A SUGGESTED FORWARD MOVEMENT ON THE EDUCATION QUESTION

New Zealand Tablet, Volume XXXV, Issue 5, 31 January 1907, Page 15

A SUGGESTED FORWARD MOVEMENT ON THE EDUCATION QUESTION

To the Editor. Sir,— l have read with much interest the- correspondence in the ' Tablet ' on ' A Suggested Forward Move^ ment on the Education' Question. It has surprised me that, in view of recent- events in the Old World, every letter but one should have expressed approval. One naturally feels diihdent about joining such a small minority, but as ' Tuba 5 says in your issue of December. 20, we are, uirder the present system, independent. Should we succeed in our agitation for our rights — and it certainly '*s only justice we seek — we at "once open the doars of our schools to State interterence ; and as the State is- secular, we are simply causing trouble. The trials through .which French Catholics are passing should maive us pause before we consent to take estate aid. Even in England, has not State aid left open a path for the Nonconformist and secular parties to inflict an injustice on denominational schools?" Are they not trying to make thousands of pounds worth of property practically confiscate .to the people, part of the property undoubtedly raised with Government jinoney, but a great deal of it with voluntary subscriptions from private individuals. 1 believe the time is coming for vs — as it has come for France and is coming for England and Spain — when secularism will rise against Catholicism, and if we have received State aid for our schools, they will then be treated as Government schools and we shall but follow in the footsteps of French Catholics. Freethought requires but little excuse to perpetrate injustice against religion, and the fact of our schools being assisted by the Government will be for freethinkers sufficient justification fpr saying the catholic religion is State-aided, and then, if not we, a future generation may see not only our schools, but our cathedrals, churches, charitable institutions, etc., taken away and nothing left us but to begin the weary struggle all over again. This may seem a pessimistic view to take. But we know that there are many who are absolutely intolerant 6f Catholicism, and all that savors of it. Others are perhaps too easy-going and too careless to actively harass the Church ; but they are also too lazy to fight for the rights of a religion they don't believe in ; and certainly they would not put themselves about to help it, and so they would be swept along with those they felt they belonged to. Furthermore, it is well known that we cherish most that for which we sacrifice most. And in building and maintaining our schools, we, being a poor community, must make mainy sacrifices. The injustice we suffetr is kept ever before us, and we are naturally proud of the noble work -we have performed under adverse conditions. ' Eternal vigilance is the price of liberty ' ; antt by making a sacrifice we' certainly cultivate that quality which is so necessary in the struggle for independence. I know, of course,- that a great part, of - the worry and trouble of our education system falls upon the _ clergy and .nuns a.r.d Brothers. What their views as a whole are upon the nuestion I don't know. They are composed of self-sacrificing men and women ; they are always willme; to sriend themselves in the service of their fellow-men ; and it is hard to think of them

worrying about school finances, and perhaps suffering privations, when our due portion of the taxes might smooth things a good deal and enable them to eqoAp their schools better to compete on more even— terms with the State-endowed institutions. But I believe that if they were convinced that by suffering under •"• a smaller injustice they were- keeping the doors closed to - a greater one later on, „ they would cheerfully go on in. the path they at present follow, assured that the people, by making sacrifices also, would be kept more aliye to the importance •of a religious education, and so would keep a more vigilant watch upon the defences" they have raised against the inroads of 'secularism. Of course, the whole discussion turns upon the question : Will anti-Catholicism become so rampant as to ' wage war upon Catholicism ? I believe it' will ; and " that is my reason for writing this letter. 'I may be mistaken ; I could certainly hope that I am. But it is not promised . that the path ~oT the Catholic Church will be rose-strewn, and we must be always on the' alert against the" attacks of Satan and his tools. ' ' Like Mar. Scott, I have discussed "this matter with no one.- .1 voice only -my. own opinion,, and 1 leave it 'to the consideration of earnest men and women, believing that they will follow what seems to them the wisest course. I- firmly believe that if our people appre- ; hended any future danger ' from anti-Catholicism, they would not allow present expediency to them in making a decision.— l am, etc., ,"'-'.- ' - B. A. BUCKLEY, JUN. Waimate, January 23. '- °