Sir Robert Stout's Libel

New Zealand Tablet, Volume XXXVII, Issue 20, 20 May 1909, Page 9

Sir Robert Stout's Libel

In a few odd corners of New Zealand little spasms of controversy have arisen over Sir Robert Stout's recent libel on religious schools as, in effect, a sort of Fagan's academies for the manufacture of criminals. As abundantly shown by us in the columns of our esteemed local morning contemporary, Sir Robert Stout's foolish story is, in the present instance, the manufactured article. And, . no doubt, New Zealand's Chief Justice has, in this instance, come down from his lofty seat and stormed about in the arena of religious controversy for the purpose of preventing his traditions from becoming blue-mouldy for want of an airing. The whole incident is curiously reminiscent of the days when Sir Robert used to play in Dunedin the role of agnostic or materialistic lecturer, conducting an active propaganda somewhat after the fashion of the late Robert Ingersoll, whom Dr. Lambert (editor of the New York Freeman's Journal) dissected in so marvellous a way in his Notes on Ingersoll. We cannot leave out of sight the historical element in dealing with the present conditions of any race or people. And just as little can we, in casting up personal accounts, leave out of our calculation long and ingrained habits of mind, such as those which (in the present connection) made Sir Robert Stout a missionary of agnosticism or materialism. Says Byron :

' Men love in haste, but they detest at leisure.' And it is not, perhaps, altogether unreasonable to suppose that, at the back of Sir Robert's peculiar attitude towards religion, there may even still remain 'in odd corners of his heart some traces of resentment against those who are supposed to have long been his political opponents — and even to have caused a check in his parliamentary career. These, too, happen to be the people who conduct the great bulk of the religious schools in the Dominion of New Zealand. These things may, of course, be merely coincidences. But they are the sort of coincidences that arouse suspicion — • just as the Samivel Weller's suspicions were awakened by the coincidence of the disappearance of the fat and flabby little puppies and the appearance of 'weal pies' upon the dinner-table.

At Waimate, last week, sane common-sense spoke a reproof — strong in substance, though mild in form — against Sir Robert's statistical fairy tale. Several issues of this paper might he filled with the testimonies of Protestant and non-religious educationists in commendation of the attitude taken up by Catholics in connection with this vital question of religious education. Let, however, two suffice. Some six years ago Professor Coe, of the North-western University (United States), said in the course of a lecture delivered in Chicago : ' The position of Roman Catholics in regard to religion and education, and their policy in the establishment of parochial schools, are absolutely correct. For corroboration of this opinion I refer you to the work, Philosophy of Education, by Dr. Arnold Tompkins, Principal of the Chicago Normal School, in which he says religious character is the proper end of all education' (New York Freeman's Journal, January 24, 1903).

• So distinguished a non-Catholic authority as Mr. Amasa Thornton gave utterance to similar views in the North American Beview for January, 1898 (pp. 126-8). ' The questions,' said he, ' which we have to solve, then, are these: How can the present decline in religious teaching and influence be checked; and how can such teaching and influence be increased to such a point as will preserve the great cities of the next century from depravity, degradation, and destruction? What can be expected of the family? ... If the adults of the present age are not as religious as the needs of the hour and of the future require, will the children receive the proper religiouß training if they receive none except in the home circle?' This leads Mr. Thornton to some ' plain English ' about the results of the exclusion of religion from the public schools. ' The Catholic Church,' adds he, ' has insisted that it is its duty to educate the children of parents of the Catholic faith in such a way as to fix religious truths in the youthful mind.' For this it has been assailed by the non-Catholic population, and Catholics have been charged with being

enemies of the liberties of the people and the flag. Any careful observer in the city of New York can see that the only people, as a class, who are teaching the children in the way that will secure the future for the best civilisation, are the Catholics ; and, although a Protestant of the firmest kind, I believe the time has come to recognise this fact, and for all of us to lay aside religious prejudices and patriotically meet the question. 5