The Irish standard. [volume] (Minneapolis, Minn. ;) 1886-1920, 1914-01-10


ence, so defending privilege for fif-
teen hundred years against every
menace of an awakening people. Its
prime motive is and has been eco
nomic. The Professionals are no
longer the power, but they are hire
lings of the power that exploits the
poor. Hired in all subtle ways to
teach them that same humble sub
lection, that same good citizenship
the 'honorableness' of being robbed
of their heritage of life in this
world, the delayed hope of justice
in a world to come. That, in the
light of true religion, the religion
of science, is essentially and at the
core what the Church of Christ is.
And though we might multiply in
dividual exceptions by the hundred,
we should not escape the clear truth
that this decorated institution,
founded upon treachery, is doomed
to dismantle herself and dissolve
away before more sincere, and
more free, and more humane, and
more scientific idealism."
And we have been told that Social.
ism is compatible with religion; with
Christianity! We have been told that
the Socialist National convention has
officially declared that religion is a
private matter!" What an utter lie
it is! Socialism being false in all its
relations can be compatible with moth
ing true. The Young Mems Christian
association and the Young Women's
Christian association are thus de-
scribed in this Christmas number of
The Masses:
THE campaign to raise $4,000,000
for the Young Mems and Young
Women's Christian associations in
New York in two weeks, has result
ed, in three days, in more than
$2,000,000. Think of it! 100000
in hard cash, while work continues
to grow scarcer, and about million
people in this town are going to
suffer from the want of fuel enouyb
TO Keep them warm! And now LET'S
look at the bright side for min.
ute. The Y. M. c. A. and Y. w g
"A. are organizations which make Of.
hcient, contented, servile EMPLOYEES
out OF young people who might 9th
er"lse amount to something"
Literary Turpitude.
There are a few other articles. all
OF them cleverly written and all of
them foul. One of the editors of the
is Mr.. John Reed. Mr.. Reed
is the author of an article in this
1t is sort of self-revelation. 1t might
be called a luminous self-revelation
if the thought exposed were luminous,
which it is not. 1t has the sugges-
ton of prurient precosity character
istic of this school of young Socialist
writers-the connotation of nasty
boy with an aptitude for literary COM
position. There is so much of this,
so much of the decadent tendency in
the run of the issues of The Masses,
that the suspicion obtrudes that this
element is relied on for the pecuniary
profit.
This advertisement is given to The
Masses without charge. Topographic
ally it is we'll put together. 1t may
be said that it looks prosperous, and
that it has some patrons who are not
ashamed to publish their advertise
ments in its pages. The house of
Charles Scribner's Sons, concern we
were accustomed to consider in con-
nection with clean literature, has
blotched its name and contaminated
itself by such foul association.
1t need hardly be said that this ad-
vertisement is not published with any
idea of benefiting The Masses. 1t has
another purpose. 1t is published with
the idea of opening your eyes, man
and woman of faith in God, and of
clean instincts; of putting before you
the moral horror that is at the heart
of Socialism. What would Eastman,
the Socialist, substitute for God
and Eastman in this is as Marx was,
and Engels was, and Bebel was, and
every leading Socialist writer is? His
more scientific idealism!" What do
these cheap chatterers know of sci
ence? They are the fringe of an In.
tellectualism that was never more
than bundle of sapless sticks; the
Observation-Disclosures liquidation of a
bankrupt Rationalism. They live on
things unclean, they hate all religion
because it imposes the moral re-
straints without which human nature
would disintegrate, and they put a
reeking blasphemy on the news-stands
of your city.