EVERY MAN FOR HIS OWN HAND.

New Zealand Tablet, Volume XIX, Issue 1, 3 October 1890, Page 17

EVERY MAN FOR HIS OWN HAND.

*J|J^!jjjffl|KsHEN we first recommended the block vote on c question, there was an universal cry of indignation. (>nr action was denounced Tj§S|3g l fi*; as unpatriotic and shocking, and we were aWKM^S accused ot subordinating the general welfare of the country to the promotion of our own JOijffi* special interests. This outcry, however, did not disconcert us in the least, and we continued on our course on the principle that a real education, which must necessarily be founded on religion and moral training, is indispensable to the general welfare of the country, the prosperity »nd peace of the state. Seeing we were not to be frightened or by any means to be diverted from the pursuance of our policy, the authors of the outcry against us have for

some time ceased to halloo ; and now these very people, when oar policy serves their peculiar interests, have turned round, and they cease not to recommend their Mends and supporters to adopt the block vote for the attainment of their own cherished fads. Such is the irony of fate ! What a triumph have they not given this journal ! The block vote which was such a terrible evil when Catholics adopted it to help them to wring justice from selfish, bigoted, and unwilling opponents, is quite the wise thing in the hands of these opponents to help them to enforce the labour ticket and the Bible-in-schools policy. We notice with a considerable amount of amusement and gratification that whilst the labour and Bible-in-schools parties ask their friends and supporters to give a block vote to promote their own ascendency, they both not only ignore the claims of justice so far as we are concerned, but absolutely declare justice shall not be done to us. The Bible-in-schools party, provided only they can succeed in getting school teachers to read the Bible for the pupils of public schools, will be quite satisfied to leave the public school system as it is, and without the least amendment or improvement. In fact, in their estimation, if they could succeed in inducing the public to pay for Bible-reading for them, the Bible-in-school party are prepared to regard the public school system as perfect. They will not be in the least ashamed to take our money to teach their children, and to refuse us our own money for the support of our own schools. And the labour party is not one whit more honest or consistent. From a report of a meeting lately held in Ghristchurch, and published in the daily papers, we learn that this party advocates that the present one-sided and godless education system be maintained in all its wicked integrity. This party boasts itself the party of liberty and fair play, and, nevertheless, considers it both just and politic to rob their fellow-citizens who profess the Catholic religion. The labour party has no scruple any more than the Bible-in-schools party in putting their hands into our pockets and, by force of law, abstracting therefrom our hard-earned money to give their own children a free and godless education, and pay for the cleansing of their foul ditches. And both are so blinded by their prejudices and their selfishness that they are neither ashamed nor afraid to appeal to the public for aid in their unjust and unholy crusade against Christianity, and even the name of Christ. For even the reading of the Bible in school cannot remove from the present system of education the stigma of infidelity. For under it, even the name of Christ must not be mentioned even historically in the schoolbooks, and nothing dare be said about Christianity — Christianity, which has been the mother of modern civilisation, and has informed the European system for nearly two thousand years ! Christianity ,without a knowledge of which the history of the world cannot be understood, is absolutely ignored in public schools, and yet this wretched thing is called a system of education. Under it every thing that it is most necessary and most desirable to learn and know is carefully ignored ; and, again, under it the most barefaced injustice is perpetrated on a large section of the community, whose efforts in the cause of education are a standing reproach to every other section of the people of this country. The people who are really in earnest, who make the greatest sacrificed, and put forth the greatest exertions to forward education are unmercifully fleeced, because they do so, by a set of men who have never been known to make even the least sacrifice of money or labour to establish and maintain schools for the people. There are plenty of men who advocate education when supported by others or the public at large, and are very ready to avail themselves of the opportunity public education offers to feather their nests. But whoever heard of a secularist founding, or even contributing generously to found a school ? Yes, who ever heard of such a thing. We have, indeed, heard of one in Philadelphia, but he stands alone in the history of nations, and it is evident that he was more of a crank than anything else, and this single ''nstance only confirms the general statment that the loud-mouthed secularists advocate education when it costs them nothing, and neglect it when called upon to make even a small sacrifice for it. And yet these are the men who are foremost in calumniating Catholics as opponents of education, and inflicting on them the greatest iqjustice because they are the real friends of education of the people. As, then, in the forthcoming election campaign, it seems that every man is recommended to fight for his own hand, we recommend Catholics to do the same, and irrespective of all othei considerations to strike a blow, as far as they can, against all who are prepared U- continue the frightful injustice to which Catholic schools are vow subjected.

