THE LEAGUE AS RUNAWAY

New Zealand Tablet, 17 April 1913, Page 34

THE LEAGUE AS RUNAWAY

We desire to briefly direct attention to the two further challenges issued by Bishop Cleary to the representatives of the Bible in State Schools League which appear on page 29 of this issue. In one, his Lordship undertakes to furnish his list of past questions and demands, and challenges the League to set forth their ‘proofs’ and ‘replies’ thereto, and submit them to arbitrators expert in evidence, selected in the customary way, the verdict to be published. In the other, he repeats in a more emphatic form his invitation to the League to hold two public ‘question nights’—one for the League’s picked representatives to answer his relevant questions regarding the League’s scheme, the other for his answers to questions by the League and all comers. Men with a strong case would literally ‘rush’ such an opportunity, especially as they claim 86 per cent, of the population as their supporters— percentage which would (if existent) presumably appear to hear and support them. But instead ■of eagerly closing with Bisflop Cleai-y’s offers, the League representatives in Auckland intimate in Saturday’s N.Z. Herald that they decline both invitations, and say, in effect, that they have had enough. This is only the last of a long series of challenges from Bishop Cleary which the Leaguers have failed to face. We have ourselves .also challenged them to hold a ‘question night’ in Dunedin, and have personally undertaken that the meeting should not fail for want of questions. We have further offered the League representativesand the : offer is hereby made a standing one until the question shall have been finally settledreasonable space in the columns of the N.Z. Tablet to answer any or all of the moral issues arising out of their demands which have been placed before them again and again in our columns and in the columns*of the public press, but so far without eliciting any response. In the columns of the Outlook and at ‘demonstrations’ of their supporters League representatives declare that their case is ‘ fair, full, factual, and final,’ and that they have everything to gain by full discussion; and then, when the opportunity for full discussion is offered to them, they promptly run away. If the League leaders continue these tactics much longer, .they will begin to look positively foolish.