, 1879-06-20
Communism md tho Church.

tn thu Editor ~ The Tribune.
CI11CAno, juno 10.-1t is usual to treat the re-
cent alarming spread OF ColnmunisiIc principles
In our midst from q political standpoint; but
how Idle this Is is apparent from consideration
Of tic facs that Communism thrircs upon r.
nurulce, Incidence, discomfort, and hard usage;
that even In tlis farorcd land The cIasaes who
arc or Imagine themselves to be tltly' described
by these ndjccttres greatly outnumbcr the COM
Portable und contcntcd citizens, and that each
of these mnlcontcnts Inns n vote. Politicians
understand perfectly hut Mt this moment the
SocIalstc party holds the balance Of poucr IN
this city. and tlmt II, In its com!nS dcmonstra-
tion nn tho Fourth of July, 1t omts 10 Gaunt tho
rcd lue iu the lacc Of our citizens, AMI to violate
the Inv Of the Stnte by exhibiting Its arms md
drill. It will not liz from ans fear Of the consli.
tutcd authorities. 1n poin. OF fnct, 1t will prob
auly omit neither tue one defiance nor the OTTER
The case, therefore, Vowed solely from po.
litical standpoint, Is as nearly hopeless as auy-
thing tnn lie.
But this Is n matter In which the State, which
In this country corfcrs great privileges upon
Tho Church, has n right to look to the religious
community for help. II ever tho Church can bo
lrEit1'na,cy appealed to to exert It's power IN
behalf uf thu Commonwealth, 1t tA Ia ti,ne
like this, when tho whole fnbric OF society Is
threatened by the ihl1anied passions OF horde
OF ignorant ana scd!tious Mcn. Tie Church Is
thc repository OF d mighty power. To speak
first Of Its purely hltMnn endowmeut1, 1t nun.
bers III ts ranks millions Of tho best and putcst
men n!,d wonGn III the country, bundled together
in common icngMo against the wrong AMI Ia
invor ot TIC right. 1t Inns In its possession
tAosa,tds Of millions Of dollars worth Of prop
c,ty, ail OF which Is exempt from taxation. BE-
cause 1t IL Buppo6ctl thAt 1t is devoted-not by
ti.t,es, bur whu1y-to the common good. 1t
controls sclools, colleges, and universities; 1t
wicds lis~eEaper press Of great ability AMI IN
ilucncc. III short, 1t lactts nono Of the clements
or cn.lncry. Of power aud prestige. But the
Church elatma u preroguiiyo nlore august nrnl
authoritative than all these. It claims to repro
ssnt, tn act and speak for the Christ llea, the
ma.tun,, tho ntone,nent, tho resurrection, nnA
ta ascension nru tic htllng-rlsurs OF Its real
powc:. It y tho moutti-ptccc Of "fod With
llt.n Il IL lits Kingdom begun OH earth, to be
carried OH to tuil perfection hero below, and to
t!n& Its cuftniuat!on an.f dcstfuy iu tho heaven
uf lcavens.
THIS Is what the Church is, md Of right c1utms
to bc,-tlH ron'tnuanco on easth Of ilsat Dlyine
s!fe which made itself manifest a,00o years ago
on the hills asA pin!ns Of Judea. And what
was the motive, tlle mlssfeu. OF that liief
Was u not to Eet near tile ssnfA! and acgradod
soul Of humanity In otuer to redeem n1ul sago
III To setk md saye tlnt wtslcl, WAS lu,tl /.
Is then ta Christ and His Church as sclf-pro-
claimed Saytor that the stats has rIrht iu prc-
sent this grcat Colnu,unlstic problem for sou-
tlun.
Let US ask who these Communists arc. For
thu most part they. or Mt least their leaders, are
NOT Americans, athl the roots nj their growth
must not hu luokca for TN Amctran SOIL They
are the outr0sne NJ races ground down for sgcs
under tie iron heel of oppression; Tie dcsccnl-
nuts 0[ mcll Who have ln many !nktances totlcd
tfs Their boslics WeTe 1ntsshanch for u plttnnca
which, after Nil. hardly sAtl!ceu to hold body and
hDui toectGeri whH have becn fed un snails alMl
boiled neti!cs seldon. tasting wholesome food
AMI knuwtnt, nothing wllatcvrE vi ru,nfort or
rrst; aiul that IN tull sight of thrir opprcssOra,
whu wrre rjotslg III luxury and an sbal,4on-
men! Vt viso such u Is happily an.o1t unknown
in this country; ruces TO whom toll, ans pen-
cetycd from their sircs. or which they could
liopa to transmit to tlIrfr children. Gep-
cration after generation Of these
pc0ps hayo so suffered. At last, Wien
nearly crushed out ot them, that they no longer
ma1a goua soldiers, "a employed agaiust inc
fighting nnteria! VI frcer unit happ,tr. people.
They tried tl'c tlaugerous experiment Of etusat.
tng. thrln, giving them intellectual discipline
without aoy religious instruction. But cxhib-
ittbE to tAcho pc0plo the example OF hrrolc NO.
ttons was applylng thy torv!l to the tindcr. To
s1y nothing VI tbs French Kcvolut[un.-whlch
Infamous ~ thu wrones which gave rise 10 Il,
not |Ia1f 30 bovdv US mauy q war wEeed from NJ
other nlotlyo than petsonnl ambition und greed,
Rtld which Ll!l result In a great arccsstnn OF
ans,-alsu coming down To later times. Illu lis
tory of the yrar ~ was urtttcp IN blood. But
lho odds were against tic struggling pcoplcs,
and from thst Time tht sterncat and most To-
presslye measures have been used to hotd these
mad men in check. Mad men they Ase, without
RELIGIOUS instruSt!on. without Intelligent moral
seu$e, aud eoaded on by the pnln OF bitter
wrongs, and desire for vtnd!tatiou aud revenge