OurVictorianLetter
Melbourne,May10.
inlessthanaweek,Archbishop MannixwillleaveMelbourneonhis visittoRomeandIreland.Onnext Saturdayhewillcatchthe5p.m.expresstoSydney.andbeinSydneyby 10.30onSundaymorning.Heisto spendafewdaysthere,hisship,the Ventura,notleavingforSanFrancisco untilWednesday,May19th.Hehas consentedtospeakatseveralfunctions inSydney,sothathewillobtainlittle restuntilactuallyonboardtheboat. Archbishop'sBusyWeek.
DuringhislastweekinMelbourne, Dr.biennia.willfindhistimeveryfull. Heattendssomeentertainmentfor Churchpurposeseachnight,andseveralduringthedays.OnThursday nightafarewellconcertisbeingtenderedtohimbytheCatholicFederationintheExhibitionBuilding.The verynatureofthefunctionwillattractCatholicsandallwell-wishersof theArchbishopintheirthousands,but asanadded"draw,"asplendidconcertprogrammehasbeenarrangedfor theenjoymentofthepeopleandthe Archbishop.AtthisconcertitisanticipatedthatDr.bienniawilldeliver animportantaddress,containinga farewellmessageandsomeadviceon thesubjectofStateelections,which willbeheldinthenextthreeorfour months. Allthatisnecessaryfortheunquestionedsuccessofthisfunctionis goodweather,anditistobehoped thatwewillnotbedisappointedin thisrespect,aswehavebeenonmore thanoneoccasionrecently. ScriptureCampaignersandtheState Elections.
RecentlyspeakingatBrighton,ArchbishopMannixremindedCatholicsthat theywereatleastone-fifthofthe population,andwereentitledtoexercisepoliticalpressuretothatextent inseekingaredressoftheireducationalgrievances.Thiswassaidinview ofthenearapproachoftheStateelections.Theirclosenesscanbegauged fromtheactivitydisplayedbytheadvocatesofBible-readingintheState schools.Asusual,thesemenwan: somesortofreferendumtobetaken onthissubject,inspiteofthefact that,beingamatterofconscience,itis aquestionwhichnomajorityshould havetherighttodecide.Thisexplainsinsomedegreecorrespondence whichappearedintheArgusoflast weekTheRev.J.Nicholson(Superintendent)tookthefieldonbehalf'of theScriptureCampaignLeague,and wasfearlesslyattackedinreplybythe CatholicFederation,butbeforegiving thereply,whichappearedinthefollowingday'spaper,itwouldbewell topointoutoneortwoflawsinRev. Nicholson'sargument.Hesays,"They (theCatholics)askfor'exceptionalfavourabletreatment.'"whichinplain languageisalie.Weaskfornomore thanwearepreparedtoallowtoany othersectionofthecommunitythat wantsit.IftheChinesedecideto educatetheirownchildrentheyshould receivefromthepublictaxessufficient moneytodoso,providedtheyeducate theirchildrenuptotheStatestandard.SimilarlywiththeAnglicans, Mohammedhans,Atheists.orMethodists.Sincetheyallpayeducational taxes,theyshouldbepermittedtouse themintheirownway.TheRev.Nicholsongoesontosay,"exceptionalfavourabletreatment,'suchasisrefused atpresentinCatholicFranceand Italy,andothercountries."Itdid notsuitRev.Nicholsontoenumerate thosecountrieswhereCatholicsdoget justtreatment,forhewouldhaveto mentioneveryotherpartoftheBritishEmpireandafewcountriessuch asProtestantHolland.However, willgiveinfullthereplyofthesecretaryoftheCatholicFederation,and every-fairmindedpersoncanjudgefor himselfofthe"justice"ofourclaims, CatholicFederation (TotheEditoroftheArgus.)
Sir.-TheRev.JosephNicholson againentersthelists,andsaysthat theCatholicclaimforpaymentofits teachersbytheStateforthe"secular"-thatisallweclaim-teachingim_ partedtothechildrenofVictorian citizensinourCatholicschoolsis"not just."Itisfundamentallyandinherentlyjust.Becauseourteachers doexactlythesameworkastheState schoolteachers-theyimpartexactly thesameinstruction,undertheexactly samecurriculum,andsubjecttothe exactlysameStatesupervision.And forthatweaskexactlythesame
ifpossiblecommittedtomemory.Especiallythefirstparagraph,andmore especiallythementionofthe45,000 childrenbeingeducatedintheCatholic schools.IftheCatholicschoolswere tocloseto-morrow,wherewouldthese 45,000childrenbetaught?Andwho wouldteachthem?ThealreadyoverworkedteachersinthealreadyovercrowdedStateschoolscouldnotpossiblycopewiththem.Perhapsthe Stateauthoritieswouldcomecapin handtotheCatholicpeople,hiretheir schools,andpaytheirteacherstodo thesameworkastheynowdofor nothing.AsfarastheArgusisconcerned,thequestionisclosedforthe present,butwecanregarditasa battleforarighteouscause,withthe similitudeofthatotherbattlebefore us: "Freedom'sbattle,oncebegun, Thoughbaffledoft,iseverwon." TheArchbishopHitsHome. Notforthefirsttimenorthehun