The Irish standard., 1907-10-26

the most ruthless kind. All these points
must be discussed in the light Of equal.
ity Of rights of all citizens.
Now these points are all practical
and they can be understood by work.
ingmen and they form very effective
corrective to the vague and high
sounding rhetoric which is. the re-
4, sort of the rank and file Of Socialist
propagandists.
Such discussion clears the way for
those other considerations I have emu.
merated which made it clear that mode
ern Socialism is antagonistic to re-.
ligion. 1t can now be shown that the
| whole theory of Socialism as scien-
titic creed rests on its philosophical
side. or what Marx and Engels called
the materialistic conception Of history,
an atheistic foundation which reveals
itself in all the subsequent Develop
ments Of theory. We can further show
that Socialism would practically abol-
ish private property as we now regard
1t. excepting only such property as the
individual can apply to his personal
use and service; that 1t would abolish
right Of bequest and inheritance.
We can show that it denies the val
idity Of all authority save such as is
temporarily conferred by the popular
will, and that it does not allow the
exercise of spiritual authority of any
kind.
| A. consideration Of the authorized
programs and the pronouncements OF
leading Socialists, of Socialist journals
and pamphlets will enable us to DEM
onstrate that the Socialist theory re-
CARDS marriage simply as a contract
to be freely dissolved at the wish Of
either party; that it, thus destroys this
basis of family life, and absolutely tg-
nores the Christian conception Of mar
riage and family life. It leaves the
care Of children from, tender years to
the State, which is to bring them up
and educate them on a secular plan.
/! After this we turn from the tenets
of Socialism to the terms in which
they are advocated and it can bs
shown by very copious references that
the leaders of Socialism are militant
r1aterialists, that many among them
regard it as essential to destroy this
idea of God in order to secure accept
ance of Socialist idea. It can be shown
finally that immense numbers of the
rank and file are imbued with these
ideas, and that in every country where
Socialism has made great progress the
most fundamental and sacred religious
truths are the object Of sneers and
jeers.
The foregoing suggestions give. OF
course. only the barest outline Of the
critique Of Socialism. / have only Sc
lected those points that will interest
our men as workers and as Catholics,
Speaking generally even jealous So
cialists outside the rank of the "in-
tellectuals'' worry themselves very lit
tie about the theory of value and sur
plus value and the other economic ar
guments upon which so much space
is expended in manuals. But 1t is i'm
portant that the lecturer should know
his theory, for question time will oc-
casionally raise it.
Now, if the ground have suggested
has been we'll covered it will not have
been very difficult to make clear the
dangers of Socialism, as now advocated.
to the spiritual interests of humanity;
of exhibiting in it's true character as
materialism applied to economics.
There is something gained, but we
must not let our consideration of the
subject rest here. Up to this point the
criticism is destructive merely and to
leave off now would be to leave the
work half done. We have to acknowl.
edge the existence of many social evils
70 tue economic OrzanlZa.
ton: have we nothing to say, as Cath
olics, about them-about the remedies
for them? We cannot Of course, be-
cause we are few in numbers. hope to
propose definite constructive remedies.
But we can and we ought to show
that the Church in its teachings laws
down those principles which are nee
essary to the right adjustment Of So
cial relations; we ought to set forth
those Christian principles Of justice
and charity that should find expression
in social organizations; we can and
ought to show that the denial or ix-
noring Of these principles is largely
the cause Of such evils as occur. It
should be part Of our aim to recall to