The Irish standard. [volume] (Minneapolis, Minn. ;) 1886-1920, 1906-09-01
QUESTIONS FOR SOCIALISTS.

QUESTIONS FOR SOCIALISTS.
Rev. Dr.. Barry Raises a Few Diff.
eulties for the Advocates.
In recent issue of the London
Catholic Hines appeared a notable
communication from Rev. DR.. William
Barry. the famous priest litterateur,
author of Two Standards" "A New
Antigone." THE Papal Monarchy" and
numerous other novels and treatises
DR.. Barry is classed among the most
"advanced" Catholic thinkers of Eng
gland, therefore his paper is of special
interest. a Catholic and Socialist"
signing himself James Murphy had at
tackled the position of the Church with
regard to Socialism. and his lengthy
paper has elected the subjoincd reply,
which may prove Of service to the
many james Murphys now getting
active in this country:
Like James Murphy, of Liverpool,
am an lrishman and Il Catholic. 1t
happens also that am Il priest, and
by Roman diploma may term myself
a theologian. All these words in COM
mon use are clearly defined. But
what is socialism? What, again, is
Democracy? These, the shibboleths Of
Il new dispensation," bear many
meanings. TO Mr.. Murphy, one article
which they cover is. l conclude that
private" property was never in
tended to exist. But in Mr. Bcllamy's
Looking Backward" every citizen
has Il large private income which he
can spend as he chooses Yet Look
ing Backward" expressed the ,convic-
tions of many Socialists and Demo-
Gratis. Moreover the scheme which is
does not propose to do away with in
dividual possessions. 1t would abolish
private capital, not private property.
Under it l may hold movable goods
to amy extent SO long as l do not use
them as my stock-i trade. Will Mr..
Murphy draw up a series OF PROPOSE
the flag of socialism are agreed? Until
that is done, we cannot FROM the name
itself get amy light on its relation to
| Catholic doctrine. For we know that
there are Socialists in England who
quote Holy Scripture as he does. And
there are anti-Christian Socialists here
| and abroad. to whom the Catholic
Church is an abomination, the Bible Il
parcel of legends, the supernatural Il
| myth, and religion a disease. Which
| of all the kinds now going about are
| we to welcome as Catholics and Irish
| men?
l will put a few more questions to
Mr.. Murphy. How does he propose
| to secure freedom of conscience in Il
! State which owns everytfing--under
| officials who control the resources of
| wealth, every foot of land. every brick
| and stone and tree, every machine
every book, and the service of every
human being that is able to work?
These bureaucrats, elected by ballot
if you please. will be masters of the
food, clothing, shelter due to citizens
They will lay down laws for cduca-
tion, labor marriage, divorce--possibly
Malthusian limits to the birth rate
quite conccivably no limits to free
love" Where is the guarantee of the
citizens freedom? He will own Moth
ing whatever. least of all himself. Let
Mr.. Murphy answer this one note <of
| Interrogation. How am | to be free,
in Il country where l possess neither
house nor land nor money; where I
| must submit to the government mold
in the school. the field, the mine, the
workshop. the playground, the camp
and even the church? For the church
belongs to the State and can be shut
up any moment as being public prop
| crty. Where, I ask, will freedom be
when 1t has no weapons Of assault or
defense against an all-pcrvading, all
embracing tyranny such as this? Now
we groan under many masters: then
We should be throttled by one master
the Socialist Nero or Caligula, ON.
nipotent over mind and body
"A concerted union of the peoples Of
Europe endowed with universal intel
ligcncc." says Mr.. Murphy, would pre-
| vent what he calls democratic fail
ures," !. e.. more Jacobin French Revo-
lutions. Are we really to guide our
selves by dreams? 1t would appear
that we may expect "upheavals" of n
disastrous kind until Europe is con-
ccrted on popular basis, and uni
versal intelligence" prevails. But a
universal proletariat (Which is the
basis Of Collectivism), however intel
ligent it might be, would lie helpless
at the feet Of bureaucracy, armed with
power to which the sole bound was
exhaustion of the public resources
How could resistance begin? Any par
tial strike would be suppressed. as the
other day In France by NJ. Clemenceau
precisely after the fashion of old times
with instruments Of human slaugh-
ter" And a strike all round would