THE OPEN COLUMN

New Zealand Times, Volume LXIX, Issue 3735, 9 May 1899, Page 7

THE OPEN COLUMN

A' COMPLAINT. • • In connection with the receilt fancy fair and art union, I would (writes “Ticket-holder”) like to ask the following questions; (1) Where can a lull and complete list of winners' of raffles bo seen ? (2) What became of the prizes which were won and not called for up to the time of closing the fair ? (3) If not disposed of, where may they be obtained? My reasons for asking the above questions are on- account of my being interested in one -or -more- of the raffles, and on making, inquiries on Friday'night X could get no satisfaction as to whether the article, .had been rqf-. fled, 'or wheri likely fd be f and not beinsq present‘on-Saturday”, Lwbukhfeel mtren obliged' for the- abdVri-mfoiPinafcibhj - RELIGIOUS v; - SECULAR 'IN&TRUCTION.

“Sans Dieu Rien,” returning to this subject, writes as follows -If Mr Heard had contented himself with a demand that the children of moralist parents should have the opportunity of going to moralist schools, without a penalty,'being imposed, he would enjoy a stroug-poihtidn,'.arid I would not oppose the .demand. Blit when he advances further, .and '.requires Qh)ri&;. tian parents to be taxed for, , A ;secular; or moralist 'schools, ;and tosend,their coildren there against their will, I. tell him not only that his demand is an outrage against liberty; hut that I am justified m attacking irrself-defenco the-moralism-rie would thrust upon me. If he could destroy religion, he would inflict a fatal blow on that very, -morality; whose cause he professes to have—at heart. “Wo know,” says Burke, “and; what is' better, wc feel inwardly, that rehgion is the basis of civil society, and the source of all good, and of all‘comfort/’' The Stoic philosophers were able to perceive that morality had more protection from even a false religion than; their own philosophy could give.' On this' account, m spite of their scepticism, they attended the Pagan wigious observances as an example to the people.. But, .the* modem moralist, with infinitely less discernment, banishes the true religion from the, education of children, and thinks he.iaJdoiug a service to the State. It woulc} b« ,osrxoasonable to believe that the removal of the sun irom tho sky would benefit the. solar system, and occasion no catastrophe ’to our planet. Air Heard is‘disturbed that I should have had the audacity to find support in his own poet, the “doistical Pope,” and charges mo with a'false construction of the verses I quoted. Let us see. The words are: “ Religion, blushing, ; veils her sacred fires, And unawares morality expires.” The word “ and ” clearly has a consequential force, as in'Matthew,-y.,‘15;-: “Neither do men light a .candle arid put'it under a bushel, hut -, op, a candlestick ; and Tl giveth, light; unto all ‘that are in the house;” ‘ ThCword'is similarly used in the proverb ; “Keep your shop will keep you.” Warburton’s note says: “The 1 word ‘unawares’...alludes to . the confidence of those men who; suppose that morality-would flourish •■without it- (religion), and. consequently, to the emprise such , would be in (if any . such there be) who,, indeed love virtue, and, yet do 1 .all they can to root odt the religion of their co.untry.”;■ It may.be worth-while to point out also that Pope .does, not contemplate, as Mr Heard thinks^- the destruction of religion. Waxburtori .* aptly remarks: “Amidst the extinction of all other lights, she is said only to withdraw hers; 'as hers alprie in'-itO own .nature is mextinguishable arid eternal?”' Our secular system,, of education dops, not destroy religion. It? as’‘Pope would ’.say, compels her to “ veil 'her (sacred fires, arid unawares -morality -expires?’ Hence we hear ;so much' of :' juvenile depravity.” That foremost criminologist,• Mr Gustave Tarde,. declared: “I-may, I think, say, Without hesitation, that in our Europe, at’• th'e present tune '{or?. perhaps, especially at the present time) every attempt to take Christianity child is equivalent, in the great, majority 'of cases, to taking, away ’> his morality,”.., ; ,X' have _ already given the testimony of theologian,, poet, historian, and" criminologist; eminent men. I. will conclude with that of a distinguished-politician, Mr. A. J. Balfour, who writes in “ The Foundations, o£rßeliefiT , y r ’‘tH,'Jthen, 'nathirißsid/is!-to. hold trie-field? the" feelings 'arid inconsistent with naturalism must be toredoomed to suffer thangh jjtndJiow, when that change comes ahioux, it'can do otherwise than eat all.mobility.ouf of our conception of conduct? iandjall!,worth out of our conception of life, I am wholly unable to understand.” ——

What!; c(exclahnk (ff/Ghailiticleeit ”> i murder )oyjng ‘ ‘ 'Gookib everyicbild’s - house-hold-pet, amusing companion,, every .old; maid’s and lone widtoVSrtj the latteir he a sailor’s. No; not eyenfor a CherokeeIndian squaw. “ FMfy cockie!” Intelligent, ;j‘,‘-Squawker's ” close attention'to the Kbrrid dm made by fish vendors, who-make nighjrfru); pprly morn hidebuk jSy^ihfeii^nefessarii?squalls of “ feesha-feeshaw! all alive, oh! jumpin’ out the cart? '.TOM Oibw)\vinds do boisterously-' blowYwithout t.'imuacal cadence -from ' l ' fthinrh'i-asping'l ?thrbttles,- “ Squawker ” had much better confine his, her, or its attention to that insufferable nuisance, it suppressed, rather. ,tliWJH%Ung;,time, and inciting our City’Fathers to make a murderous- raid('on,',iouc; d«m!Oewfe tP?9-ttUngy affectionate, a comicalsisujgpi,rtih,-jp»ypking feathered beauties. 'We have had a pockatoo for have trained it to do ! nlahy ‘Surprising antics and comical tyipks by a seasonable gift of fruit, 'sugar'; ’lirai^e-, , ''ettf. 9 uHkrhß(s-lescaped on a voyage of d isc6'vCiy- 1 'sey eralt i m es, but has. invariably.-returned, sunset, like a good, ‘ cockie,' and has now .settled down tpqrbxjghly dpmeslicated to enjoy pCockie “ has a neck,” arid so has “Squawker,” with this distinguishing and appro-, ciable differencer the latter wants elongating for endeavouring to deprive us of bur crested pets.