Current Topics

New Zealand Tablet, 25 April 1912, Page 21

Current Topics

Home Rule Odds— 7 to 1 Nash’s Magazine for February —two months before the'introduction of the Home Rule Bill—contained an exceedingly interesting symposium on the question, Is Home Rule for Ireland a Foregone Conclusion?’ The symposium included opinions both for and against Irish self-government and amongst those who answered the question in a more or less emphatic affirmative were Mr. Asquith, Mr, John Redmond, Mr. Lloyd George, Sir Edward Grey, : Alfred ' Russell. Wallace (the distinguished scientist), A. C. Benson ■ (son of the late Archbishop of Canterbury),' Mr. Joseph McCabe, Hilaire Belloc, Sir J. H. Yoxall, M.P., and Admiral Sir Cyprian Bridge, G.C.8., who saw upwards of fifty years’ service in. the Royal Navy prior to his retirement in 1904. The Admiral must have something of a sporting strain in his composition, for, in his pithy statement on the subject, he seemed 'to think the simplest way of answering the query was to reduce the situation to a question of odds. 4 My opinions,’ he said, 4 regarding the probability of Irish Home Rule being established, and established soon, are not worth much, because I am not a very keen politician, but looking at the matter from my position of detachment, I am led to believe that the odds in favor of Home Rule being established are about seven to one; and in favor of its being established soon, about seven to two. I wish that the establishment would come soon. This wish is not due to any political reason. It is due to a liking‘for being amused. Much amusement is to be anticipated when Home Rule is established, from watching the way in which many of those who now oppose it will tumble over each other in their eagerness to make it appear that they were really in favor of it all the time.’ The sporting Admiral is, we believe, a true prophet; and in this last sentence has sized up the situation to a nicety.

The First Reading

The first reading of the Home Rule Bill was carried by 360 votes to 266; and though this is usually a more or less formal matter, the speeches made on the. occasion may be taken as giving a general indication iof the lines mof attack and of defence that are ; likely : -to-\ be adopted on the more detailed second reading discussion.- If the Bill has to encounter no more formidable criticism than that offered -by the Opposition members on the first reading it should have a very easy passage through the House. The speeches of the anti-Home Rule leaders, almost without exception, consisted •of declamation ' and mere assertion, unsupported by any real argument or fact. To take one typical illustration : One of the most outstanding features of the Bill is the number and extent of the safeguards which are provided for Imperial supremacy and for the rights of minorities in Ireland. On this point with a view, doubtless, to conciliating. Unionist feeling — has been carried to a degree -appears ; certainly unnecessary, if not, indeed, ridiculous. The only ' criticism ' vouchsafed by the Opposition is the bare, bald, assertion — parrot-like, by each succeeding speakerthat the guarantees are worthless. ' There was not one guarantee ; worth the paper on which it was written,' said Sir Edward Carson, speaking in that spirit of unreasoning, passion and prejudice the display of which has already converted i Sir Frederick Pollock -to Home Rule. ' The ' guarantees for Ulster were "intended for British consumptionthey deceived no one in Ireland,' said Mr. Balfour. .' The Government had.done nothing to - placate Ulster,' said Mr. W. H. Long. ' The guarantees were worthless,' said Mr. Bonar Law. Not one of the speakers attempted to show how or why these elaborate and carefully-framed safe-guards were worthless, or to indicate how, in any material way, they could be evaded. ~ .-

