The Richmond Virginian. (Richmond, Va.) 1910-1920, 1914-12-14
RI. Rev. D. J. O'Connell Has
Sympathy With That Which
Recognizes God
Scores Communism
and Materialism
Building of Homes for Nation
Better Preparation Against
War Than Great Armies
and Navies

II have "A great deal Of sympathy
with socialism. think that In social
ism. rightly understood there is a
great deal OF good. ana / think that
in socialism. rightly handled. lies the
hope of the future, And / behave that
true socialism. rightly Understood. has
It's roots In the gospel"
These were the declarations with
which Rt. Rev. y. J O'Connell
bishop of the Catholic Church. last
night In st Peters Church. began his
lecture for the benefit of charity at
The request of st AIMS Benevolent
society. Each uttsrance was delIoer-
ately made Every sentence appea red
as the result of a careful study OF the
subject. The audience that CONF ietelY
fiied the church and tho galleries.
despite the bad weather conditions that
prevailed. gave evidence of deep in
terest- and the response to the appeal
that the suffering OF the poor be re-
lteved through the agency Of the So
ciety for which he spoke was gen
srous-
Recognizes Eternal God.
Bishop o'Connells topic was s'rhe
True and the False Socialism. He
compared the two. beginning with the
false, which ne has found is based
upon atheism. materialfs,n and com
gnuntsn, These 'isrns' he condemned,
declaring that he could have NJ gym
pathy with them. that their philosophy
is false, and that you will find man
is SO full OF greed that his greed will
always be in revolt against cofnvnun
ism or the socialism that demands
community or Stale possession.
The true socialism be said. IS
the socialism that recognizes the atef-
t1al and personal God. the Eternal Pc
lures and hns ordained for govern
snent. freedom Of equal rights for all
and privileges for none There can
he no true socialism without the be-
lief in God.
Tribute Paid to Jews.
The Jewish people are not atheists.
Their history FOR thousands Of years
show they very intensely believe in
cod, You hear remarked that leading
Jews are socialists. These get their
socialism from the holy sources of
their inspired wrftings The Old Tes-
lament ia filled with the naorsl law:
That law that Is observed by I'll" Jews.
and no people suFpEss them in ne OBJ
servance of the.- laws. and none are
more liberal ii thcsr offerings 10 the
poor"
Speaking of communism and other
false isms, Bishop OfConneli said: II
do not place upon socialism all rae
Wild utterances Of fanatics wh call
themselves socialists" He went on to
say that one locking into socialism will
find that many civilizations have per-
ished by luxury rather than by social
ism.
The community of goods and OF
homes and OF wives" he said. ARE
directly In opposition 20 the constitu
tton q human nature that they are
Impossible OF realization A study OF
any system OF society in civilization
shows there 10 no one thing that must
no more closely examined than human
mature. Man Is so full of greed that
HIS greed will ALWAYS ee in revolt
against communism. The socialism OF
which we have heard so much Is that
which threatens the destruction Of the
present laws and of the home"
Labor should Have Reward.
Bishop OConnell, telling of his trav-
els in italy and Tuscany where he eavs
time to the study OF industrial candt-
lions. said that socialism. at the bot
tom 10 no more than an economic prob
lem. He declared that sober. honest
labor should have as it's reward. hap
ny little homo This. he said seems i'm
POSSIBLE because OF mans inhumanity
to man The precept Of the gospel that
Thou shalt love thy neighbor thy
self" has been changed by man to
Thou shalt love myself FIRST. and
above all, and love thy neighbor last"
I'm the application of the gospel
precept" he said. 1--WE have Christian
socialism; In the other. red socialism.
Every effort made to alleviate suffering
Is called socialism. If IL succeeds 1t IL
nhilanthrophy. II II fails, anarchy"
There is much discomfort because
he farmer and the laborer has no
home The bird has it's nest. ths beast
81
should have home. BY the fruit of
his tabor he should have some little
spot he can call hts home" and the
speaker drew a word picture Of tn.
man with his firestde. hts wife, and
his children gathered at his knse in
the evening when the work OF the
day a done He could see nothing more
pathetic than the man eetrg down
with the burden Of the years without
having a home.
The Call ef the scii
The national wealth IL OF great
value to nation, hu, without national
dignity the national wealth heco,.As a
national plague Man Is never so poor
an when stripped OF his dignity and
his se,f-respeet without home he
Is without dignity.
ny general law create such conditions
that permit the possession of homo
nv the sober, industrious man" The
Thoughts Of the speaker next turned
20 the country. his words being:
In concluding he declared he is more
afraid Of war thar of anything else.
All this talk Of treaties" he said "is
nice. Treaties are nice to- talk aboat.
hut when a nations passions are
aroused. in snite of treaties war will
freak upon us. We should ALWAYS be
prepared.
And ] do not mean that We should
have great navies or great armies. I
xESpntinuAd on Third Page.