The Stoke Cases.

Dunstan Times, 28 December 1900, Page 5

The Stoke Cases.

LETTER FROM THE HEAD OF THE MARIST ORDER. Brother Mark Joseph Director of the Marist Brothers' Schools, in a letter to the ■« Canterbury Times' says—l have met with so much syni» pathy from all classes of the commux nity that I disire in sprue form however humbly to give expression to the sentiments with which my mind is charged- The whole experience of the colony shows that persons in charge of criminal children pass through agonies of solicitude occasionally. I trust our experience in spite of the fact that we have been assailed with nnusual .acrimony will teach the New to be more considerate for teaclj||£in State reformatories I would craw3p|§idera* tion for the teaching body irP%l) its branches. You will have realised that in this colony liberty subjected to its acutest ordeal. The general standard of education is so high, the people's ideal of freedom is'so lofty chat discipline the sire of freedom is in danger of destruction; No people can remain free that are intolerant of restraint, Noschool can be onnducted on sound lines without discipline. If that is so ordinarly, how much more indispensable is reformatory schools 1 l do not complain that the religious order to which I belong has been made the scapegoat to the pent-up passion that has so long eddied round the vexed question of discipline in reformatory schools. Itseems a rift in the lute of human nature that those who lead unselfish lives should always be the first attacked. I do not complain that much religious bitterness was in Nelson imported into the Stoke inquiry- .[ could not' complain that the dearest interests of my order have been struck at on political grounds a&d. notwithstanding that the Broth*' rs always stood on oJ 'o side when general politics were*afield- I only ask that as Brothers Wybertus andKilhan cajiyj Ito the colony in honour thej should j