The Bridgeport evening farmer., 1912-01-18
pr. ShanIey Replies
To the Communication of the Socialists of Dan
 bury

To the Editor of the Danbury News:
 In last evenings, News exception was taken to my definition of social ism, which had been drawn rom the most erudite advocates of socialistfc doctrines. The writer quoted a dic- tionary definition, which vague. abstract and too general. Why did he consult a dictionary? Why does he not give his own idea of socialism :? It seems that many socialists do not know what they believe. They refer to authorities such as Karl Marx as their guides. and forthwith reject their doctrines.
 the socialist party. I wish to repeat emphatically that J have nothing to do with any political party in this discussion. It is not question of the socialist party, but of socialism. I wish to inform the writer of yester- days article, that he confounds social iI tbeorw wltR aoei@ios0 seience He quoted from Frances Willard that so- cialisn Is Christianity applied Is that the theory of socialists? The ed itore of America in the issue of the 18th of last November. positively as serts that socialism is the avowed enemy of Christianity
 ''It is an undeniable fact that mod ern socialism is characterized by un- | be ief, hostility to religion and above 1 all by uncompromising and bitter ha- l tired and denuncfation of the Catholic church. The public utterances of its | leading advocates, its newspaper or 'gans and periodicals, breathe hatred and threats against revealed religion, | its doctrines and institutions. Books | published by socialist leaders deny the existence of God, the immortality of the human soul. the redemption Of tiny of the doctrines Of socialists will convince anyone that Christianity has ! no place in their theories.
 l In my discourse last Sunday even 1 ing. it was demonstrated that Che Catholic church has applied Christian l ity to the social order, with the re- 1 suits of full satisfaction to the work different classes of society. It was enunciated that the greatest theolo- gtan of the church taught in the thir- teenth century that no man shou q consider that his outward possessions were his own absolutely, but that he should be willing to part with them for the sake of the poor It was also indicated that church law branded as common criminals those who raised the price of the necessaries of life, in order to enrich themselves by the distress of the needy.
 Under the agricultural, mechanical and commercial systems estab ished ty the Catholic church, there was no paul perisni. England, for instance was so happy in the social order, that 1t was called ''Merrie England" Under the guidance of the Catholic church. 30,O00 English guilds guaranteed to ev- cry craftsman good living; many farmers naQ InSlE lduQ6Q SSIdISSs lOA- ant farmers and farm hands had a de- cent living: commerce was regulated by the princip es of justice. The same conditions prevailed in Spain, Italy, countries Of Chr. r.stendorn. This was Christianity applied The governing principle was charity.
 The socia ist writer. criticlzes my ref erence to the public shool system In support of my opinion that the public schools are the hotbeds of sOcia ism, I will quote MT. Bird Coler, a represen- tatiVe American, who is not a Catho- lie, who at a dinner in the New York Avenue Methodist Episcopal church Of Brooklyn, last fall, addressing one 'One of the weakening things about the Protestant church is that 1t is not taking Care of the children It has allowed ma$eria,ism and the material istic philosophy of soc'ali to be in stilled into the minds of children through the public school sys em, which Studfous y excludes all refer ence to religion and God: The conse- is becoming a state religion, and that the Protestant churches are losing their affirmative character, and with it their efficacy for the cause of Chris tianity. Some day it will be consti- tutionaI to hire religious teacher to furnish secular education"
 MT. Coler is an authority on. this question, and is in line with. men we'll versed in school .caffairs. who claim that nearly twenty-five per cent of the graduates of certain high schools are active socialists.
 My socialist critic quotes the 'En- cycIopedia Britannica'' for a definition. I wish to say, in passing, that the '-Britannia' Is not trusted. that it's misstatements are numerous and will lanous, that on many subjects it is hostile to truth. MT. Socialist should not consider the '+Britannica" as re- liable authority for definition. If he believes in socialism, he ought to be able to afford a definition for. it. He ought to know what he believes.
 WALTER J. STANLEY.
 January 16