The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1891-04-03
CARDINAL MANNING ON SOCIALISM
An Evil and Injury to Society-Contrary
to Christianity.

An Evil and Injury to society-Contr.ry
to Christianity.
London Correspondent OF the Figaro
I have Just had an interview with his
Eminence Cardinal Manning. archbishop
of Westminster and arbitrator of the work
men, whose bold and wise theories have
recently been highly approved by N. Nag
nard. / was received at the archbishop's
house, where, after having climbed several
flights of pontifically white stairs, en-
tered a large and luminous apartment,
we'll stocked with scientific books, and
ornamented with portraits, busts, and
bronzes of the English cardinal. In few
moments door was opened and the cardi-
mai appeared--a tall old man, whose ner-
vous and ascetic head reminds one of Leo
XIII. He has the nose of an eagle. long,
thin cheeks, and under . forehead
wrinkled by thought are two blue eyes,
both smiling and melancholy and with
such an intensity of animation that they
appear to look through half-closed eyelids.
The cardinal thanked me for Offering to
him the occasion to express in the leading
French journal those social ideas, the
study of which has been the aim of his
life. -
at present" said I, .about Catholic social
ism and about q new movement in the
Christian party. At time when our
bishops are about to discuss social ques-
tons, the Figaro thought that it would be
interesting to have the impressions of
prelate celebrated for his socialistic theories
and convictions"
"Oh," said the cardinal, ''in that simple
,H bar 10 Zeal l.
over me and fixed upon me his ieering and
yet kindly ascetic eyes, as full of divine
exegetism as of human archness. 'sIn the
fIrst place there is socialism, then my So
cialism. then the socialism of France and.
finally, socialism in England. I will re-
ply TO you upon all those points" Then
raising mis- inc head the cardinal con-
tinued:
ssYou talk to me about socialism. Now.
do you even know what socialism is? I
don't. Oh, have occupied my whole life
in endeavoring to md it out, and prooa-
bly, that is the reason they call me So
ciaiist. But I have never been able to dis
cover it. Everything ought to have def
milton, and in mathematics | only admit
the existence of that which can be reduced
to an equation But I have vainly sought
for the equation of socialism. | asked four
persons TO write out for me definition of
socialism. and they gave me four different
answers. Have you not had the same ex-
perience7"
s.sYes. your Eminence,n replied, aand
must say that I have obtained the same
negative result. | remember particularly
the replies of two Partisan workmen at a
socialistic banquet. i was seated between
them and asked each one the same ques-
ton. My neighbor on the right replied,
Socialism means the priests And nv
neighbor on the left Informed me that
.Soeiaiisni was the bourgeois ~
Well" said the cardinal, II believe
that socialism is evil. Everything that is
social is a benefit. but between the social
and socialism there is as much difference
as between reason and rationalism. So
ciety is as benehcent as reason: socialism
is as injurious as rationaiism. Civil and
political society is nothing more than hu.
man society, and. consequently, all iegis-
lation ought to be essentially social
and conservative of society. On the
other hand, socialism which aims at
the overthrow of actual society is subver-
sive and destructive. We have. therefore.
the social organization and socialism
The flrst comprises every social phenome-
non. and is dominated by two factors, the
moral and the economic The moral fac
tor consists in the sentiment of reciprocal
duties, the unity of the human race,
and the heneats of the social union. The
economic factor consists IN the practical
execution of these sentiments. This social
ism is the socialism of organization and
of legislation. The other socialism. on
the contrary. has almost nothing in COM
mon with the organic and social phenom-
ena. II is purely political. and is forrnu-
lated by two factors the immoral and the
turbulent. The immoral factor consists in
the progress OF individuailsm in this con-
ceited age. which destroys families and
divides interests that are common by
nature. The second factor consists in
troubles produced by this individualism,
in which there can be no connection
between laws and needs. Such a socialism
is the socialism of Reorganization and of
revolution. That is the one that is re-
ferred 10 when socialism Is spoken OF: and
il is the complete denial of socialism. be-
cause, when We say socialism We should