.-■"' Where the Opposition speeches approached ■anything like : genuine criticism, they {touched; only matters of detail, and not |bf\~ principle. : Mr. Balfour quite reasonably asked how; the .Irish Executive could be held responsible for law. and order while the control of the Constabulary was to, remain in British hands. The retention of the Constabulary under Imperial control is open to objection, not only on the ground indicated by Mr. Balfour, but also {. because it, will retard the inauguration of much-needed ; economies in ; ■ this [ ridiculously extravagant and over-manned department. Mr. Bonar Law was also, we consider, : on solid ground when he took exception to the number of Imperial restrictions in the Bill, and declared that he would give Ireland, if /possible, the same powers as Canada, because then there would be a chance" of ~ a friendly Ireland.' No Home Ruler will object to the most ample safe-guards in respect to religion; but when we find, in addition to the religious guarantees and the Lord Lieutenant's right of veto, & further proviso conferring a right of appeal to the Privy Council, not as to the interpretation but as to the validity of any law passed by the Irish Parliament, one cannot help scenting a danger that these multiplied checksand particularly the last-named be used for the purpose of needlessly delaying and nullifying Irish legislation. % How- far the criticism of the Opposition is bona fide, and how far it is mere party opposition we do not profess to determine: but it is significant of the extreme moderateness of the Government"proposals that even the Opposition are constrained to complain that they do, not go far enough.■■,:' In regard to "the fiscal question,' late cables mention that the Bill provides, -when the time is opportune, for a revision of the financial provisions; and this confirms the view we expressed last week that the Irish Party have accepted the existing compromise with a view to securing better terms later on. ' .

Those Italian Missions

A little over a year ago, thanks to the faux pas of and to the blazing indiscretions of the egregious Dr. Tipple, a good deal of public attention—and of public criticism—was directed towards the American

Methodist Missions for the ' conversion 'of the Catholics 6? Italy ; and the Missions came out of the ordeal in a distinctly damaged condition. ; " The Operations of the Methodist missionary propaganda were dealt with at some length in- our columns and it was shown on the testimony of one of the missionaries themselvesthe Rev. Dr. Stackpole—and on other evidence, that the missionary methods in Italy were dishonest and offensive, that the agents. and preachers employed were for the most part of very doubtful character, and that the results, in spite of the most unblushing 'souperism,' were practically nil. -i Oh- this last point we are now enabled to bring the record up to date, and to showstill on Protestant testimony— right up to the present day the efforts to make good Methodists of the Italians' are a dismal failure. The Rev. Charles W. Wendt, D.D., who ; contributes the correspondence from Papal lands for The Christian Register (Unitarian), of 'Boston, February 1, tells the same f old tale made familiar long ago by Dr. Stackpole. Dr. Wendt states that in 1872 the census showed 58,561 Protestants in Italy, and the present census counts 65,595 — increase of 15 per cent, in forty years. (In the meanwhile the general population of Italy has increased over 30 per cent.) -. ■ ' "". ; • ■'. ' - -". * ' ''.:,- . :

Dr. Wendt is-: forced to confess: 'The Roman Catholic See has long since all fear 'of Protestant growth in this country, and treats the propaganda with profound indifference; How is this failure of Protestantism in Italy to be accounted for ?\, Certainly sit cannot be attributed to rf any-lack of : zeal f on ; the part s of the evangelical■!- sects at work in ' this field. Hundreds" of pastors, evangelists, and teachers are enrolled, among them not a few men of ..ability ■■ and character. Their budget of expenses is estimated at between one and ahalf and two million dollars annually.' By far the larger part of this great sum is contributed from foreign sources. Take away this American and" British mis-

sionary money and two-thirds of the Protestant churches and schools of Italy would be out of existence.' As to the proselytising work in Rome itself, Dr. Wendt remarks: 'The American Methodist Episcopal Church has a splendid plant in Rome, spends some one hundred thousand dollars annually in Italy for missionary work, conducts colleges and schools, supports some seventy pastors, and is certainly very much in earnest. Yet at the English service we recently attended, only thirtyfive persons were present. This may have been due, in part, to the absence of the senior pastor in America. Its Italian services are, of course, better attended, particularly in. Rome, where an eloquent minister attracts excellent audiences. Yet these are, in good part, made up of the employees of its publishing house and its college. An average attendance of fifty persons may be safely allowed for the Methodist parishes of Italy.' >' The Protestant legions,' said the author of the Cenni Storici (a history of the Methodist Episcopal Church in Italy),''must gather all their energies and assail popery in its citadel.' The Protestant legions have done so— here is the result!

