonistic and repellent than the landlords and. tenants of Ireland. Wide .and ; deep and here- V ciliary was ,;the chasm between the oppressors and. their \ victims. Many a fierce struggle had- been- ; made by' the * plundered tenantry to., secure-. -some modicum, of : justice- * After each-fray they .were found "battered, wounded, ban-, ished. ihe arms of the State had fought for their" tormentors. Who ever imagined that the, haughty landlords', would sit, a$ a round-table with thek. tenants? But persistent agitation , had forced the land -question' "into . the domain of practical politics. In the, September of1902 appeared .the following .startling communicationfrom Chief Secretary W^ndham,- in the < Dublin papers' : ■ No Government can settle- this Irish land' question; It must be settled by the parties interested. The extent of - useful action on the part of any -Government is" limited to providing facilities, in so.farj.as that may be possible for. giving effect to any-^settlement - arrived at by the parties.' . -/ ■ . . , Thereupon, the leaders of thought- and action flooded--the press with correspondence on the. all-absorbing question. This resulted in the, grand conference held "in Dublin between the chosen representatives of both landlords and tenants. The agreement they arrived 'at was the basis of the Irish Land Purchase- .Act' of 1903 lhis Act was a nation-building measure. "Solar it has effected much good. It^ would ha^e /.done far' more- had. the Government and the landlords" worked" it out .honestly. They have taken an unfair advantage of its defects In the September just passed, it was resolved by "the National Directory . of "the Uniied 1 Irish League—' that " the question of compulsory, purchase .has become' urgent, and we call upon the liish Parliamentary Parly to force forward a' Bill on the subject at, -the earliest opportunity.' " '" v V; r ::_-. 5. This apt and forcible example has a convincing moral as touching the case between us and the B'ible-in-schools party."~ We need friendly -relations-iwith them 1 hey are in the same boat. Can such friendly relations be established ? Try a round table, conference- on' Mr - Scott's lines. We have crippled their Went . efforts/ They must be shrewd enough now to appreciate our goodwill, which the proposed conference is calculated to " secure them. Who knows but the desired round :table may evolve a scheme; as it did in Ireland, which ' the" Government would be forced to adopt as a basis for a~ Bill satisfactory at once to the Catholics and to 'all ■ others having religious education at heart?" ' " ■ Very apt in this , connection' are. the following remarkable words •• by President Roosevelt 'on religious education. -They' deserve, the utmost "pußlieity 'every- ' where : ' I cannot understand- * any American"'," citizen . who has the faintest feeling of patriotism and " devotion to his country, failing to appreciate the absolutely essential need of religion in the broadest sense vto" the welfare of his country.'". _ .;.,",_•> i> ,■ . •iThe laissez-faire policy should give way--_to"^"such an ■agitation as would stir, the wbole,*:popula't?ion vto>: its- . depths. I offer Mr. Scott .the ' greeting : " „• Macte virtu.te esto.' "" • - . - - J. GOLDEN. Catholic Presbytery, Kaikoura, ,-. - „;••" ' — — ■ — ' '«i— -'!■ i. •■-." 'Ts: -. ."u, ;