THE Temuka Leader. THURSDAY, MARCH 23, 1893. THE NEW ZEALAND TABLET.

Temuka Leader, Issue 2480, 23 March 1893, Page 2

THE Temuka Leader. THURSDAY, MARCH 23, 1893. THE NEW ZEALAND TABLET.

In a recent issue we published an extract from the New Zealand Tablet which showed that Bishop Moran, in his Lenten pastoral letter, had declared that he had given up political agitation with regard to the claims of Catholic schools. We naturally concluded that this meant that all Catholics were at liberty to do likewise, but to our great astonishment the New Zealand Tablet came out with its usual drivel about it on the following Saturday. Regarding this as strange, we pointed out that for the last 16 years the New Zealand Tablet scarcely published one leading article which did not deal with the Education question, and that it was foolish enough to think that people read and appreciate them still. We also referred to the noise made about the grant to the Magdalen Asylum, and said that that was sufficient to show Catholics that to expect a grant for their schools was hopeless. Now if we had misunderstood Bishop Moran’s pastoral letter it would have been quite legitimate for the New Zealand Tablet to have pointed out our mistake, but it has not done that; it has still left us under the impression that the Bishop had decided against further agitation. Instead of giving us information, or correcting our errors if we have erred, it has published the following :

•• ‘ Set a beggar on horseback and he'll ride to the devil.’—A beggar astride of a jack-ass would go a deal further if he only knew bow. Of this truth we are informed by a leading article, or an apology for it, that has appeared In. cur excellent contemporary the Temuka Leader. There is a gent who, largely by the support of a Catholic population, has managed to creep up a piece in the world, and who now takes advantage of his position to try and sell the people who patronised him and made him what he is. We do not say they have exactly placed him on horseback, but they have given him a hoist up in some way--to the back of a humbler quadruped, as we have said—and now he wants to make steppingstones of them to climb up a bit higher. Then he will reward them, after the tricks of his kind, by kicking out in their direction. And is he not an artful dodger ? See how he puts on the two faces. Of course he is in love with the Magdalen Asylum. He is all there as a good Catholic should be, for the dear, devoted nuas and their sublime work. Suoh a pretence of sympathy will perhaps raise the value of the soul he offers for sale. We doubt, however, if even the devil himself will bid much for it. The acquisition of very small goods does not bring anyone much credit. Our contemporary, we must seeks to make a stalking-horso of the Magdalen Asylum to break down the support given by Catholics to the Catholic education claims. He is afraid to propose himself to the Catholics of the district as a leader in the place of the hierarchy, so, like the knowing shot he is, he quotes, instead of the hierarchy, the Xew Zealand Tablet. Here is a specimen ‘ Is it ji glib f.,.r the Tablet,’ he says, • to coniiqi!# to sow the seeds of dii-'M-m-ion and discontent by in.-mting oo dragging this question into positlc*./ We think it is nob,audit' Catholics took our advice they would piy very little attention to the Tablet. They want to live in this colony like other people ; their interests are identical with other people, and they should put all ideas about education out of their heads and vote for t in man whom they think will do the best for the Colony.’ That is, in short, Catholics of the Teinuka district vote for Toomey. He is the boy to suit you Toorney, in fact, is ready to suit any one that will only pay the price—not a very costly one, perhaps, if the goods be taken at it-s proper value. As to Toomey’s ability to keep *be pledge, jfe may judge from our contemporary *' kwtog Jsfvler. Toomey. of course, is as nature Wm, £J3d if he would ai-o be the iboye ,yf (the House, the fault would not be 'nk’fh 4rud, then, the House need never listen to a Toomey after all might not do much harm ' Toomey, however, is ready to vote against the Catholic schools to-day because it pays him. To-morrow he will vote against the Catholic charities. Our contemporary, the Temuka Leader, then attempts wibe very plausible, but he has a soft spot in him i after ail. He shows his hand too plainly.” ! We do not keep costermongers or graduates of Billingsgate on our staff, so wo cannot reply to tills. We merely re produce it to show Catholics how the paper which is published in their name is conducted. This is the sort of language that is put before Catholic children once a week, and this is the Christian spirit which is inculcated by the Tablet. Is it not calculated to train up a noble, high- minded race ? Does it not set a splendid example of Christian politeness and charity before the people. “ God help thee, Southey, and thy readers too,” said Pope, .and we say “ God help the people who depend on the Tablet for their intellectual sustenance.” In justice to Catholics, however, it is only right to say that many of the most intelligent of them have long ago turned the Tablet out

