A LESSON.

New Zealand Tablet, Volume XI, Issue 46, 14 March 1884, Page 15

A LESSON.

R. REID, Minister of Education in the New South Wales Government, was lately obliged to seek re-election. He consequently appealed to his old constituency of East Sydney. Not many months ago this constituency returned Mr. Keid, we believe, at the head of the poll. It was thought, therefore, that his re-election was secure. Contrary, however, to expectation, Mr. Burdekin opposed him, and successfully too, although the constituency entertain no very high opinion of him. There are in East Sydney more than 8,000 electors, but in this contest only about 4,000 voted. About one-half, therefore, -of the constituency abstained from exercising the franchise. Under these circumstances it is natural one should enquire as to the causes of this abstention, and of Mr. Reid's rejection. What has happened since the last general election to bring ntout such a change in the opinions ©f the free and independent of East Sydney ? What has Mr. Reid done to forfeit the confidence they had so lately reposed in him ? Of course we are not in a position to know all the causes there may have been for this, but there is one cause with which we happen to be acquainted. Since the last general election Mr. Beid proved himself to be defiant, unjust, and anything but complimentary to Catholics in reference to the education

question. Catholics are numerous in East Sydney, and, although the Attorney- General, Mr. Dally, himself a Catholic, as well as other Catholics, exerfce I themselves to the utmost for Mr. Reid, a very considerable number of Catholic voters, owing to Mr. Reid's conduct, abstained from voting. They would not support his oppoi ent, of whose political dpinions they did not approve, but, although they agreed politically with. Mr. Reid, they would not vote for him, so highly did they resent his conduct in refe -ence to Dr. Lanigan, the Bishop of Goulboume, and the exclusion of Catholic school pupils from the competitive exatr inatiou for situations in the Civil Service. In consequence of his defeat Mr. Reid has since resigned his Portfolio, and thus a promising career has been cut short, at least for the present. This is a lesson for politicians, teaching them to be civil and just, if they expect to have a long and successful career, and that it is idle to fancy that the support of what is commonly called a leading Catholic or two can remove the objection felt by Catholics generally to such men as Mr. Reid, who ride into power to a great extent on Catholic support, and then, when they think themselves safe, kick away one of the ladders that had enabled them to mount so high. The abstention of the great bulk of the Catholics from voiing in East Sydney enabled Mr. Burdekin to beat Mr. Reid by the small majority of 40. A general election will take place here next year, and we Catholics have many an old score to settle with men of Mr. Reid's stamp. And it will be most useful for us to seriously meditate on the lessons given to us by our fellow-Catholics of East Sydney. When we can do no better, abstention will be found a powerful means of punishing a false iriend.