The devotion of the Most Holy Rosary, as directed and specially recommended for the month of October by the Pope, was commenced in St. Joseph's Cathedral, Dunedin, on Wednesday, the Ist. inst.

As already announced by us, the blessing of the newly erected school buildings of the Dominican nnns will be performed on Sunday next, Peast of the Most Holy Rosary, by the Bißhop of Dunedin. The ceremonies will commence in St. Joseph's Cathedral, at 3 p.m. Tickets of admission to the buildings may be obtained by application at the convent on Friday and •. aturday.

Wa would again remind our readers of the concert to be given* in commemoration of the opening of the new schools of theDomiucan Nuns, in the Garrison Hall, Dunedia, on Tuesday evening the 7th inst. An exceptionally well selected programme has been drawn up and thoroughly rehearsed for the occasion, and a performance of an unusually attractive kiad may be confidently expected. Amon* the novelties to be produced on the occasion not the least remarkable will be a demonstration made by musical fairies, aod in which toy-instru-ments will have a principal part. AH who are not present will have cause to regret a rare treat.

"It is reported that the American leagues are furious at Mr. ParneU for having ordered tbe moneys collected in America tole remitted to Ireland direct." Whose tongue is blistered as the ori^'nator of the report? American leagues rave something els; to do than to vent fury on nothing at all— for Mr. Parnell never issueJ any such order.

Here, however, is a report from America, which, no doubt, is both tine and significant :— " A motion has been tabled in the United States Senate calling for better treatment of American puli ical prisoners." The motion, of course, has reference to American subjects in Eoglish prisons. Cleve and and Biyard nre no longer in power — and Uncle Sam, under the influence of General Harrison and Mr. Blame, will stand no humbug.

AN at'ack made by some young men 00 Chinamen at the Lower Hutt, Wellington, has resulted in the deith of one of the former. The Chinamen usjd knives, and their victim died through loss of blood from the wounds inflated on him. The affair isia very sad one, the more so as the murdered lad appears to have been generally steady aod was the sole support of his mother. Whatever the China. men'a methods of repelling an attack rmy be, memtirae, the provocation given them cinnot be justified — although, perhaps, tie matter may have some bearing on the question of Chinese immigration.

"Mb. Jackson, Financial Secre ary 10 the Treasury, who has been on a visit of iuspectieu to Irela id. considers the effect- <,f the potato blight have bejn overrated." Of course in dots, there is nothing unusual in that. And when famine has occurred, and people have died of starvation, Mr. Jackrou and bis kind wilt still cons.der the matter comparatively tnflng— \ mere Irish popuUti m alone being the sufferers We have all along kown and preiicteJ the ordinary course of things.

Undbb the circumstances, however, an<l as Irishmen worthy of the name can hardly be expected toagree concerning the matter with English Tory officials, it is not surprising that prominent nationalists have continued outspoken in their denunciat ons. The consequence has been the additional arrests of Messrs P. O'Brien aod Condoa M.P.'d The trial of Messrs Jjhn Dillon and William O'Brien at Tipperary, meantime, seems to have been of rather a lively nature, Messrs Healy and Harrington M.P.'s, speaking their minds pretty freely, aod the prisoners themselves also not considering it necessary to hold their tongues., In an attack made by the police on people attempting to anter the conrt, Mr. Harrison M.P., and others were severely struck with batons, and Mr. John Morley had a narrow escape. The Government in fact, appear to be taking aivantage of the reces>, and their comparative independence of Parlhment, to exceed even themselves in brutality. Lord Spenc3r,>evertheless has spoken the truth, in a ■peech made by him at Wakefield, and in which he declared that the ercesaes alluded to proved toe failure of Mr. Balfour's roe'bods. There 19 nothing mora dangerous, or violent when the opportunity offers, than baffled fury.

