Perth Amboy evening news., 1908-04-16
BISHOP M'FAUL
ON SOCIALISM,
In Letters 10 Catholics Of TrHn.
Ton Diocese He SAYS II Would
Destroy Home and Order.
DENOUNcEs IT EVERYWHERE

Calls Attention to the Growth of tho
Socialist Parties-PrincipIe as
Presented by Leaders, He Declares,
Show that 1t Is Opposed to MARI
riage, to Private Ownership and to
Religion-Laboring Glass Join.
Trenton, Apr. 16:-Bishop James
A. McFaul, of Trenton, has sent q
pastoral letter to the clergy and iaity
of his diocese treating of modern
problems" among which he mens
tions Sabbath observance and social
ism. He says, in part
I'm public addresses we have res
ferred to socialism and warned Caths
oIics of it's dangers. Invariably we
have been assailed by the socialistid
press and by letter writer's. We feel
certain that most of these attacks
were made not by conscientious men,
but by demagogues, who were sup@
porting themselves at the expense of
the uneducated multitude, unable to
discover the fundamental errors OF
socialism, because they were so art-
fully covered up by noisy declama4
tion raised against capitalists and
employers. Boisterous appeals ara
made to the passions against the
wrongs suffered too often, indeed
by workingmen at the hands of theiR
masters. These are yividly depicted,
while nothing is said of the dangers
GUS fundamental teachings of social~
ism.
ut cannot be denied that the soc-
ialist party is rapidly increasing both
In Europe and in the United States.
'The total vote of New Jersey for
1900 was 401, ,050; the vote of both
socialist parties was 6,683. The total
vote Of this state in 1904 was 432,-
SAT and the vote cast by both social
ist parties was 12,267. In the nation
during four years from 1900 to 1904
! the socialistio parties have increased
two and a half times their number Id
1900, and in the state they have
nearly doubled the number of that
year.
"When we examined the funda-
mental principles of socialism we
find that they are absolutely destruc-
tive of the common good First OF
all the socialists purposes to destroy
the family, The union of one man
propagation of the race is in cone
formity with the laws OF nature and
revelation. According to socialism a
man and a woman may unite them~
selves for long or a short time ac-
cording to their desires. .,rs faz
Principles of socialism
seuted by its most eminent
show that 1t is opposed to MAJ
to private ownership and to reD
1t would abolish the existing o
of society, administer to the gre
the lust and the baser passions
humanity. 1t is true that society hA
many and great evils and that we
should all work together to remedy
them Let us not, however, be des
ceived. The elevation and the happi-
ness of the laboring man will not be
attained by destroying the present
organization of society. the family
and religion. These are all essential
to his happiness.
"Our civilized society is the pros
duct of centuries of struggle, Of
bloodshed on a thousand fields fe
cannot be violently cast aside or dea
stroyed without confusion and lasting
chaos. Socialism furnishes no foup-
dation stones which can be substitut-
ed for those of the present edifice,
The whole fabric of socialism would
eventually fall by it's own weight and
inevitably end In anarchy and de-
spair, and what must be the suffering
during the period of invention, trial
and experiment. Let us here state
distinctly that we recognize soma
good features in socialism; we deny,
however, that they are peculiar to 1t.
They have been appropriated from
Christianity They are the elevation
OF the poor, the obtaining and the de-
Tending of the rights OF the working
classes, the betterment of the individa
uaI and society. These must be se-
cured, not by violence and robbery,
but by rational, moral and feasible
methods
Were we asked what are the
remedies for the wrongs under which
the working classes groan we should
reply: "A virtuous Christian life,
organization of the forces of labor
for the betterment of the working
classes, and the attainment of theft
lawful demands by those just and
peaceable methods which will bring
to their aid the sympathy of the CONF
munity.
ut is unfortunate that some labor
ing classes are unable to reeoglsize
their true friends, and allow them-
selves to Join the camp Of their ene-
mics. One of the best friends labor
ever had was Terence Y. Powderly."
JAMES A. MFAUL.
Bishop OF Trenton."