Current Topics

New Zealand Tablet, Volume XXI, Issue 12, 20 July 1894, Page 1

Current Topics

C\LL THB DOCTOK.

Al no ME AND ABROAD. Wht, our " Civia" is qaite out of sort 3. Is colourblindn nB9n 89 n Hymptom of his illness, or '3 our festive friend feuffering in the grasp of the green-eyed monster? Anyone can sea that the covers of the Tablet are no f , as he says they are, green. This, however, is but a trifle. Perhaps, after all, it is a j ike — of B)me kind too subtle to appear. But who could have thought that our " Civis," however indisposed ho might be, would include among fie " charities of human life" the murder of Pres'dent Carnot? The Tablet, he tells his readers, in effect, is persuaded that President Carnot was the victim of the inmost Masonic lodges — and therefore the Tablet has turned all the charities of human life to vitriol. Our " Givis," we may explain, also includes in these charities devil W'rsbip, and all the mischief of the time. B«eing, therefore, what his defini ion of charity is, we can hardly complain if our festive friend accredits ua with turning it into vi riol. Supposing it cipablo of distillation at all, in fact, what other sirt of liquor does he think it would make ? Potheen, perhaps, or lemonade. But, oh no. We did not aocuw the Otago Daily Times of getting its American letter written for any sinister purpose. What we accused the Daily Times of — and we ■tick to oar charge — was publishing an incendiary paragraph sent it spontaneously by a bieot — and which it was a disgraca to its column* to publish at all — with the hope of influencing the election by raising the No-Poppry cry. We made all the excuse possible for the acti n of the Tim-es. We gave it the benefit of the doubt — and admitted that, under less pressing circumstances, it would have with-held ihe paragraph from publication. If ocr '■ Civis " were Dot out of sorts, moreover he woald perceive that it was not the Tuapoka eles' ion, but the A. P. A. that we had associated with sacrilege and arson. He would recognise, too, that, since the A.P.A. had just been engaged in a commemorative celebration of sacrilege and arson, we were justified io makiDg the association He acknowledges with thaDks our charitable concession that the Times had no real desire to see th > ac ion of the Kcow-nothinea repeated by the A.P.A. —and what our festive friend says invest, we take in c >raeet. Under the circumstances, then, since our festive friend sees green, and ranks as chanties of huoiin life a whole lot of most shocking occurrences — ussassination, devilworship, and all the mischief of the time — it would be very foolish on our pirt to take offence at anything he has to say agiinst us. \V t are accountable for a " disordered brain," " exquis.te absurdities," and " bathos," are we ? Far be it from us to contradict our accuser, considering his condition. Let him take a drop of Mo'her Sdigel's Byrup, or Clements' tonic, or something eqially wholeajme, aad look again, and be will see that we are all right.

A PROTIBT.

A vkbt foolish proceedi'g, especially as judged from certain sentiments expressed on the occ. si< n, and one calculated to nerve opposition to the Home Rule movement, was the commemoration of '98 ma>ie at Eaoiecortby on Sunday, M^y 27. Under any circumstances it may be bold doubtful that such a commemora'ion wnuld bo wibti. No doubt the insurrection was excusable. Nay, more, it was forced on by the wicked tactics of the Governmrn', md th- barbarrug cruelty of the military authorities, Wbil», however, there wai wickedn^«s and barbarous cruelty nn one side, the other sile v?a< not wiltnut its excesses. Lower duwn the river Blaaey, for exvnp c, on WVxford bridge, a horrible slaughter in cold Dlood to^k place, for which there was absolutely no excuse. A body of pria nuis, who had bten shut up ia the gaol, were marched down to the bridge, and there killed with pikeß, their bleeding corpses bung flung into the stream. We have heard an eye-witness describe the scene, and how afterwards the gore kept rising in bubbieß to the surface of the water. The fact, we miy remark in passing, that the eye-witness alluded to was a Protestant, snd known to be such, of itself proves that Protestantism alone was not the cause of the murders. Nevertheless, the fact remains that All those put to death were of the religion in question. How, then,

