The Irish standard., 1906-11-10
strength that is sure to make him a
commanding figure in the state and
nation for years to come.
SOCIALISM CONDEMNED.

miners of the anthracite coal district
Of Wtlkesbarre, Pa. has caused the
Catholic clergy Of the various nation
alittes to oppose the election Of the
mine working union officials who arc
active in the work Of spreading So
ctalisn amongst their countrymen.
One of tho pastors of a Slavonian
church in telling why the priests Of
his diocese are so deeply interested in
keeping their focks apart from the
agltators Of Socialism recently said:
I'VE believe the foreigners are be-
ing misguided. Vice President Matti,
who is the foreign representative in
the official makeup Of the organisa-
ton, no longer confines himself to up
building unionism, but endeavors to
breed contempt for the Christian
Church, Il conception he has found in
Socialism.
His fellow officers are Socialists
and are equally violent in psrvertins
the virtues Of this industrial society.
am satisfied the clergy are justified
in taking an interest in such a mat
ter.
Socialism as it is popularity under
stood is an enemy to Christianity. The
Socialism which is taught by agitators
who are. as a rule, superior In intelli-
gence to their average fellow country
men, is of that class which has
brought France into infldelism These
demagogues declare to the less edu-
Gated Of their race that Socialism il
g. blessing to the toiler; a new de-
parture from oppressive government
which aids capital and depresses la
Dor. The Right Rev. VIM. Stang.
Bishop of Fall River, in his work on
Socialism and Christianity, says Of
the Socialistic doctrines which agita-
tors try to force on workingmen, and
which the church 'emphatically de-
clares against:'
Among the popular hereses with
which the church found herself con-
fronted at the threshold of the present
century was Socialism, creed which,
whilst it pretended to advocate the
common good of society. was in truth
popularizing principles destructive Of
justice and all permanent prosperity.
For Socialism, as understood by DEM
agogues who seek to indoctrinate the
masses by the plausible promises of
improved economical conditions which
the system holds out, is essentially a
philosophy Of destruction, and must,
it carried to it's legitimate conclusion,
end in the humiliation of all legiti-
mate institutions of authority and or
der. Socialism in it's pop
ular sense is not a Christian feel
ing for the poor: it is the mortal en-
envy for Christian charity. Socialism
is not an agitation for the betterment
Of the poor; it is a revolutionary sys-
tenn directly calculated to turn the
world upside down and throw man
kind back into state Of barbarIsm"
The Socialism which the Church
warns her children to avoid is An
archy under Socialistic name. It
breaches the doctrine Of the dagger
and the bomb. It's flag is of the color
Of blood; for death, the taking of hui
man life, is the most vital Of it's prin-
ciples. Socialism is spreading through
out this country to an extent which
will, some day, compel the govern
ment to take steps for its restriction
One who has been closely connected
with social affairs says of the spread
of Socialism in the United States:
we have pleased ourselves by re-
peating, parrot-like, that such Social
ism as we have in the United States
is Wholly Of foreign origin. A few
years ago this explanation accounted
fairly we'll for the facts. No close
observer can any longer consider it
an explanation. The conditions out
of which Socialism grows are working
with increasing power in our midst.
and they do not conveniently select
those only who speak broken English,
or were breo among the tyrannies Of
the old world
Did not the great and ilustrious
Leo XIII. tell us at the beginning of
this century to be on our guard
against Socialism? The great dead
Vicar of the Church said Of the dread
evil:
Socialism cunningly works its way
into the heart Of the community; in
the darkness of secret assemblies and
openly in the light of day, by speeches
and by writings, it excites the people
to sedition; the restraints of religion
are thrown aside, duties are neglected
and only rights upheld: daily larger
and larger crowds Of the poor are So