The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1885-07-03
FATHER CURCI's NEW BOOK.
A work on Socialism that in a Popular Form
Might Have a Startling Effect.

FATHER CURCPS NEW BOOK.
Work on Socialism that in q Popular Form
Might Have n Startling Effect.
ROME, June 20.-The ex-Jesuit Father Curci,
since his latest reconciliation with Rome, which
took place last year in October, has been living
quietly in the neighborhood of Florence in the
same village where Calico spent his last years
of life. His faculties having been restored, he
has preached once in a while in the country
churches of his neighborhood, but has constantly
refused to preach in the city of Florence or in
any other important centre. When he left
Rome last year he was advised to undertake the
publication of some important work on modern
questions Father Curci accepted the hint and
turned his thoughts toward social questions.
He withdrew himself entirely from the world
and saw nobody, except occasionally his Jesuit
brothers at Fiesole, the headquarters of the
society, and the parish priest. After eight
months of very hard work he has now published
large volume with the following titles
Di I'm Socalsmo Cristiano nella QUESTION:
Operaia mel Conserto Selvaggio del Moderni
Stati Civil"
The volume contains twelve chapters, besides
preface of thirty-two pages. In the preface
the author informs his readers that his work
had previous revision by the ecclesiastical
authority in Rome but, having come to the
sixth chapter the reviser found some difficulty
and would not 60 further. Father Curci ex
plains that, in spite of this stop, he deems that
he has right to publish his work. inasmuch as
he does not want the church to indorse his
doctrinal theorems, which he expects will be
contradicted, and will displease many; but he is
ready to retract anything that may be found in
his book against the teachings of the church
The master of the Sacred Palace, the Very
reverend A. Bausa, who revised the first six
chapters, did not find anything to condemn ex,
actly, but he would not assume the responsible
ity of approving certain new theories not suf
hclent!y demonstrated and which the church
leaves TO the discussion of savants.
The sixth chapter condemns by wholesale the
dividends pocketed by the bon0holders of rail-
ways. Curci says:
Your stock brings an interest its safety is
guaranteed, we'll the interest, by the govern
ment You incur no danger Of losing, and you
are sure of the ordinary profit. Whatever comes
telligent labor c. Z TVorkingmen who have a
right to extra compensation. Why? Be
cause these hvn-, machines do not cost you
anything; they ready on the market and you
have not paid for the trouble of the house where
they were raised for you. You pay only for
their combustibles or food and yet you profit by
their Intelligent action and cooperation though
this coetficent of their muscular work is not
rewarded by you. 1t is, therefore, to them that
you should pay this surplus as fair reward to
their families for their education, and later for
their support when they are disabled by age or
accident. When you want locomotive you pay
not only for the coal and grease which are re-
quired to make it go, but you pay also for its
making; while, when you hire man you pay
nothing for his actual fitness for work, which
has cost trouble and money to his parents, to his
relatives and to his city"
Father Curci lashes numerically the Roman
10 tnr1c 41pnsr 4or
laborers of the field worse than dogs in the
campagna at the rate Of very few centesimi a
day, not even sufficient for their daily bread,
and yet pretend to deserve we'll of humanity be-
cause they distribute gratutousy among them
number Of pounds of qulnlne every year. lie
is also hard upon the animal protection societies,
insisting that the vertebrate most neglected and
starved in Italy is man.
Curci deemed it his duty to write such book
in order to bring back Jesus Christ among the
suffering classes. He does not say exactly that
the church and the priests side more willingly
with the wealthy than with the poor, but here
and there he hints much. He anticipates
that the book will displease many, but he does
not care, as iIhls old age, seventy-six years,
feeling tho f1 etaste of his heavenly home he
can cheerful y bear an additional trouble in
serving the cause of truth, and defending the
oppressed against their oppressors
The statistics given by him as to the condition
of the laboring classes in Italy are dscouraging
earn, taking the average the year through, more
than So a month"; and among them the want of
salt and bread generates the most noxious dis
eases. He writes against standing armies and
against duels and divorces. The style, however,
is heavy. If brilliant writer should take hold
of the matter and write popular pamphlet,
short and attractive, and easy to be understood
by the people, it might raise social revolution
in Italy. Fortunately for the government,
Curci's periods are too long, his style too crude,
his digressions too frequent and erudite. He
writes like man who seizes every chance of
saying all that he knows, and Father Curci
knows great many things indeed
AS soon as his bock was published Father
Curci submitted it to the Holy InQuisition, to
the Congregation of the Index, and to the Pope
himself A strict and regular condemnation
would be difficult to give because the matter is
in dispute, and there are many pros and cons
Besides Father Curci's ideas have been pre-
viously published by the learned Archbishop of
Mainz, Mgr. Kettler, in his work, ''De Arbeiter-
frage und Chr;atenthum," and that book was
never censured by Rome.
The old gentleman will not leave his country
residence this year. but will quietly await death
there, as he tells his few visiting friends.