Evening Post.

Evening Post, Volume LVIII, Issue 140, 11 December 1899, Page 4

Evening Post.

MONDAY, DECEMBER 11, 1899. CHURCH AND STATE. ■» Itf the article to which reference was made in these columns on Saturday, Sir Robert Stout touched upon a subject of the highest interest to this colony. To illustrate his description of thq exalted position assigned to the State in New Zealand, he cited the unsectarian character of our public instruction. The State has taken complete chargo of national education from the primary school to the university, and no denomination is officially recognised as having a right to employ public funds for training the young. ' This is, and for long has been, a fundamental principle in our politics, and Sir Robert Stout's luminous explanation of its meaning is particularly timely in view of the covert attempt now being made to subvert iL The difficulties attending the Irish University problem, the dissatisfaction and apparent injustice created by the denominational Education Act recently passed by the Im-, perial Parliament, together with the rancorous quarrels produced wherever sectarian principles, are introduced into a system of national education, should confirm the people of this colony in a steadfast resolve to stand by their great national heritage, secular State-controlled education. Among the forces which helped the Premier to his overwhelming victory at the polls was ooie which is directly inimical to our national system. We have the sincerest respect for the Roman Church so long as its teachers , confine their energies to their legitimate field of action, to the sphere of "faith and morals," 'but when they enter the political arena and endeavour, as we believe they have done, to further the material advantage of their institutions, by baa-gaining with Party politicians, we can no longer regard them as the benefactors of ' the community. They are reviving dangerous practices, which led in the past tp "No Popery" lervour, fed by political rather than religious fears. For the sake of their magnificent organisation and the credit of their Church, we trust that the lTemieT% ecclesiastical allies will not ' force on a , struggle by their mistaken efforts to up-5 set the existing undenominational system of public education. 'Sir Robert Stout takes the Irish University problem as a text for showing the troubles that are avoided by the unsectarian character of education in this country. He contends that the difficulties experienced by Imperial statesmen in settling tho higher education of Ireland wouid vanish if the New Zealand system were adopted, and religious differences completely ignored. He states the point of' view of the majority of our colonists as follows : — "The Church and State are kept apart, and we'believe that that is the only policy that can give us freedom and true equality as citizens. No one says that our university system has weakened the power of- the churches over their own church members, or that we are less touched with religious emotion than our kin across the seas. We have erected magnificent church buildings, we have quit© an army of ecclesiastics, and our church organisations are active, strong, and zealous. And the State has gained by the separation of Church from State, for we have relegated theological discussions to the churches, They are outsidp of politics." This .is true of our educational fabric generally, but the recent, elections show that the Roman Catholic clergy have made denominational grants, of which they would obviously receive the lion's share, the determining principle of their political support. It is even alleged that they lent their influence to aid the candidature of a Tree-thought lecturer solely because he was ready to vote for sectarian educational subsidies. Such conduct is paradoxical in the extreme, but it is a danger signal that should be marked by all those progressive thinkers who have learnt the merits of a strictly national system of education. The most watchful care will be required during the next three years, for the Premier has proved himself untrustworthy in the matter, and there is reason to fear that the aid he received during the elections from the denominationalists will force him to show them more effective sympathy even than he did over the Technical Education Bill. ■ / Unless the nationalists unite in a solid phalanx, regardless of mere Party ties, and determine to resist to the utmost the least attempt to tamper with the foundai tions of our State education 1 , tliere is serious danger ahead. Subsidies for technical education will probably be the first step the Premier will urge the colony to take 911 the backward path. If those be granted by Parliament to sectarian institutions, there is no logical reason why similar gifts of the taxpayers' ,m,oney should not be paid to denominational primary schools. Then the whole question of religion will b& dragged into our politics, and the effect will be disastrous to the Protestant churches and to the State. In all probability tho Roman Catholic Church also would suffer for the change ; it Jvould have to become dependent upon the State for the "loaves and fishes," and it would in consequence alienate the sympathy of its many friends who prefer political freedom to sacea-aotal ascendency in the- btate. Why must the official leaders of the Roman Catholic Church press their demands for grants upon the State? As Sir Robert S. tout says, they loyally co-operate in the management of- our non-sectarian university institutions, and they do not demand aid for establishing a university of their own. Why should they, therefore, try to introduce religious discord into our primnry and secondary education? If we wish to safeguard our democratic liberty, if we wish to retain the true spirit of religious tolerance, we must prevent the State from entering into any educational compacts with any particular sect or sects. Whatever individual politicians or political parties may do, all patriotic New Zealanders should fight to the last in the national i cause. The denominationalists must be taught once for all that Aye will not have theology mixed up with the national pol- v icy in educational or other matters.