State Scholarships in New South Wales

We have written much and often in advocacy of the proposal that our State scholarships should be thrown open to the pupils of all schoolswhether public or private —and should be made tenable at any secondary —whether a denominational or State institutionwhich comes up to the required standard of efficiency. At one time it looked as if Catholic agitation oh the subject was about to produce some result; and at the close of 1910 an Act was passed which actually did make State scholarships available for practically all our Catholic primary pupils. Unfortunately, however, through some oversight which has never yet been clearly explained, the Act was unaccompanied by any provision making scholarships and free places tenable at Catholic secondary schools; and thus the concession granted — it were availed of by Catholic pupils— merely be the means of deuUfe ing our Catholic secondary schools, and thus would prove an evil instead of a blessing.' Like ourselves, the Catholic press in those of the Australian States which had not already obtained the desired legislation have been battling strenuously to- secure this modicum of justice to Catholic children; and wo have to congratulate the Catholics of New South Wales on having now attained the desired goal. The" New South Wales Government has just introduced and passed a Bursaries Bill, which extends to children attending. nonState schools—Protestant or Catholic right to compete for State bursaries (or scholarships, as we call th|m), and to avail themselves of prizes thus won to continue their education at any approved college or high school.

The Bill was met with the usual Orange drumbeating and with the .inevitable outcry of'narrow sectarianism. In addition to the protests from Orangemen, the Methodist Conference, on the motion of the Rev. J. E. Carruthers, carried the following resolution: The Conference expresses its continued adhesion to the system of national education as distinguished from denominational, and cordially appreciates the efforts that are being made to place the advantages of higher education within the reach of all classes of the community. The Conference disapproves of the principle of State subsidy in any form to denominational schools as subversive of the national character of our public instruction system, and therefore expresses the hope that the proposals now before Parliament to make State bursaries tenable in denominational schools will not be carried.' Both the Herald and the Telegraph denounced the measure, : the following extract from a Herald , leader being typical of the press attitude : Why should : bursaries be .given to children attending denominational schools ? ~ \ Some . may be inclined to argue that such, subsidies cannot - involve very much especially if some system of registration and inspection be provided, But what guarantee is ; there that the

insertion of the thin, end: of the : wedge will not mean the driving open of the whole system, and the giving of the complete subsidy for which this Church, "and this Church only, is clamoring ? There is no guarantee whatever. Moreover, we cannot be sure that registration and inspection, .even with bursaries granted, will be anything more than a form. What we do know is that the tremendous pressure?, upon the Government will be kept. up, and that the end may easily!be an upheaval in which our State schools will go to pieces.' Nevertheless, the Government stood to their guns; and the Bill was carried on the second reading by : 32 votes to 22, and has since passed through all its ; stages in both Houses. In. addition to one or two Presbyterian and Church of England institutions, the Jesuit College at Riverview, St. Joseph's, St. Aloysius', Holy Cross, St. Patrick's (Goulburn), St. Stanislaus' (Bathurst), and some other Catholic establishments will come under the head of certified secondary schools, at which scholarships won by Catholic or even by Protestant competitors may be taken out. The success of our New South Wales co-religionists in wresting from Parliament this instalment of justice—small though it bewill serve as an incentive to New Zealand Catholics not to let the grass grow under their feet but to see that the scholarships question is made a live issue when the next election comes round. The New South Wales Bursaries Act will also furnish a further precedent to our dilatory and hesitating New Zealand Governments for taking action in this direction, and, will, indeed, strengthen' our hands generally in prosecuting our demand.

