The Washington times., 1895-03-27
0PPORfUNIsM ITS POLICY
Attitude Of the Catholic Church
on the Labor Question.
DIR. OG0RNAN'S EXPLANATION
Pope Leo Maintains the Right of Labor to
Organize in self-defense Disorder to Be
Cured by the Application of Moral and
Ethical Principles Scholarly Address of
Mr.. John G. Brooks, of Cambridge, Mass.

Rev. DR.. o'Goman, Professor of Church
history at the Catholic University, pre-
sided over the conference on the labor ques-
ton yesterday afternoon at the Columbian
University. The special aspect of the
subject was the attitude OF the Catholic
church to the labor problem.
Dr. O'Gorman, in his Introductory re-
marks, spoke OF the Pope sencyclical ReuIm
Novarum, IN which the rights OF labor to
organize in seIf-defense are maintained. the
favorable attitude of the Pope toward the
Knights Of Labor. and his asseraion OF
the principle that the relations of capital
TO labor involve the relations of man to
man. or the moral and ethical view of
the question.
ATTITUDE OF THE CHURCH.
The address ON the subject was by Mr.
John Graham Brooks, of Cambridge, Mass.
He held that the origin OF the labor ques-
tion lay in the strain between the em-
ployer and the empoye. He regarded the
movement III the Catholic church toward
the solution of the difficulties as OF special
value from the unity OF that institution.
condition that does not texist in the Protest
ant church. He denied the statement that
the Pope had extemporized his views on
the labor question in Difference 10 Card-
nal Manning, for he said the Pope's ut
terances in 1878. when Biehop of Pemgia
were of the same substantial character as
those held since his accession to the Papal
chair
To the Pope must be traced, he said the
first labor congress, such assemblages,
year by year, assuming greater proper
uons and gaining value by the presence
of business men of character and ability
Further. the church was Introducing into
its schools certain definite studies OF so
cial and economic science, in order that
their students may be able to deal with
the question of Industrial evolution
The whole Policy of the church is to
cure the disorder by the application of
moral aud ethical principles, which pol
icy is common To the Protestant Church.
BELIEVES IN OPPoRTUNIsM
1t teaches and believes in opportunism,
or what the French better call posSibil-
isme. 1t rejects every form of extreme
individualism, liberalism and socialism,
the wisdom of the rejection Of Cobdenism
being proved by the failure of that idea
IN Norway, Sweden and elsewhere
MI Brooks explained that the encyclicaI
holds as. q necC Ssary function OF the state
its interference IN the present intense com
petition between the industrial classes:
that wherever the voluntary system OF
solution does not suffice the state can inter
vene. The second important principle
eIiunciated by the church i Tie placing of
a Gistinctively ethical principle, such as
justice. over the merely economic or legal
principles involved in contracts. Third,
the church admits the right and justice of
labor unions as necessary factors in the
struggle for the independence of labor 1t
believes in mixed syndicates Fourth,
the church teaches that private rights are
absolute. The pope seeks 10 defend what
socialism would destroy. He believes in
the rights of rents and interests; 20 that, as
the speaker understood 1t, no priest can be
a socialist.
The speaker said he does not understand
that the policy of the socialist is to de-
stroy private rights. but that private con
troll shall pass TO social control The real
revolutionary propaganda of the social
ist is an attack on the monegaInic family.
In order to accomplish this they would de-
stroy the existing forms OF interest. profit
aud rent, they are the bulwarks OF the
Christian family system If the present
wage systems endure, in any degree. the
Catholic Church Will be on the winning side
in its policy as compared with the Prot
estant Church.
AS IN THE OLD GUILDS
The genius of the first is the work
through the clubs, as in the old guilds It's
method is one of what the French call
patronage and for which word we have
no equivalent; ana wherever there is social
ism there is a struggle against this system.
The Catholic method may be described as
aristocratic. but if il have, through its
policy of opportunism, the adoption to
time, place, and circumstances, a suffi-
Cient elasticity, it may meet the require
ments of future eXigencies. So far the pol
icy of the Church has given great impetus
to the study of the struggle; ii has made
an issue with socialism. and thereby it has
developed a unity of purpose to which 1t
lends its majesty and pomp.
1t goes deeper than the question of help
ing the strong, the elite: it proposes to
the woman. sickness, accident, and old
age. He quoted an eminent Protestant
authority. who expressed the view that
the present policy of the Catholic church. if
carried out, would effectthe greatestchange
in the industrial conditions the world ever
saw He also quoted a member of the
French Academy, who said that the Tevo-
luton would be an accomplished fact with
such a prelate as Cardinal Manning. or
Cardinal Gibbons in the Papal chair
Mr.. Brooks will, this afternoon, discuss
the attitude of the Protestant church TO
the question.
DR.. Kent, after the lecture, warmly
congratulated Mr.. Brooks on the fairness
and impartiality of his discourse, and its
instructive and able character.