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

"
The Masses is on the news-stands.
There may not seem to be anything
singular in that. The spires of the
new Cathedral of st. John the Divine
pierce the blue; the beautiful tracery
of st. Patrick's Cathedral frets the
skyline the elaborately ornate or sim
pie rugged symbolism of hundreds OF
churches and synagogues stand out
everywhere in this city of New York.
Great schools and colleges are numer-
Gus. Yet the special Christmas num-
ber of The Masses is on the news.
stands. You can buy it for ten cents.
So can your children. The pictorial
cover is paraphrase of Socialist
placard. The striking thing thereon
is the face of homocidal maniac.
Underneath it are the words, Jesus
Christ, the Workingman of Nazareth,
Will speak at Brotherhood Hall. Sub
ject, The Rights of Labor" The in
sanity in the face on the cover is not
due to the coarse work of an unskil-
full artist. The artist was clever
artist. The blasphemy is purposive.
This Socialist magazine intends that
the Christ-face shall look like the
faces Of it's soap-box orators. 1t in
tends that the fixed and terrible eyes
shall express class-hatred. 1t intends
that the particular type Of feature and
expression which criminologists and
alienists recognize in the portraits of
Czolgosz and Guiteau shall be por-
trayed above the name of the Redeem
er. Arthur Young drew the picture.
God pity him!
Caricature Of Cross.
Inside the magazine there is another
picture that attracts attention. It rep.
resents a carved rock in stormy sea.
The rock is caricature of the cross.
The transverse of the cross is extend
ed in curved lines until it forms the
letter "S," the tree of the cross being
used to complete the dollar sign. A
woman's figure clings to this. The
picture is entitled, "The Rock of Ages
in the Age Of Rocks" The cartoons
all through the magazine are of the
same character.
knowledge and Revolution" is the
leading article in this number. 1t is
by Max Eastman. Mr.. Eastman's
writings have certain literary quail
ity. He writes verse which sings in
tune with some of the popular chords
Of the hour and is attractive in the
same way, perhaps, that the animal
and sensual dances are attractive. In
his prose, as 1t is represented in
knowledge and Revolution" he gives
free rein to the Socialistic hatred of
all religion. The church is portrayed
as Judas, as a stupendous swindle
1t must be an intense fever of hatred
that can produce so strange demen-
tia. Truth and reason are flung out
Of the window, and all the cheap false
hood that ignorance and bigotry have
bred in a foul brain is decked out
In language made to grace nobler
thoughts. "The Church Is Judas" says
Mr.. Eastman by way of caption. The
Protestant Episcopal church is stupid
ly and viciously maligned under this
heading. The House of Bishops of
that denomination recently adopted
this resolution and the House of Dep
uties approved it:
THAT this general convention of
this church condemns the employ
ment of children in labor beyond
that adapted to their age and
strength, and at times or in places
which would deprive them of the
opportunity of education suited to
their capacity; but it recognizes
that labor is honorable and that
every child should be trained ac-
cording to his natural aptitude so
as to qualify him to labor truly for
his own living. Therefore we en-
phasize the importance of vocation
al training and commend the care
full study Of that subject to all So
cial workers"
Such was the resolution. Against
what is cruel and inhumane in child
labor the Protestant Episcopal church
uttered its protest. In favor of what
is sane and useful in the training Of
the child to a life of usefulness it ut
tered It's declaration.
A Lying Distortion.
This is the lie into which the Social.