THE EDUCATION QUESTION.

New Zealand Tablet, Volume XX, Issue 16, 5 February 1892, Page 13

THE EDUCATION QUESTION.

TO THE EDITOR N.Z. TABLET.

Sir, — Observing in a recent issue of one of yonr contemporariei a leading article containing a moat scurrilous critique of his Lordship's appeal to the Catholics of Milton on the occasion of the opening of the new church there, I feel impelled, as one whom the Bishop's addresß moved profoundly, to pen a few words in reply to an article the authorship of which any person who followed the education isaua at the general election will not have much difficulty in tracing to one who has always beeo our most bitter and unreasonable opponent* Amongst other things, the writer of the article referred to takes exception to the strong language made use of by the Bishop, saying that it, if anything, tends to turn men away from a cause which requires to ba advocated in such a mauner. But let me ask this man, Who are likely to be prejudiced against us by what, after all, on'y amounts to plain speaking? Pro'est^nts? I think your readers will agree with me, sir, when I say that for one Protestant who would go out of his way to vote for us, there are a hundred who would not lift thsir little finger to aid a cause, the justice of which they cannot fail to recognise if they devota any attention at all to its Btudy. Such people are little likely to be affected either one way or the other, by any arguments we could adduce, however politely (1) expressed. No, it was not to Protestants that the Bishop's appeal was addressed, but to a congregation of Roman Catholics, and it is by their assistance, and their assistancs alone, that the object which his Lordship, and indeed every true Catholic, has so much at heart, will be attained , and if every Catholic in the Cjlony pats bis foot down and resolves to vote only for the candidate who would not only vote for our Bill, but who would be prepired to take the initiative if necessary, and who would BUDDOit any Government which brought in a measure for the relief of Catholics, we could attain our object without any outside vo'es whatever. I may indeed be over sanguine, but let us see. Tne Roman Catholic population of New Zealand ia about one-seventh of the whjle ; and surely it doe 3 not appear incongruous that we should have a proper representation in Parliament — one-3eventh of seventy is ten ; but if it ia too much to expect to return that number of Members, perhaps half-a- Jcz sn wou d not be an unreasonable numbar. Ha!f-i-dozin votes have oa nurmrous occasions brought Governments to grief : anl after ona or two such experiences, people woul 1 be^in to think that thj sooner the education question was got rid of tha bjtter, aid th^re is only one way of getting rid of it. But it ra*y bs askal, H>« can suc l i a scattered community as ours expect to return sj many men to Parliament, pledged to vote as we direct them, irrespective of party con,' siderations ' A little study will sh;w that it ia not such a very difficult matter after all. Take our own city for instance. It is well known that there is a large number of Catholic electors in South Dunedio. If these resolve to vote as one man, will any peraoa assert that they could not return any member they choss ; and if a Buburb could do so much, could not the city proper do at least as well? Here we have two members from one town for a start. Another question then arises : What influence can ha'f-a-dozaa men exert over a houaa of seventy ? Wo do not require to study contemporary history long before we find an example, one which we cannot do better than emulate. When the Irish question first loomed on the horizon of the Imperial Parliament, of how many Members did the party consist? A very small minority indeed, in a house of nearly sixty-eight members, and yet what do we find ? Home Rule in all human probability is now within measureable distance of being an accomplished fact ; and in what mauner has this most wonderful and gratifying result been brought about 1 Not primarily from the

innate justice of the movement itjelf, bat because tbe Irish party occupied a ueutral attitude in the house. They were neither Liberals nor Conservatives, and being a solid united phalanx, no Government could hope to live through a session without their support, which could only be obtained by taking up the Home Rule cause and making it a Government measure. Here we bave an example of the incomparable advantages of being united, and the only way to ■ecure thorough unity among ourselves is by the appointment of strong committees in each of the electorates of the Colony, who, by an energetic and systematic canvass, could place themselves in the position of being able to elect or reject any candidate, or, if the ■upport was likely to be sufficient, to run a candidate of their own. Thanking you should you see fit to insert this very disjointed composition, I sign, not my name for reasons which will be obvious to you, but A Young Catholic.