The Wanganui Chronicle. "NULLA DIES SINE LINEA." SATURDAY, SEPTEMBER 13, 1902. THE CURRENT CONTROVERSY.

Wanganui Chronicle, Volume XXXXVII, Issue 11736, 13 September 1902, Page 4

The Wanganui Chronicle. "NULLA DIES SINE LINEA." SATURDAY, SEPTEMBER 13, 1902. THE CURRENT CONTROVERSY.

In yesterday's! issue, among the letters dealing with tlie much-discussed question of permitting the Bible to be read in the State schools, was one from Mr Charles Davy. Mr Davy takes us to task very severely for permitting the publication of the letters of "Pro Vcritate" and those who think with him. Mr Davy adds that during the whole of nis existence he has never, in°New Zealand or in England afid WaHes, come across so much open blasphemy and contempt of God's word as appeared in the daily papers of Wanganui last week. Mr Davy, whom we believe to be a very estimr able gentleman, is no doubt thoroughly sincere in what he says; but he is also very illogical, very narrow, and very unfair. Mr Davy is not atone in toe opinions, he has so forcibly expressed concerning the current controversy and the local papers. Another gentleman, if anything older than Mr Davy, was so much upset by the sentiments expressed by "Pro Vcritate" in his first letter that he at once ordered his paper to be stopped, indignantly indicating that the language of the-letter was such that he dare not venture to characterise it. This gentleman, like Mr Davy,.is a man entitled to stand high in the estimation of his fellows ; he is, in fact, well known as an, upright Christian gentleman, and one who has rendered long ajid honourable service to his church. Then, again, another individual, who takes" no interest in the controversy, dropped us a note requesting that we should give less space to the controversy and more to reporting the interesting Court- case now proceeding at Wellington. We have no objection to receiving this kind of correspondence; we keep a basket specially for it. Just now. seeing that the three instances? cited refer to practically the same thing, we feel disposed to depart from precedent ami to reason briefly with our complaining friend*. Let usi take first-' the gentleman who is so feverishly anxious to .peruse at the earliest possible moment the report of the important civil action which is now being tried in the Supreme Court at Wellington. Our aggrieved friend complained that, apparently, we had made no effort to provide our readers with news concerning this important case, and then proceeded to express his opinion as to the class of reading matter which might bo left out to make room for what ha wa<nted. Unfortunately for him, lie made his complaint after we had published a full account of the first day's proceedings, a fact in itself sufficient to indicate that we had made arrangements for a daily report of the proceedings!. Now with regard to Mr Davy and the other elderly gentleman. We may say at once that we •respect the spirit which prompts their indignation, although we entirely disagree ■with tl£e method of its expression. The fact! of the amfter is tbaf> H&ttJtfr tf thm

has any idea of the functions of a public newspaper and the duties of an editor. Mr Davy says that, while we have not stated our views on the subject (a statement which, by the way, is iricorrect), we are for all that accountable to God for allowing such letters as those of "Pro Veritate" to appear in our columns. That being so, it was perhaps scarcely necessary for Mr Davy to .constitute himself our judge. Has Mr Davy —and the question applies equally to tlio other gentleman—ever attempted to put himself in an editor's place? Has it occurred to Mr Davy that the sentiments which are repugnant to him may be equally distasteful to the editor who permits their publication? Ordinarily, it may be, the columns of a public newspaper are not the best suited for the discussion of purely religious questions, but the matter of the Bible in schools has escaped from the seclusion of the purley religious and has entered the domain of politics. Moreover it is a question which demands earnest public consideration, seeing that the adoption or rejection of a scheme of Bible reading in the public schools must affect, either for good or ill, the ohildren attending those schools. It may be news to Mr Davy—it no doubt will be —to leara that at the public meeting recently, held in Wanganui one of the speakers, after speaking in advocacjy of the Bible being read in the schools, stated that what was wanted to give the movement a start was a public .controversy. Had Mr Davy been present at that meeting he would in all probability have endorsed* the opinion expressed by the speaker, and might then hare regarded "Pro Veritate's" letter and the discussion which has followed its publication as something in the nature of a providential answer to a devoutly-eixpressed desire. There is, too, another way of looking at the matter, and one which involves the faith of Christians in. the Bible and its teachings. If the Bible is what Christendom accepts it to be, then surely neither blasphemy nor misrepresentation can prevail against it, and the more violent the .criticism it is called upon to meet the more cleai'ly will its strength be demonstrated. But let the Christian shrink from criticism, and the sceptic will laugh at the Book which he now seriously criticises. In eon.elusion, we may remind Mr Davy that the policy of this paper has been persistently and consistently directed to the advocacy of moral and social reform. This, however, is a fact which is not allowed to weigh with Mr Davy and the few who think with him. Hasty of judgment, blinded by prejudice, they are apt to jump to a totally wrong conclusion. And that is precisely what Mr Davy has done. When he has given the matter a little more careful consideration, he Avill probably repent of his hasty judgment, in which case he will perhaps realise that his inconsiderate and unreasonable letter (we allude only to the part to which we have referred) is calculated to do much more harm to the cause ho has so sincerely at heart than anything yet written by "Pro Veritate."