can t tiLi celebration almost wuhin sight ot ttje f-Ual spot — it is but a few miles away — be expected not to sir up or, whpre they exist, increase the alarm and opposition of Protestants? l'he time is one at which tbe olive branch has been displayed, and its acceptance urgently invited, and any conduct inconsistent with tho pcTC^ proposed, or capable of throwing doubt ou its sincerity, ia to be deplored and deprefated. So much for the general asppctof the mutter. The particular utterance to which we have referred is the following. It was male by a Mr Henry Dixon, junr., of Dublin, the chief speaker oi the occasion. Referring to what the speaker considered the mistake marie by tbe insurgents in not seizing on Dublin •— ■" The French people," he said," "hid taught them a different lesson, and that wa9 the seizure of the capi al. They should therefore, make a resolution that, so far as they were concerned, they wonld work so that those who came after them would be worthy Rons of the United Irishmtn, and would be worthy to carry out the object of those men, the establishment in this country of a senate responsible to the people, and, if the country was so disposed, a Government on Republican lines (loud cheers) " How, then, can Irishmen complain if advantage is taken of language like this — supported by c'leers — to repeat and confirm ihe charge that under the pretence of Home Rule, separation is aimed at ? It is true the name of no prominent Home Ruler occurs among those of the men present, but still an ass mblage of some 5000 people fiom various centres niuat be a'mitted to have been of some importance. A strong proteV against the principles enounced eeems to be very necessary. Indeed, as we have said, the whole demonstration appears more than questionable.

A FAIR OTFiCS.

It is too late to get him in now, but it may result in getting for him a thumping big testimonial. Of coarse, we al'ude to ihe No- Popery cry and Mr Scobie Mackenzie. They botched the mitterthis time. They depended over-much on the cry being always ready at band, and did not work it np in time. We learn from a writer of " Tuapeka Notes" in the Evening Star of Saturday, that they hid seen their mistake. They only wanted a day or two more, he tells us, in effect, for it to send Mr Mackenzie in flying. Tbe writer of notes, a« usual among such scribes and others of the kind, finds it outrageous that the strong convictions on the subject of education entertained by Mr Mackenzie should be encountered by conviction! quite as strong on tbe same subject entertained by Ca' holies. This it tbe eff ct of an intolerant bigotry it seems — at least in the eyes of an intolerant bigot. Mr Scobie Mackenzie's supporter, In this respect, seems of one feather with Mr Scobie Mackenzie himself, and there* fure ]ust fi s the fact mentioned by him ihat Mr Mackenzie need look for no favour fiooa Catholic electors. We can fully believe the writer also, when he tells us that Mr Mackenzie's reference to clerical influences were full of stulied respect and courtesy. To have put in an appear >nee there at a'l, in fact, those qualities mus bave been very much studied. But who so r.pt to study them? Mr Bcobie Mackerz;e ie nothing, if not '' pawky." By the way "Nemo "in the name nuoiber of the Star wants to know what is the Irish for "pawky." " Sootberi g." if s'utni to u n , might, on a pinch at (least servo tbe pir pose, " Soothering Mike," for instance, would answer prttty well to " Pawky Jock." The Tablkt, too, has given this writer of notes great cause for d sgust. Why, we cannot tell, for, on hie own showing, we bave helped the party^he advocates. He says th» ( , po Httoci >us was our conduct, so barbarous our language, we aotutlly eot a good many people to vote against Mr Larnach. Is it not rat er bid tactics, then, on tho part of this note-writer to point out to us the error uf our ways, and put us on our guard for the next time 1 However, we are quite used to that. Our foes always tell us ttut wp have d^ne the v< rr thing they wanted us todo. That is why we always do it again. Wm are so good natured, you know. But, indeed, we made nse of no disgraceful term, conditional or absolute, towards Mr Ssobie Mackenzie. We called him " pawky," but that is a word that we are bum our Scotch friends with whom it originated would never ihink of applying to Yahoos or Hottentots. It was composed for decent bodies in the land o' cakes. Tbe epithet we applied to Mr Allen was the one he had long since earned, •• No-Popery." We have to congratulate this note-writer on perceiving its proper force. It certainly would, as he says, disgrace a Yahoo or a Hotten-

tot. More shame to the civilissd poliiicianß who deserve it. |Bat to stir up the cry for a useful purpoße where no'great harm can be done may perhaps be more excusable. It it swells that purse— no rubbishing type-writer should be thought a sufficient solatium this time— to represent Mr Scobie Mackenzie as this writer of notes does, ai the victim c f an " organised clerical tyranny," well and good. We have no objection. In fact, if thought desirable we might even throw in a term or two ; disgraceful, perhaps, to Yahoos or Hoitentots, but well deeer»ed by certain civilised politicians and necessary in correctly describing them. If, in this way, we can advance the interests of Mr Bcobie Mackenzie's testimonial, we are ready for the job.

