The Seattle star. [volume] (Seattle, Wash.) 1899-1947, 1913-08-25
POPE LEO XIII.
and SOCIALISM

- to induce every Christian TO study
and determine for himself what So
cialisrn Is and what Il seeks 70 ac-
eompiish. address them to Pope
Leo because he was kind enough.
generous and fearless enough to give
US the benefit OF hts honest criticism.
and. unless the Socialist philosophy
can reru,e the indictments OF the
Intelligent critics OF the world. ~
falls as science.
IL must be admitted that the Con
flict in society between capital and
labor. the enormous fortunes OF Indt-
viduais. the poverty OF the masses
and the general deterioration. as well
a. the small number of very rich
who have been able TO lay upon the
masses of the very poor . yoke
little better than slavery itself.
which Pope Leo speaks about. are
the results OF capitalism which today
Is cur heritage.
II must also be admitted that So
cialism Is In no way responsible for
existing conditions Pope Leo and
other critics point out all tn. social
eyfis and Ills which exist In capital
/, sst society today and then proceed
60 crfticise Socialism because OF the
remedy which II offers and affords
for these Acknowledged evils. Yet
and at the same time IL must be
remembered that our critics do not
furnish q material remedy for the
material evils which they admit
exist and for which they have no
remedy except what they approp-
rate or borrow from the Socialists
from time to time.
now give the nfth paragraph
from Pope Leos letter. as follows.
sGt n surely uade stable that when
. aaa - engaged In remuneratfve
labOs the very r~sson and motive of
his work II 10 obtain property and to
heud II - his ews private pcssesstos.
= 49,
ssr<sgsh Of bis Industry he does this
for the purpose of reeetstaG - re-
turn what r. seeesssry for food and
1ivtng; he thereby expressly proposes
"a seSuire . full ssd real right sot
Oaiy to remanernston. hut also to the
dlsposal Of fhas remunerssio1 ~ he
pleoaes. Thus. ~ he lives spartngfy.
aaves nesey ssd Invests his savings.
for greater se~urity, In lssd. the
lasa In sueh ease IL osiy bis wages
In ssother sorms ssd consequently .
porktsgman's little estate thus pur-
chased shoaid ~ ~ com pteteiy st
his 0wn dtsposal ~ the wages he re-
e~sves for his labor. Hut II h pre-
The owaershtp consists. whether the
property be lasd or movable goods.
TIE Socialists. therefore. In esdeav-
ertsg TO transfer the possessions Of
~ TIE Interest Of every wage Garner.
for they deprive him of the liberty
Of dSsposlng of his wages. and thus
Of al hope and possibility of tneress-
tng his sf0rk and OF bettertaG his
eOnatssOa Of life."
pressed in every Socialist platform
In the world that wages shall be
abolished and the workers become
masters Of the machines and owners
Of their product through social
ownership.
r.. "a. ro,v a.. ,~ha,h.r ,yo1.
labor creates any property which IL
holds as It's own private possession.
In paragraph / Pope Leo has rs-
ferred to the enormous fortunes of
masses" The masses do not possess
property, except the property in
their labor power which they arc
compelled to sell 20 capital In order
10 live
Wages. the price Of labor power.
The cost e % Iivyns are sines ma@s,Ds
productive power displaces human
labor power and creates the unem-
ployed army, competition for the
sale Of labor power always forces
the sale OF labor power down to the
cost Of Its production. Thus we see
that the one who will live cheapest
can work the cheapest and will get
the jpb. but not property. The
owns the sociaiized machinery OF
production. Labor gets wages and
capital gets the surplus wealth prod
uct Of labor.
The United States census bulletin
No. $50 Informs us that the average
skilled mechanic produces t2.t7l In
wealth Of goods each year and re-
ceives In wages tf37. while s2,034
in goods produced by labor power
goes 20 capital and I'VE learn) the
1aborer has very little property 20
hold as his private possession in
this transaction.
There never was Socialist plat
form which advocated the trans
ferring Of individual prosecutions "a
the community. The laborer has
little, IL any. property, and the So
ciaiist philosophy demonstrated
through capitalism that IL the insti.
longed TO the collective people. the
product OF labor would belong e
him who has labored to produce n
Property would then be the private
possession Of tho producers. sincs
production for profit would cease
rWht 10 labor and the fruits OF his
and possession. Things social II
use should be owned socially
things individual in their use mus
be owned as individual property
This r. the aim Of Socialism. as SCI
forth by every Socialist platform
in the world.
Next week shall write on "Th.
Justice 81 Socialism or Socia
Justice" and discuss Pope Leol
sixth paragraph
EDWIN J. BROWN,
IFt,at x.....