The Irish standard., 1913-12-27
THE EVILS OF S0G;ii$;;S|;:&2y
Spreadof Socialism is Nations Greatest Peril
But One Safeguard Against
Growing Evil.
Thousands of Immigrants with Ancient
Grudges Furnish Recruits for Socialism.
Become Misguided in America.


BY Rev. John cavanaugh, c. S. c.
Socialism is without any doubt the
greatest peril that looms on our ma
tional horizon. During the last few
decades great swarms of immigrants
have sought hospitality in America.
Among them are a certain number
who have brought to this country
their ancient grudges, born and nour.
ished under the tyrannies of Old
World kings. lin. their hearts the love
of God has died and the hatred OF
men has taken it's place. Hunger has
aroused their energies; liberty has
given them opportunity; their inter.
est in mankind is the interest of the
wolf in the sheepfold. They look
upon the wealth that labor or talent or
opportunity has accumulated and they
clamor for laws to destroy that wealth
or distribute it. They attack religion
because religion stands in the way Of
their purposes; they: attack govern
ment because government is the con-
tradiction of anarchy. They frankly
threaten to destroy both the law of
God and the law of man when they
come to power.
Americas Greatest Problem.
This is the problem Americans
.'must solve" ard It is the duty OF
: statesmen and men Of influence and
leadership to address themselves tQ
this all important problem with ener
gy and promptness. A cry in the
night is an awful thing; and the blaze
of burning building against the dark
sky is fearsome sight; and peril OF
life and insecurity of property and
the overthrow of order and the de
struction OF law and the death OF
civilization form a prospect fearful
to contemplate.
This is your problem. Your very
existence depends on it's solution
Meet this question fairly and conclu
sively or resign yourself to the pros
pect of a reign of terror beside which
the French orgy of blood and licen
tiousness was prayer and meditation
How are you to solve it? BY re
ligious education alone. The people
who would save humanity through
the gospel of culture; who would in
cite men to be sober and chaste, tt
keep their bodies and their houses de
cent; to lift them out of the gutter
by giving them social ambitions anc
teaching them the habits of educated
people, ought to bear in mind thai
neither amusements nor social ambi
tions ever kept man or woman
from the grogshops or the brothe
when they wanted to go there.
Obedience to the Law.
You cannot fight liquor or lust ir
the soul with magic lanterns, or ever
bv clean clothes and nice table man
ners. Only one thing in the worlt
can do it and that is religion, con
science, profound conviction thai
acts have consequences both In thit
world and in the next. Wherever yor
turn, whether to religion or philoso
phy or history, whether to nature
without or conscience within, wheth
er to the health of soul or body, this
lesson is written in letters of fire
all over the universe. Obey law OF
die.
Religion must confront socialism
face to face and she must say: l an
the church of the poor as we'll as the
rich. The millionaire and the mendi
cant kneel in equal humblenest
around my confessional. The prince
and pauper alike approach my Com
munion table with folded hands ant
downcast eyes. The rich and thu
moor YOU shall have always with you
Religion Must Reach Immigrant.
Religion must say to the imni
grant freshly landed on our shores
You are welcome to this land where
more than anywhere else on eartt
the dignity of human nature is recog
nized and honored. You are welcome
to, this land where more than any
where else on earth human liberty
is poured out in abundance on thu
lives of men. But, remember. yo'
are to leave at the threshold OF Amer
lea the inherited hatreds and the cen
turied wrongs that have come to 20,
from tyrannies Of kings and princes
and you must not wreak on Americ,
the vengeance born Of ancient grudge
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