Sacramento daily record-union. [volume] (Sacramento [Calif.]) 1875-1891, 1883-08-11
a CLERICAL VIEW OF CAPITAL AND
TEE RAILROAD QUESTION.

An able and exhaustive article in the
last number of the Catholic Quarterly Re.
yieao on " Capital and Labor" by Ri. Rev.
James OConnor, D. D., reviews the work
of Steccanella on Communism, the Yale
prize essay on Communism in America,
and Wright's Industrial Cancellation and
Arbitration" The article would have
been better entitled as is this one. The
Socialist would suppress the capitalist
utterly by Withdrawing the means of labor,
and treat him as one who reaps but sows not.
But the author comes to the conclusion
that, after the coolest and most deliberate
Judgment is applied to all the Communist
and Socialist have to say on the subjects of
which they treat, that there is no deserv-
ing on the part of the capitalist of the OPP
probrious epithets that the Socialistic and
Communistic writers heap upon him. HE
is by no means the hosts humani generis
they represent him." He may be usurer
and a sensualist, but the very pertinent
suggestion is made that this is not of nee.
essity because he is capitalist. With
this the candid thinker will agree, for the
qualities which in the rich are thus devel-
oped would be equally repugnaut in the
poor man, though taking on different
form. While wealth is dangerous acqui.
sision, it is no crime to be rich, for to
acquire and enjoy, without injury to
another, is no sin. If it be sin, asks the
le0rned priest, at what point does it begin?
The Socialist would find it very difficult to
name the guilty figure. 1t is
truth none will controvert, that for every
service rendered there should be proper
tionate compensation, and this is not to
be denied anyone because of the particu.
lar amount OF worldly goods he possesses.
The capitalist is a necessity to the world,
for he enables its industries and commerce
TO move. He cannot be robber who
helps men to fortune instead Of depriving
them of it. He who develops the posi-.
bilities of country establishes claim
to the gratitude and respect of both rich
and poor. OF course in this line Of argu-
ment there is nothing new, but it does not
lose force because of age, and is of value
now as testifying TO the esteem in which
the subject is held by a priest of the
church, who may be presumed by his with.
drawal from the world to be placed at
different and impartial point of view.
Now this clerical writer, notwithstanding
all that has been apprehended from the
aggregation of capital, and the amassing
of colossal fortunes and the power money
exercises, does not entertain any fear from
the concentration of capital, because his
tory proves that at no other period in the
worlds existence has capital been so gener-
ally distributed as now. This is certainly
an argument which must be answered by
some more forcible rejoinders than such as
are generally made by modern agitators.
To the slaves and serfs of former days
there has succeeded numerous and we'll
TODD middle class of comparatively recent
growth. Manufacturing it is true, is more
centralized because of the introduction of
mechanical devices, but Of agriculture and
trade this is not true, he thinks, though we
incline to the belief that the writer will
find the tendency is much too great to
large farming. In population of over
$4,000, 600 we have not an undue proper.
ton of vast wealth, and he does not be-
dieve there is any reason to fear the few
ss4s possess this great power for