St. Paul daily globe. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn.) 1884-1896, 1891-05-23
LEO'S GOOD ADVICE.
The Venerable Pontif Is Out
spoken on the Great So
cial Problem.
Eastep and Man Should Have
More Of Mutual For
bearance.
Religion and It's Teachings
the Basis Of Equitable
Dealings.
Private and Public Rights and
Their Relation to the
Question.

ROME, May 22.-The full text of the
pope's encyclical has appeared. In his
exordium the pope dilates upon the task
which he has set himself in defining for
ihe guidance of the church its position
towards the existing social questions.
He refers to the pressing Importance of
The matter and the difficulty in dealing
with it arising from its complex char
acter, owing to the numerous concur
rent factors requiring consideration;
yet, he SAYS, q solution can be obtained
by applying the eternal principles on
which the teachings of the church
are always based. Now as ever mems
relations toward each other as
individuals or parts OF society
must have the sanction OF the old au-
thority. The law is stated in Deute-
tonOmy vi, 81: Nom concupoisces uX-
prem proXimo TUT, non domum, non
Agrum, non ancillum, non bovem, non
Rsinum, ct uniyerSa quail illus sunt."
The divine law therefore rejects the
SOCIALIST solution of the social prob
lem, which would abolish private
property, substituting collective and
common ownership. Proceeding to con-
Bider the relations of the state to the in
fividual, the pope says: "TO think that
The authority of the state ought arbI-
trarily to invade family intimacy is
great and pernicious error Undoubt-
edly 1t can intervene when the con-
dition of the family is too disas-
trous, but only to alleviate it and to
safeguard the rights and Interests OF
public power without violating the
rights of Individuals. To go beyond
these limits would violate the nature of
things. The state should not destroy
nor absorb
Paternal Power
to conciliate the rights of the state, of
the capitalist and OF the proletariat.
We affirm unhesitatingly that human
efforts are impotent without the con-
currence of the church." A long DEM
Onstration follows recalling all that
the church has done to better
the lot of the proletariat. The
pope saws: "a culpable error
is to believe the rich and proletariat
are condemned by nature to battle and
duel without end. The one has need of
the other. Capital is powerlesS without
workers. and workmen are pOWerleSS
without capital. The proletariat cannot
and ought not to iniure either
capital or master, but i'll order TO
obtain respect for their rights
they must abstain from violence. They
ought not to have recourse to sedition,
nor to listen to the chimerical promises
of agitatOrs. On the other hand, mas
tiers ought to respect the individuality
and dignity of the man and Chris
them inhumanly in their work
nor exploit them beyond their
forces. Let masters remember that the
divine and the human law forbidS them
to draw profits from the misery of the
poor. But besides the religious means it
is necessary that there should be CO.
operation of human means. The state
ought to favor the prosperity of society
as much as individuals. 1t ought to watch
over the purity, morals and the interior
order of families, the safe keeping of
religion, justice and moderation and the
equitable division of the public charges,
all of which contribute largely to the
ameliOratiou of the conditions of the
proletiarat. The larger this general
prosperity, the less will workers seek
recourse to eXceptiOnable means 10
ameliorate their conditions. Proletari-
ans have the
Same Rights as Citizens
as the rich; consequently they have a
right to the same interest on the part
of the state. Governments should care
fully observe their obligations in the
distribution of justice. Absolute equal
ity, however, is a chimera. Social hi
erarchies are based on natural princi-
pies. The state ought to see that
covenants reIated to work are
oppose anything that might cause popu-
lar passions. Yet the healthy eXcita-
tiOnS would provoke trouble and viol-
ence. Small wages often give rise to
strikes disastrous not only to workmen
and their masters, but to the gen.
eral interests of commerce and pub
lie industry. Governments ought to
prevent these crises. The moral duty,
which is equal among the poor and
rich, eXactS work on certain days. The
state ought to care for the workmen, and
not let them become the prey of specu-
latorS and usurers, who are seeking to
abuse their weakness in order
TO obtain excessive and dishonest
profits. A mans work should not
go to such. Everybody's physical forces
are limited, and humanity forbids that
they should he exceeded. Consequent
ly, eXpediency is shown in a certain
limitation of working hours, which
should be interrupted by period of
rest, varying according to condi-
tionS of time, place, public health
and the nature of the work
The question of wages is particularly
delicate. Justice eXacts that an agreed
salary should be PAID. At the same
time agreements entered into by work
men ought to be respected. The state
should see that these reciprocal obliga-
tons are executed. An element Of the
question is that workman ought to be
able with his salary to provide the
Necessities of Life.
In all these questions it is essential
that state representatives should not in
tervene incOnsiderately. 1t will suffice
to reserve examination of these points
to the judgment of associations in order
to safeguard the interests of both en-
ployers and employees. The tutelage and
authority of the state ought to inter-
vene only as much as general interests
demand. a great social advantage lies
in laws which favor a multiplicity of
properties. These are the best means
TO prevent opposition between extreme
riches and extreme poverty. But it is
also necessary that the properties
shall not be overtaxed. The
state commits an error in undue
eXactions from individuals. Institu-
ions for aiding the poor and effecting
cOnciliation between the societies are
especially useful III obtaining desirable
results. Following this idea the pope
then particularly mentions associa-
tlonS for mutual Succor and in
stitutiOns for insurance in the
Paea of accidents siclynncc apd