Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1883-04-25
LABOR AND CAPITAL.
Bishop (;ilmOur on the Position Of the
Catholic Church with Respect to
Trades Unions.

ID.
A dispatch from Cleveland, Ohio, SAYS the
Right Rev. Bishop Gmour. of the Catholic
Church, gave his views Sunday on the rights
OF labor, communism and trades unions lie
said:
mot for three hundred years has society been
80 restless as at present. The changes in the
political world and disintegration among
non-Catholics are marked characteristics Con-
servatism is giving place to revolution. This
restlessneSs is occasoned in many instances by a
false conception OF human equality. All men are
not equal. Neither in mind nor in body are men
equal, nor with the same chances will any two
men accomplish the same result. 1t is true that
Technically before the law 1t is assumed that all
men are equal yet iRsrealty it is well-known
fact that men are not equal before the law
Wealth gives men standing before the law that
poverty has not. 1t is untrue to say that men
who have less physical or mental powers are
equals Of those who have more or that mems
labor, whether mental or physical, is to be
assert that idleness and incapacity are to be re-
warded equally with labor and talent. Men un.
questtOnabty have right to band together and
agree to sell their labor at any fair price within
the limits OF Christian Justice, and SO long as
men act freely and concede to others the same
freedom they claim for themselves. there is no
ain IN labor banding together for self
protection. But when men attempt to
force others to work for az given price. or
by violence inhct injury, the church viii
lend all Its efforts to crush out all such
conduct. If men are tree to band together and
agree not to work for less than given price.
so others are equally free to work for less or
more, as they please. All men have a right to
sell their labor at such price as they deem fair.
and no man or union has a right to force an.
other to join the union. or to work for the nrice
nxed upon by the union. Here Is where labor
unions are liable to fail, and in which they can
not be sustained. II one class Of men are free
to band together and agree not to sell their
LABOR under given price, so are others equally
Tree not to join such unions, and also equally
Tree TO sell their labor at such price as they NAV
determine. Catholics cannot be partners in anu
attempt to coerce Others against their inst
rights, nor can they by overt or secret acts of
violence do injury to the person or property of
others. What one man claims for himself no
must concede to another.
ION the other hand, capital must be liberal
towards labor. and share Justly and generonslv
Its profits, being mindful of the Command not
to muzzle the OK that tran,peth ont the cor nm
nor to defraud the lab0rer OF his wages. Canitai
has no more right to undue reward than has
labor, nor should capital be unduly protected at
the expense OF labor. Capital and labor shonId
work hand In hand. and proportiOnately share
the wealth they have mutually produced They
are dependent on each other and should labor
TOT each others interest, capital recognizing the
rights OF capital. The Catholic church is az war
with all nihilistic, communistic and social,stic
societies, whose aims are revolution against la
gitimate government. All societies that resort
to such means as the use of dynamite to destroS
and demOlish legitimate governments are forbid.
den to Catholics-these and all others of like
character, let their names be, what they may"