The Irish standard. [volume] (Minneapolis, Minn. ;) 1886-1920, 1914-02-07
a non-Catholic publication, "are today
ffecting the intellectual and emotion

a non-Catholic publication, "are today
ffecting the intellectual and emotion
e life of the working people; trade
con.'. Socialism, and the Roman
c..t. church" The attitude of
4 ~ towards the church is suf.
ficl>, .ear. Its interests in. the
trade ,ons, as Socialists themselves
declare, is to change them into revo-
lutionary centers. "Unionism,' says
the Socialist president-elect of the In
ternational Association of Machinists,
''is the body and Socialism is the soul
of the labor movement" Such at least
is their dream. What part is the
church to take in this struggle, mind
full alike of the spiritual welfare of
the laborer and his temporal needs
and happiness?
At every great labor convention So.
cialists hold their own private meet
ings at which each movement is care.
fully studied and discussed, in which
the resolutions to be submitted are
first put to the ballot, and where the
means are decided upon to cover up
defeat or follow out success even to
the limit of possibility. The humor of
the situation is that when Catholics
attempted at st. Louis, during the last
national convention, to evince a par.
ticular interest in the Federation,
without displaying even in the least
the disloyalty of which Socialism has
often been guilty, there was at once
an outcry from the entire Socialist
press. Even to attend mass in a cor.
porate manner, as members of the
Federation, was betraying it into the
hands Of Rome. The insincerity of
such an attitude is often most exasper.
ating; but it will not deter Catholics
from exercising their rights and safe.
guarding their interest, spiritual and
temporal. To attempt in merest self.
defense and in the most modest way
what Socialism has most brazenly car.
from its camp at once a chorus of
most virtuous indignation. The con-
ISOLATION is, that in this Socialism is
not so very different from other enc.
mics the church has had, from the be.
ginning, and still will have when So.
cialism shall have passed into history
to trouble only the mind of the poor
schoolboy, like thousand other sad,
unhappy and forgotten things. Social.
ism, too, under the Providence of
God, can only work unto the good OF
those who love Him.
In the meanwhile there is work for
US to do, and the unions will heartily
welcome our activity in whatever way
it can be most prudently displayed
Socialism is founded upon class.
hatred. The unions, where Socialistic
ideas have not infected them, still al
least propose to themselves, the ideal
of justice for all, the ideal of Christ
and of His church. He wished to be
descended from royalty and wealth
and to be laid in the tomb of the rich
but He was born into the labor-world
and in this He desired to live. It was
school of laborers He drew about
Him and by the mouth of the workers
did He evangelize the world, teaching
neither hatred towards the rich, mol
contempt of authority, but justice and
love for all and the coming of the
Kingdom of God. Healing, like Him
the temporal wounds of mankind, we
shall lift up its gaze to the cross
whence alone salvation can come tc
The United Irish societies of Chicago
have planned to raise $4,000 for the
Home Rule Fund for Ireland before
the opening of Parliament on Febru
ary 18th.
Funds, organization and united effort
mean much in the approaching climax