A University Question

New Zealand Tablet, Issue 17, 25 April 1907, Page 22

A University Question

A cable message in last week's daily -papers runs' as follows :—: — ' The Irish Catholic '-bishops accept Mr. Bryce's scheme of an Irish University as completely satisfactory and final. Mr. Birrell (Secretary for Ireland) stated that the Government- would follow the main outlines of the scheme, subject to any necessary modifications.'

Monopolies, however, die. hard. The Protestant, University of Trinity College is raising a- .great lamentation at the proposal to place Catholics on an equality with non-Catholics in the matter of higher ' education. Said Axchibishiop Walsh in a recent letter to the. ' Freeman ' :— ' Trinity College is not ashamed to come forward now, claiming on the part of that - avowedly and ' admittedly Protestant institution, a right to lay down the lines on which trie Catholics of Ireland are jto be admitted^ to the enjoyment of one of the-, elementary rights of citizenship— equality in the matter of higher education.' Trinity College (Dublin) professors thtnk* that their university, ".with all its strongly Protestant" atmosphere and- traditions, can be -made acceptable to Catholics by ''merely pressing the button. The alluring promises which (in fear for their old-established monopoly) they make, are however, rather reminiscent of the invitation, of the spider to the fly. Mr. Balfiour once ' sized up ' the position in ' the followinc words : — ' The vast majority of students in that great university are Protestants^ Protestant services are exclusively performed in its chapel. The whole of its teaching; staff is ' Protestant, - and the eminent theologian who is at . its bead (the President); distinguished in many departments, of learning, is not least distinguished as a brilliant Protestant champion in the -controversy between Protestantism and Rome;. Now imagine a university of which this was an accurate description, with the single change - that wherever the word "Protestant" occurred

the words <rßomanr Roman ..Catholic » . were put in its place, would you willingly send there any Protestant youth for whose education y£u .were responsible ? For myself I answer the (Question unhesitatingly in the negative. Perhaps I am bigoted, but if so I -feel assured that ' there "are . Protestant parents to be found not less bigoted than I, and 'to them' at least I may confidently appeal not to condemn others for doing what they under like circumstances would do themselves."'