The sun., 1891-06-09

1
ALL PArRiAacHs PRixArrs Ancnmsuors AND BbHors ~
| TIE CArBoLic World.
GRACE AND connrEIoS APOSTOLIC sss
POPE LEO XIII.
VENERABLE BRETHREN,
HRALrH AND ArosroLic BEsxpicrioS.
| It is not surprising that the spirit Of revolu.
tionary change. which has 80 long been pre-
dominant in the nations OF the world. should
have passed beyond politics and mado its In
fuence felt In the coenate field Of practical
| economy. The elements OF conflict are un.
mistakable: tho growth OF industry. and the
surprislne discoveries OF science: the changed
relations OF masters and workmen: the enors
| nous fortunes Of individuals, and tho poverty
| of the masses; the increased self-reliance and
| the closer mutual combination Of the working
population; and. finally. q general moral de,
| terioration. The momentous seriousness Of
the present state Of things Just now nlls every
mind with painful apprehension; wise men
discuss It; practical men propose schemes;
popular meetings. legislatures. and sovereign
princes all are occupied with it-and thero 10
nothing which has deeper hold on public
| attention.
Therefore. veaerablo brethren. as on former
occasions. whom It seemed opportune to reluts
false teaching. We have addressed you In the
interests OF the Church and OF the common
veal. and have issued letters on Political
Power" on Human Liberty" ON the Chris
tian Constitution OF the State" and on similsr
subjects. SO now We have thought 1t useful to
speak on the Condition OF Labor" 1t 10
matter on which We have touched
once or twice already. But In this letter
the responsibility OF the Apostolic office urges
us to treat the question expressly and as
length In order that there may be no mistake
as to the principles which truth and justice
dictate for it's settlement. The discussion II
not easy. nor Is It free from danger. II II not
easy to define the relative rights and the mu-
tual duties Of the wealthy aud OF the poor. OF
capital and OF labor. And the danger lies 10
this. that crafty aeitators constantly make use
OF these disputes to pervert mems judgments
and to stir up the people to sedition.
But all agree. and there can be no question
whatever. that some remedy must be found,
and quickly found. for the misery and wretoh-
edness which press so heavily at this moment
on the large majority Of the very poor. The
ancient workmen's guilds were DESTROYED In
the last century. and no other ORGANISATION
took their place. Public institutions and the
laws have repudiated the ancient religion,
Hence by degrees It has come to pass tha3
Workinemen have been given over. isolated
and defenceless, to the csllousness Of ON.
ployers and the greed Of unrestrained COM
petition. Tho evil has been increased By
rapacious usury. which. although more than
once condemned by the Church, 10 peveEths-
less. under different form but with the ssme
guilt. still practised By avaricious and GraspiAg
men. And to this must be added the custom
OF working by contract. and the concentration
OF 50 many branches Of trade In the hands Of .
few individuals. SO that small numbef OF
very rich men have been able to lay upon the
masses OF the poor yoke little bettsr thaa
slavery itself.
To remedy these evils the SooiaHsts. working
on the Door mans envy OF the rioh. endsAvos
to destroy privats property. and maintain that
individual possessions should become tho
common property Of ALL to be administered by
the State or by municipal bodies. They
hold that. by thus transferring prop-
erty from private persons to the conn
munty. the present evil state OF things
will be set to rights. because each eitisAl
will then have his equal share Of whatever
there is to enjoy. But their propos ais are 20
clearly futile for all practical purposes that II
they were carried out tho workingman him
self would be among the first to suffer. More
over they are emphatically unjust. because
they would rob the lawful possessor. bring the
State into sphere that Is not its own. and
cause complete confusion In the community.
1t is surely undeniable that when man en-.
cages in remunerative labor. the very reason
and motive Of his work is to obtain property.
and to hold It as his own private possession.
II one man hires out to another his strength
or his industry. he does this for tho purpose
Of receiving In return what Is necessary
for food and living; he thereby expressly pro.
poses to acquire full and real right not only
to the remuneration. but also to the disposal
OF that remuneration as he pleases. Thus. II
he lives sparinRly. saves money. and invests
his savings. for greater security. in land.
tho land In such q case Is only his wages