The New Zealand Tablet. Fiat Justitia. FRIDAY, JUNE 15, 1883. THE BRUCE ELECTION.

New Zealand Tablet, Volume XI, Issue 8, 15 June 1883, Page 15

The New Zealand Tablet. Fiat Justitia. FRIDAY, JUNE 15, 1883. THE BRUCE ELECTION.

J3||Us^? HERE are already two candidates in the field for MOMJS& the representation of Bruce, and it is probable JSSaSJRi there may be two more. It is gratifying to find *SjgEj|r that the aspirants for legislative d uties and honours 3§5SSp ar O t on the r increase. This argues well for the "^frfi**? 1 political zeal of the country, and affords at least "^K^ some assurance that electors may have it in their power to select a qualified representative. The Bruce electors are likely to have a lively time during the next three or four weeks. Mr. Mosblby, one of the candidates, has not yet issued an address, nor has he, so far as we know, spoken publicly to the electors or any portion of them. But, no doubt, he will both write and speak immediately. When he does we shall very likely have something to say about him. Mr. Kobbrt Gillies, another of the candidates, has both issued an address and delivered * long speech. We have carefully read both. There is not much in the address and it may pass withoat comment. But if we may judge from his speech, Mr. Gillies is not likely to shine as a legislator. The first qualification for a legislator is a sense of justice' and this is precisely the quality in which Mr. Gillies seems to us to fail. He has a lively imagination, a fair show of rhetorical power and a good deal of gush. But, somehow, he appears to be more suited for the lecture-room of the V.M.C. Association than the political arena. What we mean will be apparent from the following extract : — ° He was an advocate of the present national system of edncation —(Hear.) It was only necessary to go through the district and se« the smiling and intelligent children with their frank manners, even on the furthest outskirts, to convince one of the. efficacy of the system. Whilst children in town might get a good education under a denominational system, such would be impossible in conntry districts where the population was sparse and the means of instruction must .be general. He was not prepared to say that he looked with scorn or anything of that sort, on the efforts of fellow-colonists who tried' to get schools for themselves according to their own itiens. He looked with pride -(A Voice : " Pity") -upon those men who sacrificed their property and themselves in order to carry out their principles : arid, however much he might differ from them on the matter, he maintained they deserved the approbation and admiration of everyone who liked to see a man stick to his colours and uphold his principles.—(Applause.) They were undoubtedly suffering certain disabilities. Th<-y were being taxed, whilst at the same time they were putting their hands into their own pockets to provide schools for their children. There was no doubt about that. He frankly admitted it, (A Voice : " Being robbed, in fact.") They wete, howevei?, simply in the same position of other people in the Colony suffering from dif. ferent disabilities. There was no man in a community who did not suffer disabilities in some way through being linked to the rest of the community. The country had at the present time what was beatviz., a system which was fair to everyone if they liked to accept of it. (Hear, hear.) Were he mtking a scheme to suit his own likings, it would not be the present one. He thought that the old Otago system under which the Bible was taught in s jhool— (A Voice : " Catechism") — -and the Catechism, was a far lietter one thau the present, but h« knew that hundreds of his fellow-colonists did not want the Bible taught. Was he to force the Bible and Catechism upon them simply because he believed in it. Certainly not. The present system pro*

vided for fair and ample secn'ar instruction, and left religious education to be imparted by the parents and Churches. — 'Hear.) In the present position of the Colony, he did not see that any other system was possible." Indeed ! why the old Otago system, which Mr. Gillies prefers, was possible because it actually existed a few years ago, and the circumstances of the Colony, so far as education is concerned, are not materially changed since then. No, it is not the impossibility of the thing, but the~waht~of "witt" which deprives Catholics of justice. Mr. Gillies was not prepared to say that he looked with 6corn or anything of that sort on those who tried to. get schools for themselves, according to their own ideas. Well, did you ever ? How much obliged Catholics must be to Mr. Gillies for not being quite, as yet, prepared to regard with scorn their efforts to give their children a Christian education ? But this is nothing compared to the hearty good will with which he patronises them, and, of course, all other denominationalists in words, mere words, however. Observe the fervour and the gush of the following :—": — " He looked with pride (A Voice : " With pity ") upon those men who sacrificed their property and themselves in order to carry out their principles, etc. . . . They were undoubtedly suffering certain disabilities." Thank you for that, Mr. Gillies. And when reading those honest, tiuthful words, we fully expected the next sentence would have contained the announcement that you would endeavour, if returned to Parliament, to exert yourself to have these disabilities removed. But nothing of the sort. Mr. Gillies, though admitting the disabilities, pledged himself to maintain them. He coldly, and we will add, cruelly, says :—": — " They were being taxed whilst, at the same time, they were putting their hands into their own pockets to provide schools for their children. There was no doubt about that. He frankly admitted it. They we c, however, simply in the same position as other people in the Colony, suffering from different disabilities," and consequently they are to have no remedy. Mr. Gillies does not promise to be a brilliant legislator. His argument is this, one disability must not on any account be removed because other disabilities of a different kind exist. If such a principle as this were to be carried out in legislation, no disability would ever be removed, and no amelioration in our laws or administration be ever possible. Go to, Mr. Gillies, we do not want your gush — your flummery ; but we ask for justice ; for the removal of admitted disabilities ; we ask for justice ; and rest assured merely fine words will not win for you either the admiration or the support of honest men.