The Irish standard., 1909-11-06
WHAT A NOTED JESUIT
SAYS OF SOCIALISM
An Article of Interest to
Catholics who Have Joined
the Ranks and Become
Members of the Socialists
in the United States--Can a
Man be a Socialist Without
Ceasing to be a Catholic?
is Well Answered,

Is We'll Answered..
Rev. M. P. Bowling, S. j., contributes
the following article on Socialism to a
recent number of America" the or
gan of the Jesuits in the United States:
We are frequently asked: Can a
man be a Socialist without ceasing to
be Catholic? How far may a Cath
olic accept the teachings of Socialism?
What should be the attitude of Cath
olic toward Socialism? Why has So
! cialism been condemned by the church? ?
What is the real meaning of Socialism? :?
All these practically resolve themselves
into this one question: "How far is
Socialism consistent with Catholicity p"
I shall try to answer this question as
| briefly as possible.
1t would be foolish to make light Of
the grievances of labor or to condemn
unreservedly all that Socialism aims
at. We need not close our eyes to
facts. We have nothing to fear from
truth and from clear ideas on this, as
on every other subject Every intelli-
gent Catholic admits, as we'll as the
Socialist the glaring injustices from
which the proletariat suffer. Without
being Socialist, the Catholic is a.
social reformer; in other words, he
stands for the amelioration of the con-
| dition of the laboring classes; but, un-
| like Socialism, he desires to gain that
end by legitimate means.
1t would be a mistake to suppose
| that when you have drawn a harrow
ing picture of the evils growing out
of the unequal distribution of wealth
and the heartlessness of organized cap
ltal and greed, you have established
the right of Socialism to displace the
existing labor social order Both So
cial reformer and Socialist admit the
need OF reform, but differ in the means
| for it's accomplishment. Both start
out with the same premise; that the
conditions requiring remedy are de-
plorable. But, says the Socialist, So
clalism is the only remedy, because bv
collectivism or common ownership -
removes the cause of the evil, which
is the inequality of conditions result
ing from the unequal distribution of
wealth. No, says the social reformer.
Socialism is neither the only remedy
nor any remedy at all, because it rests
on false principles, is untried, imprac-
tfcable, impossible, unjust, whether
considered as a scientific system, a
plan Of reform, an Industrial revolu-
ton, practical program, a revolu-
tlonary or evolutionary theory.
Ihere are many measures advocated
by Socialists and called by them So
| clalistic which are not so, unless thew
be regarded as steps to the Socialistic
idea. For instance, state regulation of
industry, wages and hours of labor.
single tax, inheritance tax, taxation of
income, municipal or national owner
ship or administration of RAILWAYS. pas
postoffice, water electric light, traction
lines and other public utilities, are not
really socialistic nor even evidence of
society drifting towards Socialism M
doubt these enterprises can be fitted
into Socialistic scheme, but thew are
quite compatible with the existing 40.
cfal order and some of them exist I'm.
der 1T. AS long as the right of private
property remains unchallenRed. unim.
paired and intact, as long as comnen-
sation is given for property taken. mn
Catholic goes beyond his political right,
or violates his religious duty bv ad-
Vancing such measures. Socialism ha .
no right to claim as it's exclusive nossas.
sion whatever aims at the Improvement
Of social conditions.
| Many who call themselves Socialists
are not so in the true sense of the word
| They are far from being anarchists or
atheists; on the contrary, they are
God-fearing men, sincerely desirous to
better conditions Of the poor and nm.
willing to adopt any unlawful means.
they reject the extravagant teachings
OF the irreligious leaders, as far as thev
advert to them at all as connected with
socialistic aims. They are simply mis-
taken and misled in supposing that So
cialism, as taught today, is merely an
economic program that has nothing ia
do with morality or religion. Many do
not see that there is a natural anta1-