THE HUNT.

New Zealand Tablet, Volume XIX, Issue 13, 26 December 1890, Page 17

THE HUN T.

The anonymous hounds arc still in pursuit of their prey Bishop Mokan. His speech at the distribution of prizes to the pupils of the Christian Brothers' schools, Dunedin, has had the effect of whetting their appetites. In fact, their hunger is so keen that they are ready to tear him to pieces, and though cowardice is the characteristic of these anonymous hounds, hunger, which the proverb says can break through a stone wall, has endowed them this time with a species of courage. Even their indignation is roused at the supposed indignity put upon the intellectual prowess of New Zealand by this terrible fox, the object of their pursuit. They have made one great aud shrill cry over one sentence which they quote from the Tlnus^ report of the Bishop'n speech, but which, unfortunately for them, does not represent what he really said. But they are welcome to any triumph they may fancy they have gained by this misrepresentation. The man from Palmers ton, who does not and never did exist in Palmerston, indignantly enquires who Bishop Mouan is. Well, we thought this was an entirely superfluous question in Dunedin. However, as the non-Palmerstonian seems to think the question a mighty hit, and as it appears to relieve his overwrought feelings, we have no objection to repeat it for him, and ask who is Bishop Mokan, in order that some equally indignant Colonist from Palme'-ston or some other locality rejoicing in some equally real existence may answer it. Another of the dogs, whose yelp resembles the shrill reed, tosses np his head ami in falsetto whines out : " The idea of owing the Catholic^ half a million, why, all unmarried men and

maidens will now come forward and declare that the country is largely indebted to them on account of the free and godless education they have been compelled to provide for other people's children." And, no doubt, a reasonable and righteous claim this would be, for it does appear monstrously unjust that well-to-do people should pay no more towards the expense of the education of their children than their childless servants and labourers do. But these gentry, who are so intellectual and so proud of their intellectuality that even a hint calculated to disparage their abilities is absolutely intolerable, are unable, it appears, to see any disparity between the case of the unmarried men and women of the country and the Catholic body. These people have eyes and see not ; at all events, in this connection they entirely ignore the ftct that Catholics have schools which they provide for the education of their children, and that, consequently, having done their duty to their children, and provided for them all the State can demand, it is extreme injustice and tyranny to compel them to pay also for the free and godless education of well-to-do people's children. Here, then, we encounter a new argument very similar to the police and railway argument, and equally absurd on the part of men who are touchy as to their intellectual standing. Intellectual standing ! oh, it is high, indeed. Their arguments prove how high it is. The Bishop, we are quite certain, is sorry for having said a word to deprecate the intellectual standing of the advocates of secular education in this country, but he is not to blame in the matter, It people make themselves absurd and ridiculous, how can he help it ? They, not he, must bear the blame. Then as to France and Italy, to which < Kalamos" points so ♦k Um ? tlj ' he i S. aores all facts and seenis be ignorant that the state of things now prevailing in these countries has been brought about by anti-Catholic and foreign influence, and that it is in defiance of the overwhelming majority of these countries. Secret societies, and the ruffianism and the scum of all European countries, have chiefly, if not entirely, contributed to bring it about. See Garibaldi's red shirts for ?m c*e * The Prevailin&elementamongtaesewasmostdisreputable,and England herself contributed not a small contingent It the masses of these countries were in a position to freely give their opinion, this state of things would be reversed to-morrow. Nothing can be more certain than this. In France a Government official dare not go to Mass, under pain of dismissal if noticed, and in Italy no one can vote without taking an oath oi allegiance to the Sardinian Government now located in Rome, which the overwhelming majority of the people refuse