A Backward Move.

New Zealand Tablet, Volume XXX, Issue 28, 10 July 1902, Page 1

A Backward Move.

Some of the Victorian Protestant clergy are still apparently uneasy in their mind about that ' Catholic vote.' A few weeks ago we referred at some length to a resolution which had been adopted by the Victorian Presbyterian Commissioners in favor of ' organising a permanent opposition to the Roman Catholic vote in regard to religious instruction in State Schools and kindred questions,' and gave a full account of the discreditable means by which the promoters of the scheme had succeeded in carrying their proposal, We now learn from the Melbourne correspondent of the Otago Daily Times whose letters, by the way, are in point of clearness, conciseness, and general grasp of the questions dealt with usually models of what a correspondent's letter ought to be — that the Wesleyan Conference has followed suit by adopting a similar resolution, and the outcome is that a meeting has been called to form a league ' for meeting and counteracting the organised Roman Catholic influence on the legislation and Administration of this State, without in any way combating or interfering with the Roman Catholic religious position.' The circular convening 1 the meeting is stated to be signed by the Anglican bishops, as well as the Presbyterians, Wesleyans, etc., so that, on paper at least, these clerical crusaders are able to make quite a brave show.

We are glad to see, however, that the Times' correspondent, who, as a disinterested party on the spot should be able to form a competent judgment, has no hesitation in prophesying certain failure for this hare-brained scheme. *Itis 'he says, 'easy to predict failure for it, and for this reason : The Protestant laity are not behind it. They do not support their clergy on the religious education question. Only one section of the Protestant laity will support it — the Orange section ; and that section will not respect the clause that is to prevent the League

interfering with the Roman Catholic religious position. The movement, therefore, will have the support of Orangemen only, and if the Orangemen are prominent in it, nothing else will so quickly discredit it. To do the clergy justice, they do not now ask for religious education in the schools : they ask for Scripture lessons only. But there is no enthusiasm behind the movement. A handful of Kyabram farmers started the agitation for the reform of Parliament, and they infected the entire community. The whole body of clergy has been asking for religious education for years, and are as far off infecting the community as ever. Earnestness and enthusiasm some of the clergy have ; but they have not got right and justice on their side/

Certainly there is little of right and justice, and still less of Christian charity, in this absurd proposal for an antiCatholic campaign. It is in its essence, as the Times writer indicates, nothing more nor less than an unholy alliance with the justly despised and discredited Orangemen. It is essentially a backward movement, utterly opposed to the broad and tolerant spirit of the times, and calculated only to bring about an era of bigotry, bitterness, dissension, and strife. In the interests of peace and mutual good-will, it is earnestly to be hoped that the proposed anti-Catholic organisation over which these misguided clerics have so long been incubating may meet with the failure it undoubtedly deserves.