The daily Gate City. [volume] (Keokuk, Iowa) 1855-1916, 1912-03-17
THE CATHOLIC CHURCH AND
SOCIALISM.

| THE CATHOLIC CHURCH AND
SOCIALISM.
/ The Catholic church has ever stooa
as an impregnable bulwsrk against
/ all forms OF social disorder. All the
nations Of the world are and will al
ways be its debtor for its great and
Invaluable influence actively exerted
I'm behalf OF law and order and the
rights OF property. Unless all signs
are at fault this debt to the Mother
church will he largely augmented In
the United States in the near future.
The rapid growth Of Socialism in this
country is real and imminent men
ace to established institutions. In
very few years, at most, 1t Will have
to be met with every resource at com
mand. Already new alignment OF
political parties is being formed.
Thoughtful men are every day giving
less and less attention to party tables
and arraying themselves along the
line OF cleavage between Conserva-
tives and Radicals. This procedure is
certain to continue and In time we
will have national contest between
these two forces without regard to
previous political Affiliations. When
that time comes the Catholic church
will be the nucleus of the Conserya-
tive forces, It will furnish large
bulk OF the Conservative element,
while the opposing party will be en-
rolled under the banner Of Socialism.
The existing condition Of unrest.
the well-nigh patent preconditions Of
a social revolution, manifest In the
state OF tho old parties today is the
subject of thoughtful attention by the
Catholic Universe. published at Cleve-
land, Ohio. The prophetic eyes Of this
acknowledged authority foresee new
political alignment IN this country
that will present itself In ten or in
fifty years, according to the develop
ment of events We may then have 8
clerical" party in politics, though it
hopes we viii not What it sees is
an opposition OF political parties "di-
vided upon moral lines" With this
| in view it says:
I'm continental Europe today, the
| oncoming strides of Socialism are
only held in check through coalition
| of all other elements with the clerical
forces in public affairs. The same
thing is certain to come in the United
| States.
/ If this country is not to be swept
into the vortex of Socialism with all
its attendant immoraIties, then the
Catholic church through her members
must save 1t,
i There may never be 1--WE hope
there never will bel party in this
country which will be called Catholic,
). but there is certain to be party
J which will be composite of all the
elements which oppose Socialism and
: which elements will have as their
largest and leading unit in that coali
ton the members of the Catholic
church.
Those who timorously recoil ever
now from any suggestion that Catho
olics should take an active part in
r public affairs. with saving thought
! always of their Catholicity, will dc
: well to have gone to their reward be
9 fore that struggle comes, for it will
be one in which there will be nj
> quarter asked or given and no com
promise possible.
J The great body of Catholic voters
t are slowly but surely coming face tc
face with a condition where they viii
have to be one thing or the other
/. either loyal to their faith or recreant
!. to their duty, accordingly as they
choose their political alignment. Il
: may not come for twenty years or foi
8 fifty years, and it may come in ten
e But it is coming. and little practise
o of practical Catholicity now in theil
l. political relations will be an excellent
S preparation for the fight that is
i. prophesied by events
v This means that the Socialism
e preached by Roosevelt and other ex
tremists in the Republican party an6
by Woodrow Wilson and his adher
IT ents and followers in the Democratic
v party should be opposed by Catho
d lies everywhere. These men are
n simply driving the entering wedge
h which threatens ultimately to divide
d the membership OF both parties into
i. Conservatives and Socialists. Thu
" Universe is wholly right in it's decla
l. ration that it is none too soon TO
m Catholics to begin to practice practica
% Catholicism by way of preparation
10 for the great contest that looms vi
a. in the near future