A tbidutjm in honour of the Blessed Chanel, the martyr of Fntuna, has been celebrated at Hastings, Hawke'a Bay, the Rev Dr. Ptstre, 8.M., and the Rev. Fathers Giogan, Kerrigan, and Smyth, 8.M., taking part in the celebration. The church was appropriately decorated for the occasioo, and the music perfoinud was exceptionally good. The attendar cc was very numerous.

The Re*. Father Cummings, 8.M., Diocesan Adm.nistia'or, bag for the diocese of Christchurch a upecial celebra'ionof the

second centenary of the Blessed Margaret Mery Alacocque, which will occur on the 17th inst. A circular containing details of the proposed ceremonies will be found in another place.

Bepobtino the great strike procession on Saturday, Sept. 6, in which 8000 men took part, the Sydney Morning Herald says: — 11 Occasionally, upon passing some building, the associations oonnect. d with which were satisfactory, there was an outburst of feeling amongst the unionists, the most notable instance, perhaps, being ac Bt. Mary's Cathedral, on passing which cheers were given for Cardinal Moran."— •• One special feature of the procession," says tbe Freeman's Journal^" was tbe demonstration in honour of Cirdinal Moran, as the me 1 marched by St. Mary's Cathedral. The Marine officers gare three chjers for the Cardinal, and all the other societies as they passe I followed the example. This demonstration was intended as an expression on the part of the men of their grateful appreciation of his Eminence's sympathy as shown in tbe interview published in last week's Freeman, and which was reprinte.l in the Sydney Daily Telegraph, and other city papers."— We ourselves also reproduced in our 1 >st issue tbe interview alluded to.

Thb Dublin Freeman's Journal deserves what it has got. Of aIT the papers published in Irish Catholic interests the Freeman 1 * Journal alone complim> nted the London Tablet on the arrival of the anniversary claimed by that •• stilt-stalking " weekly as its jubilee, and when its extreme Tory editor had the " cheek " openly to assume that be filled tho chair of Frederick Lucaa, AH the other papers alluded to were silent, but the Freeman's Journal made a few flatter* ing remarks and recognised the absurd claim and the wild assumption. Here is how it is rewarded. Referring to a rebuke given it by the Archbishop of Dublin, and citing in self-assertion the example of the Freeman's Journal, tho Tablet says :— " Certainly, if we bad erred, it would be small comfort to be ab:e to point to tbe Freemmn'f Journal as a newspaper and a brother." TLe Freeman* Journal, however, has got no more than its deserts, and, as to the Tablet, it remains trueto its ineffable cor ceit.

Wa really are afraid that James Copland, Ojnvener of fresbyterian Synod's committee on Bible-reading ia schools, is nut honest. You know when a man contrives to become even any kind of a donble doctor, he mußt be capib'e of understanding something. Since we cinnot excuse him then on the plea of absolutely hopeless stupidity, we really are afraid he is n>t honest. James Copland, etc., e'e, in a ltt'or he writes to the Otago Daily limes, advocating Bibls- read ing in Fchools, spenks, for example, as follows :— " The allegation often made that it will do injustice to the Roman Catholics is utterly groundlesg. They cannot be more diss itisriad with it than they are with the system in its present secular churacter. Their grievance is not affected in the least by either the permission or the exclusion of Bible readio?." Does not th? writer kaow,— we are sure he mast since be hid wit enoigh, as we have said, t) become a sort of a double doc or,— that it would be unjust to force Catholics to contribute towards the direct support of auoth r r lgi in than their own, to a misuse also of the Bible, forbidden by their church? Does he not know that it would be unjust, to tora ih;m to plaoa a weapon in the bands of pious teachers to bj used in the prosely tism of their children ? Secularism plus the Bible, in short, waul t be for Oatbol'cs starvation plus a dose of poison, aid Dr. Copl nd an a medical mm must understand what ihnt would rauan. Dr. Copland as a tbaologun and philosopher must, moreover, be able to discriminate between negatives and positives, between bad enough, or too bad, and the devil entirely. Therefore, we fear for thj morals of our mult urn in part*. We really are afraid that the Docto.- 13 not honest.

