Kentucky Irish American., 1913-10-18
Declares They Are UnmindfuI of
Their True Obligation to
Society.
Doctrines Strike at Foundation
of Our Family Life and
Religion.
HE BELIEVES IN TRADES union

His Eminence William Cardinal
tO'Connell prints an article in the
Gateway for October entitled Free
dom-the Law of Christ" in which
he rather bitterly attacks the mo-
tives of Socialists and says that the
only means through which a fair
adjustment of wages and social re-
lationship may be brought about is
Christianity. He concludes that the
Socialist, because of his rampant in
dividualism, is unmindful of his true
obligations to society and his duty
TO his countrymen. This is what
he says about Socialists:
This natural discomfort is fo-
mented and intensified by the noisy
agltators of Socialism, the enemies
OF COO and man, who would over
turn the foundations upon which
human society is built and exile
God from his universe. This singular
set OF men who seek to conceal the
malice of their real principles. but
VINO can not, are brood of dis
turbers. Their doctrines are an
aDomlnation striking at the founda-
lions OF family life and religion.
Their spirit is not new. A similar
class of men were graphically de-
scribed by st. Paul in his second
epistle to the Thessalonians.
Cardinal O'Connell's article sets
1orth his ideas on the rights of
workingmen to organize themselves
INTO unions and to strike. He saws
definitely that such right does he
long to employees and says that ha
believes in the right of men 10
strike for living wages, but that ba
does not believe they have the right
10 commit violence. And this right.
ne says, arises out of the natural
privilege of all men to provide for
thelr families. Cardinal O'Conneu
writes:
The maintenance of a home then
Is the standard of the minimum
wage dictated by the law of natme
and prompted by the highest public
policy. It is the clear right of the
wage Garner, and to protect this
,lsht ne may make use of all
iesltlhlate means. He may COM
pine with others to enforce il and
form a union with his fellow work.
ers to exert the adequate moral
power to maintain it or to better
ms condition within the limits of
Justice. To deny him this right is
tyranny and an injustice. He has
no other way to safeguard his in
terests The rich and the powerful
nave many ways to protect their in
Vestments; the workingman has
only support of peaceful combina'
tion.
moreover, workingmen's asso-
may peacefully agitate and
seek to mould public opinion in
their favor to bring about a redress
Oh real grievances. A campaign of
THIS kind must, however. he
legitimately conducted, free from
of justice and of charity
and of the public peace. Finally
the worker in the last resort has
me right to refuse to work, that is
10 strike, and to induce by peaceful
methods others TO strike with him
when this extreme measure becomes
necessary to mitigate unendurable
or to wrest from an
employer Just compen-
'ation for his labor after all other
measures have failed.
"All this has its root in the law
)f nature which dictates that a man
mas natural right to wage which
VIII maintain his home in frugal
ana reasonable comfort. All the
)ther conclusions which we have
laid down are but corollaries flow
ng from this fundamental principle.
On the ground that any one who
possesses natural right may make
use OF all legitimate means to pro-
Iect it and to safeguard it from