A WEAK REPLY.

Lord Montkaglb has replied to the article which we recently quoted, by Sir Thomas H. Grattan Esmonde on the nemesis of Toryism. His LordBhip, however, is hardly to be congratulated on a very lucid or powerfnl reply. In fact, be takes no notice whatever of the main point of the argument, and passes over altogether the quandary io wbich the landlord party must eventually find themselvep, as ruled by a Radical majority. Lord Monteagle confines himrelf to the land question, and repeats the belief of Lord Londonderry, contradicted by Sir Thomas Eemonde, that all would go well if it were settled, and if only an tffac'ive system of purchase were agreed upon. He calls npon all parties to eschew for the present all other questions, and devote themselves to solve the problem proposed. It doei not seem to occur to Lord Monteagle that a people who have seen that such 8 measure of amendment as they have already secured was obtained only by means of their agitation for the change which he now calls upon them to forego, or at least, to postpone indefinitely, must necessarily see things in a different light. Nor does it occur to him, in expressing hiß readiness, if needful, to sacrifice himself and his class to the interests of the nuprity, that the people may also inquire bow it came about that, for so many dreary years, no notion of the kind had ever entered into the heads of the class to whish his Lorddhip belongs. Even to Lord Monteagle himself the suggestion has possibly come from them and from their efforts. Promising first-fruits, in fact, hardly tend to promote a withdrawal. The people may even be excusable for thair belief, which we have little doubt they entertain, that the land ques'ioncan never be finally settled until it has been dealt with by an Iriab Parliament. In any case, to talk of staying the Home Rule movement now, and giving preference to a measure that must necessarily be involved in it* Bnccess, is to propose, for example, a rolling back of time, and a delay of the tide. The reply made by Lord Monteagle to Sir Thomas Ksmonde's forcible and clear forecast, apirt from its notable omissions, contains all the stupidity of an impossible proposal. We m»y accredit the writer with well meaning— but hia wiaiom seems more than doubtful.

A PBOMIBINO FORKCIAST.

A respected correspondent augnrs well for France from the election to the presidsncy of M. OieimirPerier. M. Obsimir-Perier he describes aa a moderate republican, sincerely attached to the Republic, but repudiating the iniquitous and persecuting line of policy purBned by precediug Governments. The esteem, he says, in which M. Casimir-Perier is generally held, has been proved by ths large majority by which he was returned. M. Carnot had several times begged of him to form a Ministry, but, being frea from ambition and satisfied with the popularity enjoyed by him, he hai always refused, until at length, seeing that no other Cabinet could last, he yielded, in the hope of delivering the country from the threatpning anarchy. Immediately on his attaining to power, says our correspondent, be declared to the Chamber that be meant to pnt an end to thg policy of persecution which his predecessors had pursued, and to enter upon a path of conciliation and impartiality. The Temps, one of the ablest and most respectable of French newspapers, compared him as Premier to M. Thiers. Speaking of the part that devolved upon the head of the Cabinet to explain questions to the Chamber it said : — «' Who does not remember the importance that M. Thierß attached to this portion of his dutes. Supposing the assembly to be in an entire ignorance of a subject, he, to the latter, taught it to them. What M. Thiers did with reg»rd to financial, ecouomic, and military questions M. Oaßimir-Perier is now obliged to do with regard to political questions. When he appears in the tribune it is abave all to teach the Chamber— at can be done brief!/ by a word to the point or a clear ■rggeation—in wh it political truth and political duty consist. ' Our correspondent also recalls, as a good omen, the desire expressed prior to M. Casimir-Perier's advent to power, that another Minister like his father, Premier under King Louis Philippe, might arise. By his ability, they said, he had saved the monarchy. Our correspondent farther contrasts the altitude towards religion of the new President with that of M. Carnot. M. Carnot, bo says, in spite of his uprightness and his great qualities, never had tbe courage to proclaim him•«lf a Catholic. He gave free scope to Masonic and atheistic Ministries, and was most careful to avoid speaking of God or of religion in hit public addresses. It may be hoped that on the con-

trary M. Casimir-Perier will put into practice the determination boldly expressed bj him as Premier to the Revolutionary L«ft, that he would rot follow in tbe campaign against religion. M. CasimirPerier, we are told, besides, belongs to a religious family. Amongst his relations, be numbers Madame Ducbesne, a holy nun of the Sacred Heart, whose virtues have won the admiration of the world ; the Mother Mary Joseph Aubert, whose devotion to the cause of suffering humanity, is worthy of the highest praise ; and several members of the Benedictine Order. The late Mgr Perier, Archbishop of Avignon, was also related to him. For onr owu part we trust that our correspondent augurs aright. France, indeed, Btandß sorely in need of a man to guide her, wise in political'and worldly; wisdom, and bold in upholding the rights of religion. May M. Caaimir- Perier, in fact, prove to be such a man ;

ODD 3 AND KDNS.

