Workmen's advocate. (New Haven, Conn.) 1883-1891, 1889-02-23

| protect him. lie believed the preachers and
! priests should be asked to lend their influence in
the organization and urged the appointment of
| a committee to wait on them, which would at
| least have the effect of putting them on record
on the question,-Chicago News, Feb d.
~ am not a socialist in the sense IN which
that term is generally understood, but | am
| Christian socialist, and people who are prriu.
diced against that term would advise to read
and study. the life of Christ and His teachings
! am trying as far as possible to follow in His
i footsteps in reaching the masses, and have
socialists attending my church who had MT
been inside OF church before for fifteen or
twenty years. We in the pulpit, as well as the
press have often condemned the working peO-
pie 'or meeting in the saloons and allowing the
anarchists to lead them. Now we have h- op
pprtunity 10 help them let us take heed how
We treat this Macedonian cry."-W. L, SILENCE
IN Chicago News, Feb Ii.
The foregoing from the Chicago Daily
NeUS Of the 18th and 10th insts., will, |
doubt not, be of interest to you and to
the readers of the WORKMENs' ADVOCATE,
to some of whom it may not be known
that in England there are a goodIy num-
Der of Christian people who accept the
economic principles of Karl Marx and
call themselves Christian Socialists The
same principles are taking hold in some
degree in the minds of some Christian
clergymen in our country. For myself,
| regard this face as of most hopeful i'm
port and as indicating the approach of
the time when socialism will be more
clearly and truly understood and when
the mountain of misrepresentation and
misapprehensiOn under which it has
labOred will be removed.
In our competitive commercial system
the Christian Socialists see the principle
of self interest degenerated into selfish
ness and greed that ignores ethical senti-
ment and hence tends to the injury and
dissolution of society. 1t is subversive
of Christian morality, hence distinctive
to healthy social life. The principle of
cooperation and mutual help-that is,
socialism-they discern as in fact the
ethical spirit of Christianity applied in
practical business life to- industry, eco
nomics and social reform; therefore,
when Socialism is considered as theory
apd principal of economic and social
life, it is seen to be identical in its moral
spirit with Christianity as taught by its
founder.
am glad to learn that there is at least
one minister of the Gospel in Chicago
that is willing to be known as a Christian
Socialist. The designation Socialist"
has been covered with so much obloquy
by venomouS reptile press that in the
minds of most people socialist" is near
ly synonOmous with devil" Some
rather orthodox people seem to think
socialist the worse appellation Of the
two! At least, i'll appearance they wage
more bitter warfare against the poor
socialist than against 1.-THE world tie
flesh and the devil either, or both
combined. If the socialist be actuated
entirely by the spirit of Jesus, he will
pray as Jesus did; "Father, forgive
them, they know not what they do"
But, as was about to say there has been
so much obloquy cast upon socialists,
that no matter what our religious tor ir-
religious sentiments, we ought to feel a
kindly warmth towards any man, and
especially any minister of the gospel,
who is brave enough and Christike |
enough to avow himself a Socialist, even
though he couples with it the prefix !
Christian. Therefore | am glad to be !
informed that some socialists are attend |
ing the Rev f. w. Sillence's church and |
hope they will feel it their pleasant |
duty to invite other socialists to 90 with |
them, No harm can result, and much |
good may come from the cultivation of !
friendly relations with Christian people |
or Christian ministers whose cardinal |
economic principles accord with ours,
although there may be difference in the |
minuti@-as also exist among ourselves. |
1t will lead to the correction of mutual !
misapprehensons and tend to gradual |
1,If9 hon or
clear up the atmosphere so that if we
cannot see eye-to-eye in complete har-
mOny of opinions we can feel heart beat |
to heart in wide human sympathy and
brotherhood, and touch fraternal elbows
as we march together in the grand army
of progress toward the goal of all our
desires, the veal of humanity.
| will have to confess, however. that | |
have not quite as much faith as Mr.
Silence in his ministerial brethren in
Chicago. My observation of their course
during many years past has led me to the
conclusion that as Class-with Uery few
eXceptions-the daiiy press is to them
the Bible, so far as socialism is concerned.
Their idea of socialism is the utterly dis
tOrted and vicious idea which it is ap-
parently a cardinal principle of the daily
press to set forth on all occasions and
without occasion. Led by prejudice
blinded teachers they fall into the same
ditch of distortion and misrepresentation
1t is not to be wondered at that socialists
generally keep away from the churches
it would be matter for wonder,
human nature being what it is. were
they to attend very often, to hear them
solves and their nrincinleS misrnnrnsnnt