It is pleasing to see that tho Nati"es i n the North give evidence of a due respect for the memory of their late devoted and successful missionary the Rev. Dr. Mac Donald. £50 as we learn, has been subscribed by them towards the erection of a suitable monument over his grave.

A fellow, calling himself Dr. Hammond, has made hie appearance as a horse-tßmer and anti-Catholic lecturer at the Oapeof Good Hope* — where he Reems to be conducting himself in even t more ruffianly mann-r, if possible.than that which distinguifihesmembersof tuesecondl of his callings gensrallv. The editor of the Graaf lieinct Advertiser, referring to a report of a lecture delivered by ibis fellow— and which he apologises for publishing, speaks as follows,— 11 No snoh specimen of an ignorant foul-minded slanderer as this Dr. Hammond— probably a horse-doctor— has ever, we suppose, appeared in this country or in any other. It would be charity to think htm •ffected with insanity, and we should say be ie, were it not for that ' 10,000 copies of my book at Is— ready in ihree months.' We are sorry for the honest people who promised to take him to their bosom before they knew what be was " A correspondent „f the Cape Argus writes again fron* Richmond.— •• The langu ipe he mcd here was in point of strength wo: thy of a bargee, and the 6torieß ho told • bout tbe nuns of such ft-

filthy description that it was a marvel to me that anyone could be to utterly void of shame as to repeat them. I may here state that ths church was crowded with young and innocent girls, who sat calmly listening to the vilest obscenities that ever disgraced a public platform." There was, some little time ago, a man wh) c ill 3 1 hi an 1 Dr. Hammond engaged in preaching at one or other of the conventicles in Dnnedia. Was he also horse-tamer as well as evangelist and doctor of divinity by virtue of being a farrier ? and is he now at the Cape of Good Hope ?

The Employers' Association* generally have declined to send delegates to the labour conference at Wellington, so long as the boycott remains in force and unions oppose free labour. The U. 8.8.. 8. Company as represented by the Hon. George McLean is wiser, and tbe gentlemsn referred to will attend. Considering that among toe points in dispute both the boycott and free labour are included, the decision of the Employers' Associations does not speak very highly in their favour, especially as they admit the advisability otherwise of holding tbe conference. They in short, encourage the continuance of what they denonnce.

"James M'Dermott, the i American Fenian, is in hiding in London. He declares that two assassini are dogging bis footsteps." — Let M'Dermott look oat. A police force that, for instance, could make nothing of " Jack the Ripper" can probably do little to help him. Still if he knows the men, as it seems be does, and would kindly point them out they might possibly be arrested in time to •ate his life— in time at all events to be sent to peoal servitude on false evidence.

Michael Datitt, in a series of articles in the Labour W»rld, asserts that he is prepared to prove that James M'Dermott, of Brooklyn, in 1883 (with money supplied by the British Consul-gene-ral at New York and Dublin Castle), organised dynamite plots in Canada, Cork, and Liverpool, and afterwards banded over bis dnpes — Featherstone, Dea<*y, and others — to the British police.— Mr. Davitt is a man of his word, and we may, therefore, expect some interesting revelations — bearing also, perhaps, on that motion of the Uoited States Senate.