dredthtimehastheArchbishopset Melbournelaughingathisaccurateanalysisofpublicevents.Hehasa goodmemory,andhedeclinestofor getpastincidentswhentheyhaveleft lessonsofvaluebehindthem.Thus, ourOrangefriendswouldwishtokeep silentregardingSt.Patrick'sDay; whereas,itwouldbequitejustifiable forustosobombardthemwiththerepetitionoffactsconcerningitthat theywouldcry"Kamerad,"andbe ourfriends.Dr.biennia,atanyrate, doesnotomittodrawfromitthelessonoftolerancethatAustraliashould learn,andincidentallytobringinto theopenthebigotrythatwasopposed toit.InthefollowingextractIwish particularlytorefertothepartin blacktype.Findingoutthatno UnionJackwascarriedintheEight Hours'Procession.theArchbishop seeksthereasonwhyourlocal"loyalists"hadbeensoneglectfuloftheir self-imposeddutiesastomakenofuss. Andtheonlyreasonis,"Thesepeople withalltheirtalkarenotthinking aboutloyaltyatall,butofhumiliatingtheIrishpeopleofMelbourne.Can itbedenied?Herearehiswords givenattheopeningofaconcertat NorthFitzroy: TwoGreatProcessionsContrasted. Nowwehadtwogreatprocessions recently-theSt.Patrick'sDayprocessionandtheEightHours'processionand,incidentally,whatwasthemost notablefeatureofthelatterprocession?Themostnotablefeatureof thatdisplaywastheexhibitiongiven bythechildrenfromtheCatholic schools.(Cheers.)Thereare,asI havesaid,peoplewhowantustoforgetallabouttheSt.Patrick'sDayprocession.Iamnotoneofthem.(Hear, hear).Therearepeoplewhoalso wanttoforgettheEightHours'procession. Iamnotoneoftheseeither. Butletusoutcastthedifferenttreat-
to
LordMayor.Theytold himthatMelbournewasapartofthe Empire;thatitwasaloyalcity;that thisprocessionwastobedisloyal;and thatanyprocessionwhichwouldnotcarrytheUnionJackintheforegroundshouldnotbeallowedinMelbourne.Thiswaslaiddownasafundamentalprinciple.WhentheLord Mayordidnotgivethemtheirway, theyappealedtothepolice,andtothe Premier,andlastlysomeDonQuixote ofamedicalman-(Laughter)-toldus thathewouldstandinthestreetsand preventtheprocession.(Cheers.)All thiswasdirectedagainstourproses. sion,andnotagainsttheEightHours' Dayprocession.TheLordMayorwas notamanofstraw,butamanwith backbone.Theprocessiondulycame off,andtheEmpireisstillholdingtogether.Thestreetsdidnotrunwith blood,andtheDonQuixotedidnot appeartopreventtheprocession. (Loudlaughter).Theprocession,of course,passedoffwithouttheleast untowardincident,andthesepeople whotriedtopreventitwillfinditvery hardtoobtainaplausibleargument foropposingitinthefuture.(Hear, hear)Now,astotheotherprocession.Therewasnusecretaboutit. ThelayCanon,themedicalman,and theProtestantbodiesknewallabout it.Itdulypassedoff,andnotasingleoneofthesepeoplewenttothe LordMayortoknowwhetherornot theprocessionwastobeheadedbytheUnionJack.Asamatteroffact, amgladtosay,itwasnotheaded bytheUnionJack.ButthepointI ammakingisthii:Whydidthese peoplemakethedifferencebetween thesetwoprocessions?Ifitwere rightoursshouldhavetheUnionJack atitshead-inorder,perhaps,toencouragethemarch(loudlaughter)surelyitwasrightfortheotherprocessiontomarchaftertheUnionJack. Whydidtheynotseebeforehand whethertheflagwastobecarried,and ifitwerenot,whydidtheynotmake someprotest?Iwilltellyou.B. causethesepeoplewithalltheirtalk
arenotthinkingaboutloyaltyatall, butofhumiliatingtheIrishpeopleof Melbourne.(Cheers.,Theyhadno desiretohumiliatetheEightHours procession,andthereforetheydidnot takethetroubletoknowwhatflags weregoingtobecarried.Theywantedustocarryaflagthattheyknew rightwellwewouldnotcarry(cheersl-andthatwewereperfectlyrightinnotcarrying,becausewhile thatflagstandsfortheoutragesand oppressionthatexistinIreland,nodecent,self-respectingIrishprocession couldmarchafterit.(Cheers.)Some peoplemightsaythatthisisviolent language,andthatIamspeakingas anenemyoftheEmpire.Well,Iam anenemyoftheEmpireinparts.Ire. landisanenemyoftheEmpirein parts.Shecannotbeanythingelseat thepresenttime.(Cheers.)Theonly realrulethattheyhaveinIrelandat thepresentmomentistheruleofSinn Fein(Cheers.) -EW.C.
C.H.SMITHandCO. UNDERTAKERS.
281NEWCASTLE-STREET,PERTH 'Phone(DayorNight) A1231
YOUNGIRELANDSOCIETYOF WESTERNAUSTRALIA. UnderthePatronageofHisGracethe Archbishop. Objects:TheStudyoftheLanguage, Music,History,Literature,andDancingofIreland,andtherevivalofthe idealsofanIrish-Ireland. TheSocietyMEETSeveryWEDNESDAYEVENINGat8p.m.,atthe BOHEMIAHALL,MURRAY-ST (nearWilliam-street). MonthlySubscriptions:Ladiesand