BISHOP MORAN ON OUR EDUCATION SYSTEM.

Timaru Herald, Volume L, Issue 4868, 13 June 1890, Page 3

BISHOP MORAN ON OUR EDUCATION SYSTEM.

At St. Joseph's Cathedral, on Sunday evening, tho most Boy. Dr Moran gave an address on the education question. He said that thero woro somo persons still to be found who held that as Government had established a cccular system of education of which i Catholics might avail themßelve3 if thoy please, Catholics had no reason to complain of being obliged to contributo to tho support of Ihis aystom on tho ground that they did not avail themselves of it. This was one of fow secularist arguments of former days that wa3 still hoard ; whilst oilier arguments, such ns tho polico argument, had been long ■ ogo abiimlonod. To oompol men lo pay for a church m which they did not believo was regarded as an interference with religious liberty, and as no le»a odious and oppressivo and unjust than tho tithe system invoguo m the penal days, against which they bo long and fiercely contended, and over which they m the end gained a complete victory. If Catholics could with a safe- couocienco avail themselves of tho publio schools they would gladly do so. Did any man suppose that it wns for mere oppositions aake that '.hey annually made great snerifleeß of money, time and labour m an effort lo provide Catholic, schools for their children ? If Buchn'mun existed he must be a curiosity indeed. Catholics oould no more accopt the publio school aystom of this colony than they could accept tho Anglican or Prosbytorian Church system, and, consequently it "was tyranny, injustice, an an invasion of their religious liborty to compel them to contributo to the maintenance of this system. For this reason it was lhat they demand m lho shape of subsidy an equitable equivalent fur tho sums ab straofed from them m support of it. Tho Bishop concluded hia nddre«B as follows : — Tho crowning objection is that if Catholic Bchools aro treatod justly and Catholic taxpayers got some value for their money the present publio school system will bo destroyed. I do nut think such a result would follow. Tho experience of England, Scotland, Ireland, 1 ) Canada,, and the continental States brforo alluded to confirms mo m this conviction. But admitting for argument Bike that such a result would follow, what of it ? Aro tho pooplo of New Zealand so poor m intellectual rosourcJß ns to bo unable to doviso a ■just nnd equitable system of oducalion ? Ia no other system but a godleaa one — a eyatem full of injustice, and which roquirop, according to universal conviotion, numerous amendmonta--possiblo to tho people of New Zealand ? Are the people of this country oontenfc to bo written down ns etupide.nndincapablo of dovisingany other system than thnt which now lies so hoavily on tho country P