The Catholic bulletin. [volume] (St. Paul, Minn.) 1911-1995, 1913-11-29

greater power and the great influence
over government legislation, unfortu-
nately not to the credit of the best
wisdom so much as to the advance in
education in economic appetite. In
the tendency to organization wealth
was challenged in it's Instrumentation
and the challenge inaugurated better
thoughts and through the later gener-
ations we have been moving from
such unfortunate conditions to better
and more hopeful ones.
Labor Sensitive.
Labor, through education and
study, became more sensitive for it's
cry is becoming more articulate, it's
demand more vehement and menac-
ing and we are still moving toward
happier conditions, we are demanding
a little better compensation, little
more comfort, bit better security of
life and a little shade of hope to
bequeath to posterity. This calls for
more humane division of the earnings
of the forces that are at work so that
of race in individual greed. Men are
still saying where is the remedy?"
am aware that the multitudes have
little sympathy with extreme demands.
They are looking, not for revolution,
but for more bread, and socialism tells
the listening multitudes that it has
the solution and the remedy. The
world is largely continent, the facili-
ties of communication make the
workers one in the common cause and
the perfect realization of the worth
of economic improvements, so that no
body of laborers stands apart, the
world of labor is unified.
Socialism is not representative of
any single community but of the
world, and consequently it is impor-
tant that every man who is inter
ested in the betterment of conditions
should listen patiently to it's proposal.
Would Effect Millennium.
TT would transfer the possession
of all property and instruments of
gain from the hands, of private own
ership to the control of the state.
cit would superintend the distribu-
ton of all product and so bring about
millennium where men would be
equal and rejoice in that perfect salts
faction of mind and appetite which is
now, in it's disturbed condition, a
source of uneasiness. But is Social
| o1xnI 10 Fv,1f 1nr
able difficulty-to secure possession
of property now in the keeping, right
fully, of private ownership. Private
property is an indivisible right, it is
an instrument and a means of inspir-
alton of personality.
Every man has right to live his
own life, exercise his own faculties
and powers and he has the right to
the exclusive production and the ex-
elusive disposition of some of the
direct product of these activities and
powers. 1t is not a social creation
it existed before society, for man
came into the world with his needs
and nature supplies the wherewith to
satisfy them. In that condition he
had right to property and in order
that he might own with justice and
equity he had the right to exclude
others, not from participation in the
wealth of the world but in the reason
able accumulations of his own judg-
ment, wisdom and energy.
Deprecates Unjust Criticism.
81 have no patience with the in
discriminate denunciation of wealth,
no sympathy with the man or philoso-
pher who says that all wealth is rob-
berry. Our country offered very ex-
ceptional opportunities to great genius.
The economic conditions enabled a
man to remain perfectly within his
rights when he exploited those oppor-
tunities to his own advantage and
so became personally wealthy and
venture to state and those who read
carefully the history of our country's s
growth will agree with me, that we
have great reason to be proud of the
pioneers of industry. l know from
personal observation how multitudes
look with despair upon the cessation
of empire building which would bring
into the hands and treasures of thou
sands of happy individuals the great
wealth of the empire of the West, ex-
tending from the Missouri on to the
Pacific slope. That cessation, within
the last five years, was brought about
by the discredit of our great railroad
kings; petty annoyances, indiscrimi-
nate denunciation and unconsidered
Legislation made it impossible for them
to borrow money in foreign money
markets so that they might extend
what l may designate as the ciyilizers
of the whole territories of the West
railroads.
'I repeat then that Socialism is
face to face with this difficulty. 1t
must rob, confiscate and wrong. 1t
cannot purchase without retiring from
activity the vast sums of money that
would be required for the purchase of
the instruments of gain. On its own
theory it must absolutely control all
industries and all scources of gain and
money making. 1t would be a loss
that would pauperize the nation and
put into the iron safes of those who
now own the just purchase price of
all these great sources of living. On
the other hand, confiscation would
mean robbery. That's not its only