The morning star and Catholic messenger., 1877-08-05
From Bad to Worse.


Communism has spoken it's word of
counsel as to the remedy for the conflict
between capital aud labor. The Govern
meut, Let the Government take charge
of the railroads.
The railroads are immense corporations
controlling huudreds of millions of dollars
in property. employing many thousands of
men and affecting very materially nearly
all the commerce of the country. Granted
that they fan into the hands of iutrigoers.
schemers, rogues that they effJTd an OF
portupity Of power so immense in Its pre-
portions that it cannot safely be entrusted
to uuprincpled spectators irresponsible
to the general public. Granted that 10
the very nature Of things such men will
surely work Themselves into the contro! Of
the Sc great arteries o. trsfic :, that they VIII
graep after business TO which their actual
facilities do not entitle them, and, soulless
as the corporations which they represent,
that they will mercilessly sacrifce the
rghts of human labor and the dearest in
terests of their employees iu carrying
through their ambitious schemes.
What does all that provei Why Ger
tainly that remedy is very badly needed,
is, indeed, the frat political want of the
day. Bot what sort of q remedy is that
which the Communists urge upon usf
Their theory is perfect equality dead
level of equality-everywhere between in
dividuals and an iron handed government
| to administer everything. Of course all
social disorder, all conflict of private inter-
ests, is a god send to them in view of their
theory as an excuse for urging more CEN
tralzation of power in the government
But the American people are not ready
for such a doctrine such a remedy. II
government Inust take charge of the rail-
roads in the interest of labor, SO ID nust do
| in regard to the nines, SO for canals, SO
for great factories, 80 everywhere where
large bodies Of men are to be employ ed
and where they may be unfairly treated as
to wages.
Certainly Americans are not ready for
that. As people .tey still want chance
for private enterprise.
Again. If government owned the great
trunk railways and operated them as pro-
of it's own citjzeus and it would be natu
rally biased against that universal devel-
opment of facilities which, as the common
protector of all, it is bound to foster. Thus
it would have a tendency to promote the
commerce and profits of its lines at the
, expense of traffic by water routes. /;
would be interested in entering upon the
same ILL Judged rivalry with the Mississippi
: river and the Northern canals which hal
lately eliminated in such fearful riots.
The government has q right to own anC
administer whatever property is necessary
, to the convenient discharge of its owr
functions, but when it is proposed to max
l it great rival of it's own citizsns IN th'
, private interests of life, in manufacturing g
: carrying or producing, to draw it asid
from it's original purpose Of general, impair
t tial protection and to interest 1T in repress
E ing the development of whole sections il
3 furtherance of its own local enterprises
We say again that Americans will not en
E tertain the idea. Communism in that de
D gree Of development can show bat feV
( converts on this Continent.
That labor, however, ought to be pro
tected against the rapacity of powerful
f monopolies by come beneicent provision
D of legislation is incontestable. 1t is tn
problem of the day and we may add, it i
= one which the spirit of Christianity ough
/ to be able to solve.
E On the evening of the 10Th ult., . workin