New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1907-03-27
CHRISTIAN SOCIALISM.
lfaEIOck Finds Little to Praise an the
Doctrine.

" H. Malloek the English economist and novel;
,st spoke before the League flor Politieal Eouca-
ton yesterday on Christian Socialism. Inc eA-
position OF Christian socialism, on which ] shall
base the following remarks" he said. is taken
from a paper called The Christian Socialist and
from an article in that paper which is called ne
Gospel for To-day" He continued
Let me begin with saying that Christian 81, social I
is u we may 5pags y IRON Iron the ne eceRcy Of the
few. or OF economic abhlty' - an I, "a
Fably greater producer than the manual lapoI 81
the many. makes no attempt TO obscure OF 10
minimize this admission. Ill. o,
s s b,1 - g,rSsn1enfsIly Involved in compe
may be acquired ln the modern world. One Is Dy
way on which the other two depend is by produc-
ton great scale, which can Only ne aG i
pshed by ability as successfully directing l9boI;
Thus dozen rich men may bring Ia m Ia0 b q0 mai
each 70 gamins table ano me e1 ons sy ~ each
81 the eleven, or on the ether hand some adT3 9
sV-fndler may plumber tho whole twelve. But the
gambling and the swindling DO nothing 10 produce
Rms n is that our Christian socialist. though he
sometimes inagines IT, constantly quite toDselSS
and how feeble his grasp is OF the actual taeSs oI
great modern industries OF America1the on IN
serves that our steel kings did not invent steel
and our oil kings did not invent oil. he sleakS
OF both refined oil and steel as two natural
producfs which only awaited some chance discov-
cry. and which naturally. as articles OF consuihp
everybody il II had not happened that the strong
men. IN virtue Of their strength had seized upon
these natural products. actuated by the love OF
money and worked them for what they were worth
II is curiOusly illustrative or the extraordinary
remoteness Of our Christian socialists MIND from
the kind Of things with which he is dealing that he
evidently considers steel natural product. ana
is not that steel and even iron. snelted ny
coal. arc the product Of the most elaborate
scientific genius and the other only became prac-
teal reality after the heroic labors of few IN
dividuals in England. who, after century OF en-
deaVOF. In the face OF opposition ana olsappoInt-
nent discovered how 10 make coal in iron smelt-
ing a workable substitute for wood.
pratt az
Christians alter the situation which actually exists
to-day? II would leave existing Inequalities OF
productive power untouched. and would alter these
only by introducing one inequality more-and one
of q kind very much more profound The contem-
plated alteration would consist in radical altera-
20 do shei- utmost in industrial work. but this
alteration would he confined TO one class only-that
s. say. the men whose efforts were most produe-
And now let me turn 10 a question which have
not yet touched upon: In what sense Christian
Socialism is really Christian. Was il part OF the
teaching Of Christ that the happiness and the
blessedness of man is propOrtionate 10 the num-
her of superhuities which he possesses without
me. and hope shall be forgiven for saying this.
that the underlying reason which is prompting so
rlples 20 which they give the name Of Christian
Socialism is 20 he found in a remarkable passage
text. IF We churchmen says the writer Woula
build hospitals. erect churches, possess parish
houses. support missions. we must go to the trust
magnates and kneeL' Now what he means is not
that he has kneel literally. but that he and his
brother churchmen have to 90 10 the men 10y
Vhnm they admit themselves. the surplus wealth.
OF the modern world is produced. and ask them TO
give some Of Il for such and such good purposes:
Indeed Christian Socialism. viewed in the light
which the sociallstic clergy may acquire wealth
which they cannot produce, and may yet avoid the
and may be able offer TO the Lord that which
has cost them nothing.