Grant County herald. [volume] (Lancaster, Wis.) 1850-1968, 1894-10-04

OF our pontlncate.
In this famous encyclical on labor
Leo XIII. proclaims that the elements
Of conflict are unmislakab bic. The mo
mentous seriousness of the present
state of things the conflict be-
| tween capital and labor-flls 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 there is nothing which has
deeper hold on public attention. Of
course there is nothing which has
deeper hold on public attention. Prop
er understanding Of the rights of class
and mass, Of the obligations of
capital and the icst rights of honest
! labor means the peace. order and per-
/ petuity Of governments, be they the gov
/ ernnentof empires, kingdoms or repub-
4 lies. Wisely, then, has Leo XIII
thought it useful TO SPEAK on the
conditions Of labor lie sees clear
4 III that It is not easy to define the rela-
/ tive rights and mutual duties Of wealth
and labor. but he recognizes that we
are face TO face with the condition all
over the world, and he insists that all
| good, just and wise men agree that
/ there can be no question whatever
/ that some remedy must be found for
4 the misery and wretchedne which
/ press SO heavily at this moment on the
large majority of the poor The SOW
ereign pontiff further sees that the
I contract system of labor is radically
/ defective and that the concentration
I of 50 many branches of trade in the
/ hands of a few individuals is radically
| wrong, for such systems create corrupt
/ ing monopolies and trusts by concen-
( trating with the small number Of
4 the very rich great powers Of oppres-
I sion that enable them To practice in
justice and may, through the agency
Of corrupt legislation, lay upon the
masses Of the poor yoke little better
than slavery itself | would say, with
ali due respect TO the holy fathers
words, a yoke worse than slavery
which was known in this country
before the famous emancipation
/ proclamation Of Abraham Lincoln.
I The industrial slavery Of to-day is in
many respects more heinous crime
+ against the law Of God than was the
chattle slavery Of the south The
4 master in slave days looked after his
/ chattle servant very much in the same
way that the rich, dishonest. legal
rohher Of the trust and monopoly
/ looks after his valuable horse It cost
him So much money, it must he cared
for, fed ana housed, that it may give
pleasure and create other beings to
I add 70 the pleasure ana luxury OF
the master The trust and ru0-
nopolv robbor Of to-day who will
give twenty thousand dollars and
more for fast horse would
not dream Of giving ten thousand dol
lars fer human being endowed with
intelligence, willing and able 70 labor,
possessed OF al immortal soul that
bears the image and likeness of God.
On the contrary. he believes in the few
hiring brain and muscle al the lowest
possible figure and using the creature S
life blood for his own security and lux
urIous indulgence 1t is this system
and acts like these that make the holy
father. Leo MIL, say; Therefore those
whom fortune favors are warned that
freedom from sorrow, and abundance
of earthly riches are no guarantee of
the beatitude that shall never end, but
rather the contrary; that the rich
should trembls az the threatening OF
Jesus Christ, threatening s. starge in
the mouth IF our Lord; and that most
strict account should be given TO the
Supreme Judge OF all we possess
You have here facts and sentiments
coming from the mind and heart 81 the
head Of the Catholic church, appealing
TO the clergy and lately throughout
the world to take a deep interest In the
greatest question OF the hour for the
safety Of society the labor question
Leo Nil says; Every minister Of the
holy religion must throw into this con-
tiiet Of capital and labor all the energy
of his mind, all the strength of his en-
durance," and he warns the bishops
Throughout. the churen tha, ther
should be he leaders IN This uoyt-
.neut; tha the priest, slpporte hv 'ae