THURSDAY, OCTOBER 19, 1893.

Auckland Star, Volume XXIV, Issue 248, 19 October 1893, Page 4

THURSDAY, OCTOBER 19, 1893.

There is no more uncompromising opponent of the secular system o' education in this colony than the Roman Catholic Bishop of Dunedin, and we are not surprised to find tha 1 through the medium of the press he is making a vigorous effort to influence the voting of his co-religionists at the ensuing election. The Bishop's forcible and incisive style is well ■ known. He is famous for audacious statements. The object sought in the present instance is to induce Catholics to give a block vote in favour of seeming State aid for their schools. This is for them, the bishop asserts, the paramount question, and in comparison with it every other consideration in connection with State policy sinks into insignificance. Other people may trouble their heads about the settlement of the people on the land or the regulation of the liquor traffic or any of the various burning questions that are at present exciting public interest^ but the one aim of Catholics must be to secure a denominational grant in order that their children may be educated apart from those of their fellow citizens. It may be as well to give what the bishop hys down as the policy of Catholic electors in his own words: — 11 In my opinion Catholics should act as intelligentand determined men, who, having a cruel grievance, know how wisely to utilise the means within their reach towards the redressing of this grievance. They should quietly confer together, try to understand one another, keep in mind the obligations of justice and loyalty, which are the paramount obligations of this moment, carefully keep away from the meetings —committee or- others — of their enemies, be guided by their natural leaders, who are both wise and wary, and move as one man from the North Cape to Stewart's Island, and thus strike a blow for justice which must be felt."

There is a frankness ifl the above statement that is truly charming; It speaks volume^ as to the domination the clerical leaders of the Catholic party would like to exercise over the actions of their co-religionists. The cool assumption that the laity are to depend entirely on their priestly advisers to regulate their conduct at the ballot box is refreshing in this democratic age. The Catholics, according to Dr. Moran, should hold themselves aloof and regard their interests as separate from the rest of the community. This I unpatriotic view of the duties of citizen-1 ship is likely to meet with little i-esponse from men and women who have to look at the practical side of life». Even in Ireland where the sway of the clergy is so powerfully felt, the laity have said with unmistak- ! able emphasis that they will not take their politics from Rome. In the colonies past experience has shown that bewever "wise and wary" the "natural leaders" may be, Catholics are by no means disposed with regard t<V political matters to play the part of sheep following the bellwether, and there is a growing tendency among them to exercise a free and independent judgment The following is Bishop Moran's opinion with regard to choice of candidates :—" Catholic electors should vote for those candidates exclusively who pledge themselves, if returned, to vote for equitable aid for Catholic schools. I would further advise that if in any electorate there be any candidate not thes pledged, the Catholic voters of such electorate should stay at home and abstain from voting for anyone, except, indeed, there should be a candidate specially odious to them, whom, ,of course, they will vote.' 1 We imagine such a view Oi* a voter's duty must be strictly confined to the clerical mind. There is to be no question as to the moral fitness of the political aspirant or to his qualifications

for taking part in the public business of the country, Where two candidates were in the field, the man who would decline to pledge himself to the priestly shibboleth might be incomparably the better man of "the two. The candidate who pledged himself in favour of a denominational grant might be well known as a mean, sordid creature, indifferent as to the means he employed so long as he could scramble into Par liaraent, but without regard to any consideration of the kind all the Catholics of the constituency must record a block vote for him. If neither candidate will dance to the priestly music, Catholics are advised to stay at home, but in case some aspirant to political honours is " specially odious" to them, it is suggested that they should give vent to their feelings at the polling booth. Bishop Moran professes to believe that the course he recommends will be generally adopted. He does not think there are more than half-a-dozen "unworthy Cothotics " in the colony who will sacrifice principle for ambition. He admits that "astute journalists" give him some trouble. These troublesome people are bold enough to state that the block vote is a myth, and that Catholics, like other people, are divided by many questions. The truth is "astute journalists" have furnished His Lordship from time to time with facts and figures which no amount of sophistry can explain sway. The bishop has words of even stronger condemnation for the labour party than lor press representatives. According to him it is like ruining the State and " plundering " the Catholic Church, and he advises all his co • religionists who have joined its ranks to come forth from them at once. But the most dangerous opponents of all the bishop considers are the faddists, who are the pests of the community. He is eloquently indignant about " the king of faddists." It is not quite clear who is the individual thus designated. The reference may be to the Premier, Sir Robert Stout, the Minister of Education or posßibly someone else, but it appears the chief mission of the royal faddist is to plunder Catholics and to set class against class. Without discussing the question of State aid to Catholic schools on its merits, we may say that the tactics adopted by Dr. Moran are certainly not likely to advance the cause he has at heart.