The Bennington banner. [volume] (Bennington, Vt.) 1858-1894, 1891-06-05
LEO XIII. ON THE LABOR QUESTION.

The pope's new encyclIcal touching So
cial matters, especially the labor dues
ton, is summarized as follows:
Taking as his text the tenth command
ment, "Thou shalt not covet," the pope
admonishes all concerned that the So
cial problems of the day can be solved
only by the application of the unchang-
ing principles of divine law and with the
cooperation of the church. 1t is not
true but 'capital error" he says, that
the rich and the poor. the employer and
employed are enemies. On the contrary
they are absolutely dependent upon each
other. The employed should shut their
ears to the chimerical talk of agitators,
should refrain from violence, should do
no injury to the property or persons of
the employers. The latter should re-
spect the dignity of the man and the
Christian in the wage Garner, should
treat him humanely, should take care
not to OverwOrk him. and should remem-
Der that they are forbidden by divine
law to draw profit from the misery of
the poor.
Absolute equality, the pope says, is
chimera, but governments should show
the same care for the rights, interests
and welfare of the wage-earner as for
those of the employer; should require n
faithful observance of contracts; should
limit the number of hours of daily labor
exacted from the workman and secure
him intervals of repOse, varying with
the conditions of time, place, public
ealth, and the nature of the work"
They should intervene to prevent the
wage-earners from becoming ''the prey of
spectators and usurers who seek to
abuse their weakness in order to OBJ
tain excessive and dishonest profits"
The question of wages, the pope says, is
especially delicate. He lays down the
rule that the workman should be able
out of his wages to provide for himself
and his with the necessaries of life. He
discourages hasty, inconsiderate state
Intervention in the premises, not clearly
required by the general interest, as he
discOurages state encrOachments on the
rights of tie parent and family.
He denounces the socialist scheme
abolishing private property, and substi-
tuting ownership in common, as con
trary to divine law. He says an emphat-
ic word against excessive and oppressive
taxation. He commends the benevolent
societies, mutual insurance societies,
etc. He would be glad to see associa-
lions embracing Doth employers ana en-
ployed in their membership. He would
have governments suppress working
mems societies only when the public in
terest requires it, and then with care for
the rights of individuals. He praises
those who are trying TO improve the con-
dition of the poor to bring about better
relations between the rich and the poor,
to do away with intemperance, etc.
The solution of the social problem calls
for universal cooperation, under the
auspices of Christian faith and morality.
''In the presence of the efforts of so
many generous minds" says Leo Kill,
1--WE have not the right to despair of our
times"
OF course nearly all of this is in the
nature of obvious truth. says the Herald,
but much is perhaps obvious only to
men who stop and think. There are
some hard truths expressed which can
not be too often nor too emphatically
told to people inclined to be discon-
tented because they do not somehow
acquire sudden riches, and the encyclical
was by no means uncalled for.