The Wilmington daily Republican., 1891-05-23
PAPAL ENCYCLICAL.
His Holiness on the Relations Of
Capital and Labor.
THEY ARE NATURAL ALLIES.

ernment.
ROME, May 23.-The opening of the
papal encyclical on labor dilates on the
task which the pope has set for himself
in defining, for the guidance of the
church, its position towards existing So
cial questions. 1t goes on to refer to the
pressing importance of those questions,
and the difficulty arising out of their
complex character, owing to the numer-
GUS concurrent factors requiring con-
sideration. Yet solution can be OBJ
tained by applying the eternal principles
upon which the teachings of the church
are based. Now, as ever, mems rela-
tions toward each other as individuals
or parts of society must have the sane
ton of old authority. The law is stated
in Deuteronomy iv., 21: "Neither shalt
thou desire thy neighbor's wife; neither
shalt thou covet they neighbor's house,
his field, his man servant or his maid
servant, his OK, or his ass, or anything
that is his"
The Divine Law of Property Right.
The divine law, therefore, rejects the
socialist solution, which would abolish
private property, substituting a collec-
tive common ownership. In proceeding
to consider the relations of the state to
the individual, the encyclical says ITO
think that the. authority of the state
ought arbitrarily to invade the family
intimacy is great and pernicious error.
The state can undoubtedly intervene
when the condition of the family is too
disastrous, but then only to alleviate it,
and to regard the rights and interests of
the public power without violating the
rights of individuals. To go beyond
these limits would be to violate the ma
ture of things. The state should neither
destroy nor absorb the paternal power
to reconcile the rights of the state or cap
italists, and the proletariat. We affirm
unhesitatingly that human efforts are
impotent without the concurrence of
the church"
Capital and Labor Are Allies.
The encyclical goes on at length to
recall all the church has done to better
the lot of the prolctariat and to show
that it is capital error to believe that
the rich and the prolesariat are con-
demned by nature to fight duel with
out end. One has need of the other.
Capital is powerless without work, and
work without capital.
The proletariat cannot and ought not
to injure capital or the masters who dis
pense it, but III order to obtain respect
for the rights of labor they II. ust abstain
from violence. They should not have
recourse TO sedition nor listen to the
chimera promises of the agitators. On
the other hand, masters ought to respect
the individuality and dignity Of man.
They should act as christians toward
their worlnnen, not treat them inhu-
manly or exploit them beyond their
strength. Let masters remember that
both divine and human law forbids the
drawing of profits from tine misery of
the poor. AS citizens the proletaIiat
have the same rights as the rich. and
consequently have Il right to the same
interest as being u part of the state.
Absolute equality was, however, a Chin
era. The social hierarchies were based
on natural principles.
W .rk and Wages.
The state ought to see that all COW
enants relating to work were conscien-
tiously observed, and oppose anything
that might cause popular passion to
yield to unhealthy excitement, provok-
ing troubles and violence. Small wages
often gave rise to strikes, disastrous not
only to the workingmen and their EN-
pioyers, but to the general interests of
commerce and pul lie industry. Gov
ernment ought to prevent the explosion
of such crisis. Moral dignity, which is
equal among poor and rich, exacted re-
pose from work on certain days. The
physical forces of every man are limited.
Beyond that limit it is forbidden to go.
Therefore, expediency was shown in
establishing certain limitations on work
ing hours.
The question of wages was particu-
larly delicate one to treat with exact
justice. The salary agreed upon should
be paid, at the same time justice equally
demanded that the agreement entered
into by the workingmen ought to be re-
spected. The state should see these re-
ciprocal Obligations executed.
Mutual Associations Encouraged,
The pope particularly mentions as
worthy of commentator associations
for mutual societies for insurance
against accident, sickness and death,
and the protection of children, and es-
pecially female children, to which he
attached particular Importance. The
Tradesmen's associations ind ancient
corporations so useful in the past ought
to be adopted to present needs. These
associations would better answer the
ends intended if they were composed OF
both workmen and masters.
No Right to Despair.
The pope eulogizes those who are en-
deavoring to better the condition of the
proletariat and establish bonds of mu.
tual equity between workmen and
master, to maintain sentiment of re-
ciprocal duties, and to combat inteinper.
ance among workingnen.
I'VE see with satisfaction eminent men
uniting in working for the common ad.
vance of their ideas, the efforts of Others
seeking to promote co-operatian among
employers and employed, the action of
the bishops in encouraging these efforts
and finally the spectacle of such Catho
lies acting as voluntary friends on the
proletariat, and contributing with
money TO develop such associations. In