A SUGGESTED FORWARD MOVEMENT ON THE EDUCATION QUESTION

New Zealand Tablet, 20 December 1906, Page 28

A SUGGESTED FORWARD MOVEMENT ON THE EDUCATION QUESTION

To the Editor. Sir,— Allow me to blow a discordant note in the chorus- of -praise star ted by- -Mr. Scott's proposal- of a conference between "'Catholic ■ • delegates and representatives of other religious bodies with a view to a concerted action to win a, denominational system of education subsidised by the State. Mr Scott mentions one of the obstacles blocking.^ the way to a mutual understanding, when he says : ' Each of the bodies represented should submit a . written statement of his demands.' . On the part ol the. Catholic Church * this work has already been, done, not once but hundreds of times. Every council has r .for-. mulated ' in writing ' the Catholic doctrine, rights, and claims. "Have not the .Bishops of , New Zealand -spoken and written, collectively and singly, 011 the subject of . education ? Is not 'the clear manifesto, of the Hierarohy on Bible-reading in schools ringing still in your ears ' Li&e a charge of dynamite it has blown the bogey to , atoms, its fragments are' to, be-fmind nowhere. , -Let . the Catholic claims be formulated again, " if- you wish it, for the benefit of ProtesDant synods. Their answer:; •may be presumed •: :We have heard, this before, thank' :/■ Mr. Spott thinks it possible to draw up a statement", containing" pure- Catholic doctrine, acceptable to members of Protestant synods. Would Mr. Scott make the attempt of drawing up such' a "statement. If he does," success to Mm ! But let me -recall to ,him the words of Bossuet, writing to Leibnitz, towards the end of a long correspondence: Ml nest encore rieri venu a moi cle votre philosophic '—Nothing'" has come to me yet of. your philosophy. " If attempts at mutual understanding failed at a time when Protestantism was nearer to its origin, showed some vigor and clear aims, what little hope "of united action is there now, when the Biblereading movement failed to create a warm, agitation in the rank's of Protestants?' When - Mr. Scott has 1 found that formula destined to make a- basis for agreement, let this formula be exhibited before it is sent for. When it coniijslbUck, it will be like the Education , Bill leaving the House . of, Lords and saying :' I am not myself at all, my father * and relations don't know me now. -. . •_ - - .- ,-- --. After fifty years of noble work in the cause of Chins.-, tian education, this embassy sent to our opponents.* 1 * to enlist their sympathy and obtain their help woufd he " a sorry admission of' weakness. Is "the Catholic Church so very tired' of fighting secularism singlehanded that a cry for help is our only resource ? By no means. We ,are stronger than when the battle started. We have gained in experience and in numbers. Such help 'is not refused, but is not solicited.

Suppose -that, contrary to expectations, i>he conference^ is held successfully ; the delegates have performed miracles o£ courtesy and - tact ; they have avoided burning questions ; and, like sensible men before a house on fire, they did not .wrangle about saving curtains but saved the building"/ saying : ' For the sake of our common Christianity—^whatever this may mean— let us have a long pull and a strong- pull and a . pull all together on the Education question.* • Suppose that all the delegates of all " the ■ Protestant synods . pledge themselves to advocate denominationalism at the next elections. Suppose, that every pulpit will re-echo the cry : ' State aid to all private schools.,' Do you really believe Ihat New Zealanders. will be 'guided by their clergymen, in "politics ? Is there any parson in- New Zealand .capable of commanding- two votes on any question ? New Zealanders will' vote at the next elections, as they' Have always voted, for 1 telephones, roads, railways, and bridges, without, heeding in the least* this proposed new alliance of clerical forces for Christian education. -The results of- this famous conference will . be annulled b^ the- rank secularism pervading the' politics of the country. - ',".., What about reviving the dead agitation ? Yes, Dean Burke? has stated. - that the agitation is dead. This statement must^h^ye been made in one of these fits of drowsiness to "Which polemists as well as poets are subject. The Dean' .is a doughty .champion of Catholic education and of every sacred cause ; he .-has done excellent work in the Catholic school, and near him there, are two such schools splendidly equipped. Forgetting Ms awn work, and the efforts of those

-around -him, the champion closed his eyes once for a well needed- rest, and between two winks -he talked in -his "sleep arid' -was heard =to say: <i -The agitation in favor of Catholic education is dead.' His friends ■ smile and say : '- It will not ■ - take.-muobj to wake ham up • he cannot' even sleep' q-uietly"; lie "dreams of fighting ' 'PJfca't statement about the, death of the r old agitation will be taken seriously when every Catholic school in the land has been closed; Agitation by loud "talk, may be dead. Who is the worse- for it 1 ? But ''agitation by earnest and constant, • wflrk^is going, ...on 'as strong as ever, and that is the agitation which checks the. tide, of secularism. , . ' . Let us "again suppose that the battle, of Christian • education has been fought, and won by. -the alAes of the conference. The -State will subsidise every private school. Our troubles only begin. Please, on what conditions will this subsidy be obtained ? Have the bargains between Church and State been so beneficial to the CBiurch in the past ? How often ba§ not the State- bound the Church with golden chains ? State aid • acts on the Churohf like a stroke of paralysis. Chains of gold- remain badges of slavery and?" should, not be, . accepted-; 'or" if accepted ' they ' should be broken off - speedily.. ~ - - ■ r No -doubt .the additional tax for schools is a heavy • burden on our people. But" the - liberty of education is worth any sacrifice. The Church is not hampered in the choice of teachers- and in school- management— a "boon 7 to be appreciated. Our .people show no sign of - discouragement under the burden :T: T they bear it bravely; " --their knees are staunch, their steps >fii:m, their^courage ''"" undaunted. We can well afiord to g0., 0n without- this \ proposed' conference, which looks like some appointments , Sanade' -by motorists— which ' appointments suppose such 1 fine roads, such fine weather, such reliable machines, such a combination of favorable conditions,- that' such' ' appointments (although sincere in theory and made in "perfect good fait*h) often end in total failures. Such, .1 [ear,- -is the- fate awaiting- this, forward movement .by way of a conference.. -^between religious bodies. — I am, - .etc, - '. , - ' « ' -" TUBA: