The Irish standard. [volume] (Minneapolis, Minn. ;) 1886-1920, 1908-03-28
ABLY HANDLED
The Subject "Can a Catholic Be
a Socialist p
Clearly Answered by a Writer
insLondon Tablet.

ENGLAND declared for industrial So
cialism. A large element of the La
Dor party is made up OF Catholic
workinemen and the discussion of the
principles of socialism is now the
order Of the day in Catholic circles in
England. English Catholic papers
contain many articles pro and con on
the question: Can Catholic be
socialist" One of the clearest dis
cussions Of this subject is to be found
in a recent issue of the London Tablet.
AS the conclusions Of the writer
apply:te. America as we'll as England
we give it entire:
The root principles OF English So
cialism is. the public ownership and
mana cement of the means of produc-
ton, distribution and exchange. So
,ctalists, Christian and others. claim to
be agreed on this point. They may
differ on religion and on other points,
but agreement on this is essential, it
is the one fundamental article of the
socialist creed. They also affirm that
this is an economic doctrine which
has nothing to do with religion and
which, therefore, may be held by men
and women of all religions and of
none. Certain English clergynen OF
different denominations have publicly
affirmed that socialism so understood
is in perfect harmony with their faith,
!, and they believe that its advocacy is
sanctioned and indeed required by the
implications of the Christian religion.
In discussing the relations OF Ca
tholicism to English socialism, the
main question is whether the collec-
twist formula given above is in har-
mony with Catholic doctrine. If we
take any other question, such as the
position Of women under socialism. we
arc in danger Of being told that So
cialists themselves hold different opin-
ions on the subject, and that it lies
outside the limits Of socialism. And
50 we must for the present limit our
selves to the question whether Ca
tholicism is compatible with COL
lectivism as defined above.
An instructed Catholic who knows
his religion and who is also familiar
with socialist literature will aclSnowl-
edge that there is an element of truth
in socialism. He will see in the move
n,ent reaction from the false indivld-
uaIism which is one Of the character
istics of Professionalism. That individ-
'ualism exaggerated personal inde-
'pendence and liberty. 1t asserted the
right Of the individual to work out
his salvation without Interference
from church or state. Any such In
terference with mans liberty to do
what he likes with himself and with
his own was stoutly resisted as I'M
warrantabe meddling. Socialism is
4 reaction from this exaggerated lib
eralism, and stresses the social side
Of human nature and the solidarity Of
the human race. The instructed Ca
tholic, however, will see without din
Guilty that socialism follows the nat
ural tendency of all reactions and errs
on the opposite side. For socialism
the state is everything, or almost
everything, and the individual little or
nothing. Mr. ]. r. Macdonald, M. p,
shall describe for US the socialists
conception Of the state. This writer
nso1te 1,r
defined in such broad terms MS to in
clude the phianthropic endeavor and
moral effort which rests upon individ-
ual will. Suoh a definition is mac
curate. The community, acting
through law, and organized into def
mite forms determining the lines OF
individual action, is an essential part
Of the socialist idea The socialis,
considers that the state is as essen
tial to individual life as is the atmos-
phere. and he regards the evolution
OF political democracy as having been
necessary in order to create a state
which could respond to the common
will" ("Socialism and Society,"" D
III 1873; 1900. According to this author.
itative exponent Of English socialism
the state Is an organization in which
individuals are as cells in the human
body. "A vital relationship" HI
writes, between organs, not a bodil,
form containing these organs, consti
tutes an organism. Society is sucl
an organism. It's organs are con
s llected by a living tissue of law, O
ss5 habit and custom, Of economic inter.
dependence, of public opinion, of 20
litical unity; and these living con
Z nections maintain the stability of re-
lationship between organs precisely al
bodily form Does In that tissue TIL,
individual and the class are not en-
bedded as stones in lime, but live a!