A deputation of workingmen to the Mayor of Duuedin last week took rather more of a political tone than is usual to su^h gatherings. Nor do we know that the principlt speaker on behalf of the men — a teacher by profession, reduced to do the work of a labourer, can be looked upon as qualified to give the opinions expressed by him. What we seem chiefly to learo or, rather, to find confirmation of — in his cas«, is the folly of the temper of the day, which persists In fitting the greater number of the community for offices they cannot find, and in unfitting them for tbe work that needs to be done. The position of this reduced teacher ia ons that deserves Bympathy and pity — but, as we said, it ia one that, at least, dots not bespeak any particular authority for his opioion. The men in a word had failed to profit by the co-operative system, and it was inevitable that they should pronounce in favour of the system of contracting. Very much to the point, nevertheless, were the Mayor's remarks as to the manner in which tbe labour unions had behaved with regard to the proposed loan for the completion of the Otago Central line. Certainly withoat public worka employment cannot be given and without funds there can be no public works. We know that it is one of the innumerable theories propounded by the lights of the day that labour can dispense with capita], and, no doubt, on paper, like al the rest of them, it can be made to look very plausible— but, when brought into practice— like all the rest of them also, it must prove worse than useless. Our unions, in acting as they did, may perhaps, have acted as philosophers, but they acted very nnlike men of common sense . And, in fact, his Worship had a significant word or two to Bay of them. "Nothing now went down with the workingmen," said he, " but clamour and claptrap." And what about the Irish bulls? An esteemed friend has placed at our disposal a charmingjVx d 'esprit, as original, freeb, and eparklin?. He haß kindly given us permission to reproduce it for the delight and refreshment of our readers. An American, then, was on a visit to Rome, He looked aronnd and saw " all creation," as contained in the Eternal City. Bat he said, " I want to see the cattle yards." " The cattle-yards I" exclaimed his quidt — "Yes, don't you know? where they keep the Papal bulls." There waa somebody in Rome, therefore, before Mark Twain — we did not know he was an American— ia fact, judging from the age of his joke, we had, years ago, set him down as Mathusala. But has anyone met a Yankee, or p-.eeibly a cockney, Btaring around at Killarney for the Irish balls? If bo, will ho tell us all about it, and let us tell our readers? Our esteemed triend, perhaps, if he would try it, might fiad the task congenial. The Dublin Freeman pokes fun at our advanced females. Our contemporary gives an interesting wood-cut in illustration of a wedding, reported, he says, by an Otago paper, as taking place at Christchurch. " Tbe costumes worn by the advanced guests and the happy coupl« are all described in the report as • suits,' with one exception, where it stated that certain Udies wore ' tastefal knicker costumes.'" The old folk at home will begin to think as rather queer — and possibly, not without reason. Mr Scobie Mackenzie, speaking at Clyde during the late election we see, retarned to hie favourite illustration of the benefits of education. "He then instanced the case of the son of a millionaire and a working man, who starting with equal abilities, and after a similar course of education, were socially equal, the one being quite as good as the other. Education effected this, and it was not possible to bring in any enactment which could do the same thing." The illustration, nevertheless, is as false and misleading as ever it can be. First and foremost, it is not, as a rule, the educated men who were or are millionaires— at least in these colonies. We can thiok of several who did Dot, or do not know "b" from a bnll'fl foot — and we can reoll few cases on th« other side. Bat what penniless bumpkin can, for example, take his scholarly son to Europe and pit him against the millionaire's son ? Let him try to obtain for him the entree of London sooiety— not to be bought, said Professor Bsgebot 4b years ago— but since then become more venal. Why Lady Clara Vere de Vere would not think him worth so much as a stare of contempt The millionaire, however, can obtain her ladyship for his son's wife' and his Lordship or his Grace for his daughter's husband. Mr Scobie

