The Irish standard. [volume] (Minneapolis, Minn. ;) 1886-1920, 1907-04-27
PUBLIC OPINION
AND LETTERS TO
THE IRISH STANDARD.

IR THE IRISH STANDARD. 8
Observation-Disclosures :as:e:s:soeoeea:e:6
INJUSTICE,
So Often tho Fruit Of Greed and Az
arice, Considered.
Editor Irish Standard, Minneapolis,
Mimi:
Dear Sir-The speech of Archbishop
Ireland, published in a late issue Of
your paper seems to be a fair indica-
ton of the attitude of most of the
American hierarchy toward the SUBJ
jects discussed, but 1 believe it would
puzzle most people to see wherein it's
practical purpose, aside from its criti-
cism of industrial and commercial leg
Iislation, consists; but it's attitude to-
ward the questions between the cap
|italist and the laborer, the "weakling"
and the "strong"-Qet us rejoice that
the language is now enriched by new
name for the laboring people-the
''weaklings') it takes decidedly re-
proving tone toward those who would
curb the power of corporations. Now,
why this warning against the oppres-
sion Of the capitalists? Why the warm
ing against socialism in a similar ut
terance just after the last election?
What laws have been made for the
oppression Of capitalists? What in
dication 10 there that socialism will
prevail? In the last election the So
cialists didn't muster a corporaTs
guard among the fourteen million of
voters. Where is there shown hatred
of the capitalist among the people?
Do they not almost invariably elect
the choice of the dominant corporate
interest in the community where the
ELECTION takes place? There is no
need to cite facts, everyone knows that
they do. Though there can be shown
no acts of injustice committed against
the capitalists, every right minded
person must acknowledge and deplore
the outrages against justice and hu-
rnanity, not to speak of the offense
against God, (for the acts of those peo-
pie seem to show that their only god
is the dollar).-by corporations, such
as wholesale corruption of voters, buy
ing legislators. wrecking the business
Of competitors, adulterating and poi
|soning the food Of the people, robbing
millions by stock gambling, but why
|enumerate? Every we'll informed per-
son knows these things. yet the bishop
mildly says of those people that "they
may have their faults
The Church teaches that the man
who takes what is not his own, or who
wilfully Injuries another in his person
or goods must make good the damage
$50 far as in him lies or his sin will
not be forgiven; also that the man
who employs others, enriches himself
by their labor. and does not give suf-
fcient wages to supply their natural
wants is not only guilty Of robbery, but
of murder. When or where have the
bishops of this country rebuked those
|miscreants who have for years been
grinding out the lives of so many
thousands Of men, women, and chill
dren in the sweat shops, the tene-
|ments, the mills and factories? Echo
answers when Pope Leo XIII in his
encyclical "On the Condition of La
hor," laid down the principle that the
workingman is entitled in justice to
sufficient wages to keep him in frugal
comfort. Now, why in the name Of
God, in the name Of religion, in the
name Of humanity. is not this great
principle proclaimed? Instead of there
being too many laws, there have never
been enough or SUFFICIENT laws to ade-
quately protect the "weaklings" from
the rapacity Of those who held the des-
TIMES Of the former in their keeping.
Ages ago laws were enacted to pro-
tect the land holder from the rapacity
LOT the money lender, to protect the
traveller and those who had goods to
transport from extortion, and in the
fifteenth century in England when the
laborer could dictate terms to the EN-
ployer, a law was soon passed restrain
ing the worker from asking an I'M
considerable wage. but there never
were laws to protect the laborer from
unjust terms being forced upon him by