The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1886-05-10

state, who sought to obliterate national bound
aries destroy the army, remove the tariff, estab-
lish universal family lfe reduce all men to a
common level, secure the same wages in all
lands, make labor the basis of all wealth, ignore
the exactions of captain short, establish a
world wide brotherhood. The Internationalists
originated in 1864, and broke up in 1874 through
discord among themselves At one time they
numbered over two millions in Europe, and the
labor unions of this country. numbering nearly
a million more, were in utilization with them,
sending delegates to the annual assemblies.
Upon the overthrow of the Internationals the
extreme Socialists became Nihilists under the
leadership of Bakunin, a Russian. This organi
cation adopted for it motto mo God, no
master. state. no church" 1t proposed "a
revolution knowing no pity-a revolution which,
by fire and sword, will extirpate to the very last
traces of the old social order" Their final aim
is collectivism, and the means Of attaining 1t is
pan-dsstructlon.
All forms of atheistic socialism have come to
this country. They have entrenched themselves
in our great cities They have organized varl-
Gus kinds of societies They have persuaded
many of our labo,ing men that they are their
best friends. that capitalists are their enemies,
that the poor laborer must be the victim of
the man of property. They have taught here
some of the most revolutionary doctrines. and
haranged, night after night bodies of our labor
ing people. melting them to the most absurd
and even dangerous movements-to methods
which must react and bring certain ruin to the
masses of the people and to the Republic unless
they are abandoned. Indeed these socialistic
clubs, with the declared purpose of assisting the
laborer, propose to enter politics, and 1t Is pos
sible that the unhappy condition of Europe will
be reproduced here within few years
What is most of all to be regretted is this: The
Knights of Labor, now numbering 500, 900 men,
many of whom are honest and good, the very
bone and sinew of the country, have adopted In
their platform of principles many things that
have been proposed and tried in
vain in the various socialistic move
ments of Europe. For, be it known
that everything attempted by atheists to improve
society has signally failed. No laboring man has
been made better On the other hand, the eie-
ments are jarring among themselves in such
way that in Europe imperialism and standing
army are essential to maintain the order of So
ciety. Neither has Catholic socialism bene-
flied the common people 1t is to be regretted
that our working classes should undertake IN
this fair land what in Europe has been tried for
the last forty years without benefit Are we in
like manner to pass through years OF turmoil
with similar RESULT God forbid.
But, what is more to our present purpose, is
the fact that socialism, in all its forms,
having proved itself q failure Roman
Catholicism and atheism are shown to be
unable to meet the needs Of the poor. They
have no power to lift up society and preserve
national peace and promote the general welfare
Atheism in its last manifestation is anarchy. 1t
stands in the streets of Chicago with dynamite
to destroy human life. 1t is out of harmony
with modern society and would destroy it. Nj
hilism is only the legitimate product of that
system of thought which rejects God. If man
is not accountable to superior being, If he has
no SOUL and if there is for him no future lfe if
this brief earthly existence is ALL what is to pre-
vent him from any act by which he may hope for
personal gain! The riots of the last week, like
the scenes in Paris during the French Revolu-
ton, show that atheism has no power to build
or save, but leads to despair and prompts to de-
structon.
Is there, then no hope for this Borrowing
world2 None for its oppressed millonsl None
for the degraded poor? None for the toilerl
Thank God, there is. But remember that hope
is not in ecclesiasticism, nor in human philoso-
ply, that denies God, but in Jesus Christ the
only savior. Bear with me while give the an
swer which Professionalism, evangelical reli-
gion, makes to the question which socialism in
vain attempts to answer. This is an opportune
moment to mako our citizens hear what con-
Germs their temporal welfare. We hold that
l. The existing order, the wage system, is the
direct outerowth of the teachings of Protestant
ism. Individual liberty was first proclaimed a
corollary of the doctrine that man is a moral
creature of God. One who is accoun table to the
Supreme Ruler must be Free No other can be
free. Personal liberty involves the right to labor
when and where one may choose, at price de-
termined by agreement. 1t also involves the
right of personal property.
2. For the purpose of enabling each man to
enjoy his liberty, to engage in his chosen voca-
ton, to reap the benefits thereof for himself and
his family, without let or hindrance from any,
governments are established This is the only
function of government. So declares the i'm
mortal Declaration which our fathers adopted
equal, and endowed by their Creator
with certain nalienable rights; that among
these are life, liberty, and the pursuit Of happ-
ness To secure these governments are estab-
lished." Only an evangelical Christian could
write those words. An atheist must stop before
the word created
8. We hold, therefore, that the freest and
fullest liberty must be allowed to personal con-
tract on the wage system, else individual rights
will be invaded, and sooner or later our whole
social structure must fall to decay
T. We recognize the fact that in the enjoy
menu of our liberty as creatures of God, working
out our destiny in His fear there will be ineuual-
removed, which under proper circumstances
make for the good of the whole.
s. Professionalism supplies those influences which
will remove the burdens of these inequalities and
unite all classes. rich and poor, learned and ig-
norant, into a perfect state. It does this by in
fusing into the mind of the poor man new prin-
cipleS of life, new hopes, new truths, new joys,
which not only ennoble him and lift him to
higher plane, making it probable that his
worldly condition will be improved but also bid
ding him to look to another life where all the
sorrows of this will be unknown. And as a mat
ter OF fact evangelical religion either does by its
transforming power elevate a man or make him
contented with his lot. Professionalism comes to
the man of wealth, and cautions him
lest he think unduly of worldly
riches, curbs his ambition by urging
benevolence and benefcence, making him the
bearer of his brothers burdens. Evangelical re-
ligion introduces all men into brotherhood, bids
them love each other and unite their hands and
hearts in the service of God, looking to COM
mon homo beyond. Where this religion is
adopted the home, the community, the state are
prosperous and happy Jesus Christ is the only
savior of society Hear it, ye rulers who seek
by legislation to undo the curse of SIM Hear it,
We philosophers who dream of a new social order
to cure the discords of thisl Hear it. We Social
lists. Communists, Internationasts, Nihilists by
whatever name We are known! Hear it, We
knights of Labor who desire honestly