The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1906-11-26

10 American Catholic OPINION cf II Formed
by urepe writer's.

~ AIIGHNC8hh atAhWahV 0h~
by European Writersc
To TEE EDITOR OF THR suN-Sir: As q
class my brethren in the Catholic priesthood
have thrown the full weight Of their opposi-
ton AGAINST socialistic tendencies. So far as
my limited reading on the subject entities
mo to speak, I know Of no author, with the
possible exception OF Bishop stang. whose
words can be kindly construed into the IN
depreciation that socialism as such may lay
claim to any virtue. Even the sood b,snIp
Of Fall River 10 rather severe when academic
socla liam Is undo investigation. There ne
follows his European masters. When. now
ever. he withdraws from the shadow or the
schools and permits his sympathetic emotions
to play about his words, many a seh-styled
Socialist will ind cheer In what Is written
or so-called Christian socialism we have so
little in this country that we may regard 10
here az q negligible quantity.
At the risk of being misunderstood l am
tempted TO ask my brother priests OF Ameri-
can blood II this universal reluctance TO con-
alder thu good side OF the socia hstic move
ment 10 not a serious blu nde This Is not an
effort to foment heresy or encourage rebeihon'
The writer 10 not ignorant OF the sweeping
Anathsmas hurled by the POpes against what
ever masks under cover of the Socialistc
name. But I am brave to hope that l may
not 10 elassed with the fact and right" de-
tenders OF Jansenius IL mildly / contend hal
q wide differences yawns between American
socialistic sympathizers and the European
throng embraced in the Papal rejection.
This 10 my conviction after reading the ar
raignmsnt Of socialism by such Catholic
apologists a. the Jesuit Father Csthretn.
Conscientiously 1 labored to ct bis conclu-
sions to our conditions. and failed to make
the adjustment. As he Is the fountain head
OF Catholic opinion whence most OF our
present writer's draw inspiration, the like
defect 10 found in all. That his weakness
might be noticed the author was aware. He
seeks 10 meet the difficulty by quoting from
English authorities. His American sources
are unfortunate in being mostly foreign. as
the Volksseiiuno: while the one name offered.
that of Protestant preacher. has a suspiciously
alien sound. Even were II true, however.
that banned doctrines were not entirely un-
known to some marchers under the standard.
the great army may be ignorant OF wrong
thought In the pursuit of a desire to possess
what we are not justified in denying them.
The danger appears to be that we allow
outsiders to create impressions which form
the public opinion that influences the whole
Catholic body. say outsiders" meaning
no disrespect. but calling attention to the
fact that our Catholic authorities on socialism
are Europeans. either by birth or training.
IL 10 q difficult task to overcome early con-
Viction. Those of us who have been schooled
III IOItlAu tntliluNhOhH hlO ~ VIZ
which democracy is there regarded Luther
claimed that the people were vitiated in nature
and 30 incapable OF virtue. Tn Catholic
Church denies the assertion. The strange
contradiction 10 that Catholic theology.
though theoretically defending popular vir-
tue, seems to be suspicious of the crowd,
while Protestant nations are false to Luthers
principle in trusting the people to the utmost.
So European training is not the greatest
Rdyanfa % when OnR addresses American
problems.
If you hallow monarchy with the aureole
Of divine prefernIent the people are proper
food for the cannon's mouth. If you estab-
lish a real distinction where, as we pretend,
only q nominal one exists between the Govern
ment and the governed. two problems OF
varying character arise where many authors
recognize but one. Unless one be willing
to admit that the governing power rests
entirely In the hands of the people he is in
no position TO solve dif1culties resulting from
the use OF such power.
To Bishop Won Ketteley Of Mayence. the
father OF Catholic .socialistic science. the
Government was a force outside the subject.
Those who have followed his lead have not
seemed TO grasp the idea that with us the
people are one with the Government. A
confusion follows. Equality OF opportunity.
for example. does not mean the same to an
American citizen, the compeer of his neighbor
in all things governmental, and to a subject
OF a European State who has not a voice in
legislation. A reader cannot help but notice
that most socialistio effort in Europe aims at
what we have already a~chieved-the right OF
the people to be rid OF the ira Of royalty.
IL the Church blunders anew. as it failed in
France in not sympathizing with legitimate
aspirations, those who are repulsed cannot
be afterward bla med for the anita gonism
created. But IL we who believe in the people
----.4L n W.
ideas TO stand in the way Of approachment
to q sympathetic consideration of problems
which we alone can solve. there will remain
not even the futile excuse that our ina ction
was the child OF conviction. II. A. F.N
NEW YORK, November 20.