Mackenzie quotes a false oase. To us, moreover, with his opportuoi ies, he seems too smart a man not to know it. A. corclusion to be derived from a certain statement as to the conditions of poverty in London seams significant- A correspondent of the Catholic Timet who claims, and no doubt rightly, t> be an enihoiii? on statistics, a'ates that, within the last twen'y y^rs, the state of the poor has become much better. The total of in and outdoor relief given in 1871 he sayp, wr 9 47-6, la 1893. with an increase of the population of over a million, it w\e 25 2. When, therefore we consider the increase of strikes, and the general expression of a determination to insist on an improved condition in life, the conclusion seems inevitable that the spirit of the people has grown much less patient, and that a less degree of gaff ri D g makes them much more restive. The significance seems evident. We bave all heard of the piper that played before Moses. Piper J. McKechnie seems to have enjoyed, last week, a somewhat similar privilege. He was admitted to prelude, by a stave or two, the pious remarks of tht Grand Master of the Dunedin Orangemen at the gathering on the 12th inst. Perhaps, howtrer, the more apt comparison would be that of David playing before Saul and driving away the evil spirit. However it was, old Nick seems to bave taken his departure, at least for the moment— that is unless he availed himself of kia power to imitate his betters, and ace immodated bis manners to the milder tune. The Grand Master, in the course of his remarks we are told, said :-" Some people thought that Orangemen had nothing but ill-will for their Catholic brothers and curseß for the Pope, but the Orange Brotherhood never would curse the Pope and would pray for their Catholic brethren." Well, all we can say is, we hope they may ttick to their good resolutions. Their curses never did the Pope any harm, and we do not suppose their prayers will do Catholics any good-but it is a change for the better, any way. If the* only stick to it Piper McKtohnie will have frightened the devil •way to some purpose. Bracken's kangaroo, meantime, takes a back seat: Tha London correspondent of the Ota§ 9 Daily Timet giret some ■triking Illustrations of the improvement of the age. The details he

gives as to the treatment of children by a nursa at a London school may only characterise the individual. Taken, however, in oonnectioo with another case in Eogland mentioned by him, and a case iv Ireland to which he doai not refer-those respect.vely of the Newton Abbot workhouse, and the Oarogh orphanage, they are suggestive. Toe frequency of gross charges trumped up by depraved women is of a meaning less doubtfully wide, and speaks ill for English morality. Finely, the state of things said to be revealed by Mr Stead respectmg Chicago speaks badly for America. For this case the correapondent says the fire and brimstona of the Onies of the Plain would be the only adequate punishment. The world, indeed, seems " fallen upon evil days."

church and presbytery were situated at the lower part of the town and near the beach. There were then very few houses on the terrace above, bu that when a big flood came it inundated neany the whole town. I had the good fortune of being in the two largest fl >ods that ever occurred in Grej mouth. The first one was in 1872 and the other in 1887, the year of (the jub.lea. It wan called for this rea«m the " Jubilee flood." This last flood was by far the highest of the two, but the first one did much more harm, and frightened the people more, for the reason, perhaps, that it occurred during the night, and also because they were not so well prepared for it. During the flood of 1872 2 or 3 houses that were built near the nvtr were bodily carried away into the sea. In one of them was a weman and her little boy. The mother jumped through a window aod was saved, bat the little boy remained in bed, though knowing that he was being carried away aod crying out at the top of his voice, " People, 0 people, Bave me." A protection wall was built a few years ago from the gorge down to the wharf, and it is to be hoped that it will keep the river within its bounds. Besides, during the jubilee flood a plan was thought of and tried, which succeeded well in staying the progress of th« flood. It consisted in cutting a channel through a sandy bank from the lagoon into the sea, so that much danger may be averted in future, in case of future floods. There was, even at that time, a very flourishing Catholic school, under the management of Mr McCarthy. The salary of the teaching staff was made out of the church taat rent, and as the people were then, for the most part, in good circumstances, there was no lack of support for the priest or the school. Father Ecuyer having arrived from his holiday tour, much bettei in health, but not quite cured from his bad cold, whioh soon began to trouble him a 2 ain. I prepared to start for|my own parish which was that of Boss. Poor Boat I How different it was from what I had seen it in 1871, only eight years before. Coffins tod Co were there no more, and many miners had left the place, and bad gone to look for better fields. Still I found there pretty nearly the §ame families, for families cannot shift as well as single men, and though poorer, yet they were not anything the worse. The oongre-