REV. HOWARD ELLIOTT

Evening Star, Issue 17032, 1 May 1919, Page 3

REV. HOWARD ELLIOTT

ON EDUCATION AND POLITICS. The Eev. Howard Eiliott, organiser of the Protestant Political Association, addressed a public meeting in His Majesty's Theatre last night. There was a large attendance, every seat being occupied. ; Tho Rev. S. G. Griffith presided. I The Chairimn, in the course of a few introductory remarks, declared that there were at least two tilings in oporation in the Dominion which hazarded tho liberty of the people. These were the Ne Temere decree regarding mixed marriages and the ' cenEorsliip, which forbade the circulation of certain hooka imported by the Protes- ! tant Political Association. The Rev. Howard Elliott's address dealt ' mainlv with the question of education, and was iii the nature of a reply.to statements made by the speakers at the recent meetI ing of the Roman Catholic Federation. Mr Elliott, at the outset, remarked that I his address would deal not so much with I what the speakers at that meeting had 1 j said, but with what they left unsaid. I The Roman Church was pursuing tho course in this country tbat it was pursuing is America and in Australia, and a very wide, vigorous organisation was needed to see that the wobbly Government and the time-servers in Parliament were not influenced as they were in the countries named. He was pleased to see, however, that the politicians here had lately developed a new color sense. Previously they could only see green; now they were beginning to notice the royal blue of Protestantism. The speaker proceeded to expound the principles governing the national system of education, and said that when the" duty of educating the children had been assumed by the State at the expressed desire of the people the cost of the system rested upon the whole of the people. There was a certain section, however —the Roman Catholic section—who objected to the system, and so considered they should be exempt from payment. On "the same principle, a person who did not approve of the water system of a city would be entitled to refuse to pay water rates, and if that same person objected to take water from the same pipes as his fellow-citizens took it, and installed a system of his own, he would be entitled to compel those fellow-citizens to pay for his system- as well as for their own. The speaker quoted figures showing the enormous percentage of illiterate people in Roman Catholic countries as compared with the small percentage in Protestant countries, where the education system was largelv national. The real reason for the j opposition of Rome to the State system of education was a religious one. The Roman Catholic Church considered it had been specially appointed, by Gcd as the educator of the young, and that any other | system of education was sinful and heretical, and might he rightfully overthrown and destroyed. It was decreed, further, that any man or woman who thought otherwise would be accursed and anathematized. Rome was absolutely intolerant of the Protestant religion. She wanted to create in the school the atmosphere of religion, and that atmosphere was antiBritish. There was not a Roman Catholic school at which the scholars were taught to salute the British Flag or to sing the National Anthem, or where Empire Day was recognised. A hatred of Protestantism and a hatred of Britain was being taught there. It was a scandalous thing that no Roman Catholic school in this country paid rates, while the, schools of other denominations all paid rates, because, forsooth, tho former were looked upon as religious institutions and the latter as business concerns. There was one instance in Miramax where a Presbyterian college was compelled to pay full rates on 15 acres of ground, while immediately adjoining was a Catholic holding of 100 acres upon which no rates at all were paid. Mr Elliott then proceeded to speak on the Labor outlook. There was evidence, he said, that nearly all the unions in this country were being influenced, through their executives, by the Catholic priests. This was being done, not in the interests of Labor, but of Rome. This was possible because Protestants sat at home and did not bother. He would say that if Labor got tied up with Rome, or with Bolshevism, with the Semple and Holland class, the Protestant Political Association would fight against them : but if they came out with a clean, sane Labor ticket, then they would be with them. The speaker concluded by reviewing the present political situation, and ridiculed the eagerness of the members of various old parties to form new parties. Rome's influence was in evidence here again. The association wanted £IO.OOO to fight in the coming campaign in the Protestant cause, and he asked the assistance of all Protestants in providing this fund. Mr C. Watt moved—"That this meeting of Protestant •citizens affirm their belief in the attachment, to the national education system, thank the Minister of Education for his firm adherence to the principles of that system during his administration, and urge upon the Government and the members of the House of Lccislature the necessity of passing legislation to effectivelv preserve the separation of Church and State, and prevent any money grant, concession, or privilege whatever being given to _ sectarian or private schools. In tho opinion of this meeting it is essential, in the interests of the national svstem, that all concessions, privileges., and scholarships be immediately withdrawn from all sectarian schools. It is also resolved that copies of this resolution be forwarded to the Acting Prime _ Minister and to the Minister of Education." The motion was seconded, and carried unanimously. A vote of thanks to the speaker and the singing of the National Anthem concluded the meeting.