The labor world. [volume] (Duluth, Minn.) 1896-current, 1901-01-05
A! DOUBT u IfU|I SHIELD 4
.THOUGHTFUL'' MEN 5"TREMI,LE.' Ar
THE ADVANCE OF SOCIALISM.
Mark Hanna to the. Rescue-Looks
Upon the Roman Catholic Church
ASA Prop for Capitnlism-Ile May
lie Mistaken-The Church Has
Passed Through Several EcOMOlNic
Stnges-Will Drop Capitalism Too.

At times it would seem that some
by no means certain in their own minds
as to the permanency of capitalist class
rule, and do not hesitate to say So. But
Mr.. Mark Hanna is evidently little
troubled by these gloomy forebodings.
Here is his own account taken from the
Times Herald Of December 1st, of how
he reassured timorous gentleman who
gave it as his opinion that a struggle
with socialism was unavoidable in the
near future. To this end Mr.. Hanna
particularly mentions two factors
which he considers stable bulwarks Of
the present economic system:
when T was in New York. says Mr..
Hanna, just after election, a thoughtful
man said to me:
We'll, we've saved the country again,
but I tremble for the future. Sooner Or
later we're going to have tremendous
struggle in this country between the
forces of conservatism on one side and
socialism on the other, and am afraid
socialism may carry the day"
# am not a bit afraid of that" re-
piled Mr.. Hanna. land I'll tell you Why,
There are two things that will prevent
it, One is the American school system;
the other is the Roman Catholic church.
That great church is just as much
against socialism IS the Protestant
churches, as I happen to know, and in
the last campaign, appeals to class
hatred We're frowned upon by the high
Il nj ;nf al
of the Catholic organization. AS long
as this restraining force continues to
operate you need have no fear Of So
r. cialism dominating America"
~ If the party to which this assurance
was addressed really deserves the ap-
pellation of ''thoughtful' it is not clear
how he is to derive much comfort from
Hanna's view of the situation 1t may
be conceded that in the control of the
public school system capitalism pos
sesses a strong bulwark but the press
and pulpit are no less valuable for the
same purpose: All these have been and
stills are equally opposed to socialism,
iand3Yet the latter has, in spite Of such
{. opp0si lion grow to the tent that il
ma
lt{ WITS =
staefes slSiil az E'ss
explain just why, his assurance might
be worth something. The Socialist rec
ognizes that the powers which Mr..
Hanna mentions. as we'll as all other
existing institutions, have been and
still are being used for the perpetuation
of things as they are, out he also sees
that in spite of this the movement has
made steady and rapid progress, and
has no reason for supposing that the
obstacles which have been poWerless to
stop it's advance in the past will be any
more potent to do 50 in the future.
In claiming the Roman Catholic
church as an ally in the continued plum
der Of the working class. Mr.. Hanna
stands even upon more doubtful
ground. There are d few institutions
still in existence which antedate capi-
taisnl. and of these by far the greatest
and most important, is the very church
which Hr. Hanna relies upon as an
auxiliary against socialism. It has ex-
listed through various economic stages
of human society. and has been en-
abled to do so by Il knowledge Of the
law by which all organisms alone car
continue to eXist-the law of adoption
to environment. It's history comprises
the stages Of slavery. SerfdOm and cap
italism. In the transition periods be
tween these stages it has survived
through Il recognition of the law above
given. AS it did not disappear with the