PRIEST AND SCHOOL

Dominion, Volume 1, Issue 242, 6 July 1908, Page 7

PRIEST AND SCHOOL

MR. DILLON REBUKED. NATIONALIST AND NONCONFORMIST. / EDUCATION ISSUE. : (by telegraph—press association—copyright.) London, July 3. While English Nonconformists applaud tho liberality of tho recent utterances of Mr. John Dillon, M.P., on tho education question, Cardiual Loguo (Archbishop of Armagh and Roman Catholic Primate of Ireland), speaking at Kilkenny, protested tliat a small cliquo of Irishmen, who wero touched with a mania that nearly ruined education in France, wished, like their. Nonconformist friends, to keep the 'priest oiit of tho schools. EDUCATION OR. HOME. RULE? ! The issue'between education, and Homo Rule, as. it has arisen in the recent English byolections, has been very embarrassing to Irish Nationalists. The choice between Liberal Home-Rulers On the ono hand, and, on tho other Unionist coeroionists who are against the Education Bill, is a veritable rock, serving to divide! in the sharpest manner those who put Home Rule first and those who would sooner stand Iby the schools. The appended manifesto of the United Irish League of Great Britain declares for Homo Rule with, such a ringing vote, and is so important 'in its scope, - that it is reproduced in full; with the names of-its signatories. It only remains to be added that on June 7 (subsequent to the manifesto, which is dated May 9) the convention of the United Irish League, meeting at Leeds, "unanimously protested against clerical interference with the by-elections--in tho interest of Catholic education." ' Tho cablegram added that 1 Mr. Dillon (now rebuked by the Primate of Ireland) and Mr. Redmond supported the protest.. • The manifesto. is as under:— 1 ■' - '

"To, the members of,the United Irish League of Great Britain.—Some incidents at.there'cent by-elections .cannot'be : passed over by us in silence, for they strike at the roots of the existence of the organisation,' of the Irish party, and even of the Irish National movement. It is known to you that in two of these elections the United Irish League of Great Britain, after duo consideration and in full knowledge of the ciroumstauces, advised the Irish Nationalist voters to support the Liberal candidate. Another, organisation gave to our people the advice to support tho Tory candidate, and employed every means to induce them to do so; and; though defeated by our, people in one instance—that of Wol-. vorhampton—helped in the other—that of Manchester—to hand, over,the a Unionist. The issue in both cases, as far, as Ireland was concerned, could not have'been plainer; for - the Liberal candidate in each case was -an open and avowed supporter of Irish selfgovernment ; and,. equally,' the Unionist candidate was an open and avowed supporter of the- polioy of coercion in Ireland. .The 'support of Home Rule for Ireland was the policy of the league; the support of coercion for Ireland was tho policy of the hostile organisation. ■■ ; ■

• "This is a. direct conflict, which it would l bo impossible for us, responsible for the Irish movement, to attempt to ignore. The advice ; given to our people, amounted to a recommendation to them to turn their - backs upon Ireland, to . forget altogether, and to betray ' her, cause. - It was laid down that Home Rule -was not to be rogarded as', an issue- at these elections; and when Ireland: ceases to bo regarded as an issue at an election by hor. 'own sons, it means that they are preparedto forget and to betray her. It is needless to say that, if the leaders of tho league could be either foolish or baso enough to recommend such a policy to our peoplo, their couftsel would, be Bcouted and disregarded, and that the only effect would bo to - destroy our', organisation land to rob Ireland of the powerful \veapon it has been for many years in advancing all Irish causes. ... . '- ,' , "This policy of forgetting and betraying Ireland is ' justified by what are supposed to be the .interests of tho Catholic schools. . In , truth, sych' a policy would bo ultimately as ! destructive of the Catholio schools as of ?he Irish ,caus£ Tho interests of the Catholic schools .have. been defeudedi and; safeguarded up to 'tho . present.-by tta<i Irish' party,i and by : the J l^ish i ,pepplej, l pf' / ,Great Britain, .strong and. united',Ay their;.-.organisation. ~,!Tlie services, of the Irish: party, to the Catholic schools, the' concessions 'they have already won, . the injustice they have-already prevented,., are known to all the world- and have been publicly recognised by the beads of the Catholic Church in England. Tho. Irish party, with tho Irish people of ; Great Britain at - their backs, will continue this defence of the Catholic schools; and /rievor. did they feel more confident of winning complete justice for the Catholic schools than they do at this moment. But their power, of:fighting for the Catholio schools is being undermined; and will ultiinatelv be destroyed, if these attacks are coriItinued upon the organisation which holds our people together. And if, through such tactics, the cause of,the Catholic schools be damaged, we throw the full responsibility on those who are attempting to break our ranks. ' "In tho; future wo'cannot' regard any one who abandons,,or who advises others to abandon,; the causei. of Ireland,, and who violates . the fundamental rule of unity of action by attempting to divide and destroy her forces as a loyal member of our organisation. It'.is they, and not we, who are ranging faith and fatherland as; opposing- forces. ,To- us - they, are not rival causes, but the same cause, equally dear, to Irish hearts, equally safe and -secure in Irish hands.—Signed by . tEs Standing Committee—T. P. O'Connor, M.P., President, John E; Redmond, M.P.,, John Dillon, :M.P., Joseph Devlin, jftP., John O'Cpn•nor.M.P., J. G.. Swift MacNeill,. M.P., Win. Abraham, M.P., , J.' C. Flynn, M.P., Wm. O'Malley, M.P., :Wm. Redmond, M.I-'., A. Donelan, M.P.. Stephen Gwynn, M.P., F. L. Crilly, General Secretary." ,' .. i