Wreck of the Titanic

It was Dr. Johnson who defined a ship as ' a prison, with the chance of being drowned.' It was fondly thought that with the advance of scientific knowledge and the progress of engineering skill we had reduced 'the chance of being drowned ' almost to the vanishing point. And now, just when we had settled it that our latest ocean-going creation was ' unsinkable,' comes the news that she has gone down, with the greatest loss of life on record for the wreck of any single ship. All that need be said, all indeed that can be said, regarding the tragic aspects of the Titanic disaster, has been said, and well said, in the daily press. The sifting out of the material lessons of the occurrence, the apportionment of blame between owners and officers and public, the devising of means" to prevent the recurrence of such a tragedy these in due time will be considered in the proper quarters. For the present, it only remains to us to join in the universal expression of grief and condolence. Peace to the souls of the dead and may Christ the Consoler wipe away the tears of those that mourn loved ones lost in this appalling disaster!

The full truth is not yet known, and possibly never will be known, as to the details of this awful happening. Instances of individual heroism there must have been ; but it is only the very good that can remain calm and unselfish in such extremity. The very good, however, are not usually the very numerous; and there is ample evidence that what is weak as well as what is strong in human nature came to the surface in that terrible ordeal of Sunday night. To the disposed—and who can be other than serious in the presence of such a happening ?—the thought which forces itself most vividly and impresses itself most deeply on the mind is that of the awful suddenness and unexpectedness of this call from time into eternity. At midnight a calm sea and passengers resting peacefully in luxurious cabins, with not a thought of coming ill. Three hours later, sixteen hundred souls ushered into eternity! Surely high above the cry for more life-boats, and smaller vessels, and greater precautions, comes the call for greater preparedness for death. The lesson is ; not an easy one to learn and to practise in this moneymaking, money-loving age. Never, perhaps, was there a time when men were more completely engrossed arid preoccupied; with material things,-; The world as it : is to-day, with its absorption in temporal interests and activities, is described by Newman, in his own inimit-

able style, in one of »his Discourses to Mixed Congregations. .;•:■ Take up,' he says,' one of 'those daily prints, which are so true a picture of the'world; look down the columns of /advertisements; and you will see the catalogue ;of pursuits, projects, aims, anxieties, amusements, indulgences which occupy the mind of man. He plays many parts: here he has goods to sell, there he wants employment there again he seeks to borrow money, here he offers you houses, great seats or small tenements; ; he has food for the million, and luxuries for the wealthy, and sovereign medicines for the credulous, and books, new and cheap, for the inquisitive. Pass on to the news of the day, and you will learn what'great men are doing at home or abrpad: you will read of wars and rumors of wars;' of debates in the Legislature; of rising men and old statesmen going off the scene; of political contests in this city or that county; of the collision of - rival interests. You will read of the money market, and the provision market, and the market for metals; of the state of trade, the call for manufactures, news of ships arrived in port, of accidents at sea, of exports and imports, of gains and losses, of frauds and their detection. Go forward, and you arrive at discoveries in art and science, discoveries (so-called) in religion, the court and royalty, the entertainments of the great, places of amusement, strange trials, offences, accidents, escapes, exploits, experiments, contests, ventures. O this curious, restless, clamorous panting being, which we call life! and is there to be no end to all this Is there no object in it ? It never has an end, it is forsooth its own object!'

And in one of his simpler poems Newman shows how evanescent and fugitive are all mere temporal joys and gains, and how that the supernatural alone is real and lasting. "

When mirth is full and free, Some sudden gloom shall be; When haughty power mounts high, The Watcher's axe is nigh. All growth has bound; when greatest found, It hastes to die.

When the rich town, that long Has lain its huts among, Uprears its pageants vast, And vaunts shall not last ! Bright tints that shine, are but a sign Of summer past.

And when thine eye surveys, With fond adoring gaze, And yearning heart thy friendLove to its grave doth tend. All gifts below, save Truth, but grow Towards an end.

The material lessons suggested by the wreck of the Titanic have been already indicated in the daily press—the true lesson is higher and deeper.