The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1878-12-24

" nave DCtu hElIELlh lNc lulc blSnop bl
Mayencc, who, by general consent, was
pronounced the most eminent Of German
prelatcs. 1t may be remembered that KET-
TELLER was q loyal friend TO LAssALLE. and
ON more than one occasion rendered him
signal services. In his book called THE
Labor Question and Christianity" the
Bishop not only accepts the promises Of that
Socialist agtator, but rcproduces his tone
and many Of his phrases. Like him. the pre-
late holds the principles OF Liberalism and
the political economy OF tho Manchester
school responsible for the grievances Of the
working classes Indeed, the fundamental
| theory developed In his treatise, namely,
that labor. deprived OF its old protection
within guilds or corporations. has been de-
graded into merchandise, forms the basis Of
the system OF CARL MARX. As regards the
means OF rcorganizing modern industry, the
Bishop agrees with the last-named writer
that the " sclf-help" advocated by ScHULzE-
DELIrscH. that is to say, the savings made
by worKmen on their own account, must
prove entirely inadequate.
But while LAssALLE demanded some hun
dred millions Of thalcrs from the State in
order to begin the reconstruction Of society,
the Catholic prclate addressed himself to
Christian charity for tho same purpose.
The project conceived by kErTELER made
u profound impression upon the German
clergy, and 1t was not long before a pro-
gramme of Christian-Socialist reforms was
drawn up. At an electoral meeting the
creed OF the new party was eloquently set
forth by one of the Canons Of the Maycnce
! Cathedral. who did not scruple to affirm
that the duration of q days labor and the
rates Of wages should he determined by the
State. This ecces!astic seems to have gone
further than his Bishop. for he demanded
that the Government should make advances
10 workingmen's associations, on the same
ground that it gives guarantees TO capital
invested in railways. In a word the Canon's
programme. rs developed more at length In
II newspaper founded by him soon after
ward, differs very little from the for
mulas propounded by the Socialists, ex-
cept that he invokes the authority
Of the Scriptures. The success obtained
| 10y his doctrines was prompt and very con-
siderable among that part OF the working
class which had, as yet held alooi from tho
anti-religious movement excited by Demo-
cratic agitators. 1t turned out, too. that
rural landowners and the small gentry OF
| country districts relshed extremely the de-
nuncation OF urban capitalists, and gradu-
| ally imbibcd a species Of feudal socialism.
! The agrarian laws, however, on which these
curious recruits looked with a certain COM
! placency, had, OF course. no reference -
| land, but in their view were applicable
solely TO manufacturers and spectators, and
especially 10 the Jews. The second source
of adherence to the Christlan-Socialist party
was found in the Catholic peasants. They
listened with satisfaction to attacks upon
the Liberals and political economists who,
as they believed. were prosecuting their
priests and traducing their religion.
The first reunion of the Catholic-Socal-
istic associations took place in 1868 at Gre
field, where only three societies were repre-
scented. But by the next year the number of
these organizations had been materially
augmented, and permanent committee was
established headed by Baron ScHoRLENIER-
ALsT, one Of the most prominent leaders OF
the Ultramontane partyin the German Par
Lament. The propaganda now went on
apace and in 1872 the Christian-Socialist So
ceties counted more than seventy thousand
members. Even earlier they had won some
successes In the elections. Thus at Fiber
field in 1870 they had beaten the Demo
cratic Socialists who were there on theiI
own ground. During the last SIX years the
movement has acquired remarkable mo-
mentum, and the Christian Socialist soci
cites are now reckoned by hundreds. In q
word, this party, whose parliamentary
force increases at each election, Is rapidly
becoming an important factor in German
politics. Perhaps the alliance Of Cathol
icism and Socialism should be esteemed the
grayest danger which threatens the iabri,
reared by the Chancellor. The existence oil
such league explains why it was thai
BISMARCK, II lie would not himself go &
Canossa, ut least invited the Papal Nun
clio to come to Kissengen.
II is not easy to pronounce an Impartial
judgment on a movement so extraordinary
as this which we have outlined. No doubt tn,
supreme object is the triumph of the Church
10 which end efficient instruments are sough
in the seductive doctrines Of the new propa
ganda. But 1t would be gross injustice I,
suppose the commiseration for the lot o
wofkingmen, and the Socialist ideas ex
pressed by SO many Of the German Catholic
clergy, are only "a preteXt and u comedy I,
smooth their own way TO power