| of their homes, as a foul thing, while young New Zealanders look upon it with contempt. Now as regards the person at whom this is levelled. He has lived 1G years in South Canterbury, and if he has improved his position everyone knows how. if his conduct needs defending, we shall not defend it. To say anything on that subject would necessitate going into personalities, which is not at all desirable, but we may say that he has not climbed up on the of Catholics. On the contrary, it has been the other way. Another thing is, he has never said, in public or private, that he would vote against granting State aid to Catholic schools, but it is very probable that this will make him say so. However, he has no right to complain. He has only been treated like every Catholic who has ever lifted his head above his knees in New Zealand, unless he first of all worshipped at the shrine of the Tablet. Mr Perceval, our AgentGeneral, who is a credit to Catholics and an ornament to the colony, was for years vilified, libelled, and abused by the Tablet. A more inoffensive, gentlemanly, kindly man than Mr Perceval New Zealand has not produced, yet the Tablet persistently vilified him. iet this is not the worst. A few years ago it made two Catholic Bishops in this Colony appear like two dogs wrangling over a bone; it retained in Christchurch a correspondent whose weekly letter reeked with the vilest vituperation of. the Catholic Bishop and priests of that city, and even the Pope himself did not escape its criticism, because Dr Redwood was appointed Archbishop. This is the Tablet’s way of promoting religion. It promoted it so that several priests left the diocese of Christchurch and Wellington, ostensibly because they disobeyed their bishops "at the promptings of the Tablet. We do not, of course, say that this is exactly correct, but many young priests left, and it was generally suspected that this was the cause. This was the greatest scandal that was ever given in New. Zealand, and it brought shame and humiliation into every Catholic home, in view of all this, is it to be wondered at if intelligent Catholics regard the Tablet as a blighting, blasting, withering curse, which is calculated to sap the morals and religion of their children ? The Tablet is also tremendously patriotic with regard to the cause of Ireland. When collections were made for the Irish tenants relief, and so on, it caused the lists of subscribers to be sent to it; it then advertised them and charged for the advertisements. It used to make patriotism pay. We could name a person who did exactly the opposite thing, but no matter. The Tablet, who charged for the advertising is patriotic, but the person who gave advertising and a great deal more for nothing, is a renegade, so that settles the question. Apart altogether from other considerations it is regrettable to see a man, claiming to be educated, so obtuse as to mistake coarseness for vigor and vulgarity for wit, as is shown in the above extracts, but no doubt he cannot help employing the language used in the society in which he moves. If one followed the example of the Tablet, and tore aside the veil of editorial anonymity, it could be shown that the writer has .not been educated as a Catholic, which fact, no doubt, helps to soothe Catholic feelings when wounded by his (jancheries. The fact is he is not a trained journalist, and this accounts for the paper being invariably a seething mass of scurrility, vulgarity, and filth. But he fancies he is a journalist, and of course “ Morning insects in muck begun, Shine moskradiant in the evening sun.” Like the pragmatic jackdaw, however, he cannot conceal his nature for “ If tow were woven through golden gears. In spite of all the arts of man the roughness still appears.” A silk purse cannot be made out of a sow’s ear, but for all that the sow’s ear has its uses in the economy of nature So no doubt could use be made of this gentleman outside a newspaper office, but certainly not within it without much training, and, realising this, we shall pass him by and let him continue to wallow in his native muck. We have now given the Tablet’s effusion. Will the Tablet publish this article ? II it does, we promise to publish any reply it may make so long as the language is not too foul altogether. We challenge it to publish this article.