The Irish standard., 1914-01-31

Rev. Father Belford, the noted
Brooklyn, N. Y. priest, fasting from
the platform of the Socialist conven.
tion in Chicago in 1908, had this to
say in an eloquent and forcible ad-
dress delivered in his home city:
"The Socialist party is primarily an
economic and political movement
1t is not concerned with the institu-
tions of marriage or religion. The
inventor OF that plank admitted that
80 per cent of us land In agnosticism.
That plank was adopted by major
ity of only one vote after fiery de.
bate, in which one side declared that
the plank was IAN unmitigated lie"
and that 1t was rank hypocrisy to go
before the world with such Il state.
ment. TO quote Mr.. Lewis, who may
be called the representative of the
opposition: do not propose to state
in this platform the truth about re-
ligion from the point of view Of the
Socialist philosophy, as it is stated in
almost every book of standard Social
istic literature; but if we do not do
| that. let us at least have the good
grace to be silent about it and not
make hypOcrites of ourselves. Let us
tell the truth, or have the good grace
the common sense. the stamina, the
manhood and the self,rcspect to keep
our mouths shut about it.
"Those who insisted on a declara-
tiOn tell us that they did so for expe-
diency. They deemed it dangerous to
let the people see the full meaning of
the movement TO sum up the words
of Ernest Unterman. Let us make
them Socialists first. Then We can
talk to them of the higher philo-
sophy,' which meant the atheism
that is unfortunately the logical con
sequence of Socialism. If Socialism
is not concerned with religion how
is it that the question should be de-
bated so fiercely; how is it that
almost every Socialist writer and
speaker attacks the ideas of God, the
divinity of Christ.
"Among the movement of today
is Socialism. 1t is not new. We can
see it's germ in the earliest ages. The
old philosophers discussed it, II has
appeared from time to time in vari-
GUS communities. 1t is now an inter
national movement. Millions believe
in it. and thousands. with marvellous
industry, with tongue and pen, are
working for it.
Would Reorganize Society.
ut is a plan to reorganize society.
1t aims at State which shall really
be of all, for all and by all the people.
That State will own all the land, all
the sources of production, such as
mines and forests and factories; all
the means of transportation and COM
munication; all the mills and fac
tories. 1t will employ all the people.
There will be no private employer, no
competition in business All men will
be equal and all the people will be-
long to the State. In it there will be
no poverty, and very little crime.
Now, in the programme of Social
ism there are some things towards
which the church is absolutely in
different. She cares nothing for the
form of government, so long as 1t is
| In tn1y
the inalienable rights of God and man.
She teaches that it belongs to men to
select that form of government which
they believe will best secure the well
fare of the people, and she tells them
to make any law that seems needful
or useful. But human laws must not
conflict with the eternal law, which is
the foundation Of all law.
"A state of cooperative production
and collective ownership may be en-
triely legitimate. but it must rest on
the consent of the people. There is
one right which it may not invade,
that is the right of the individual to
own his own property and to use it
as he chooses. II men care to give
their property, We may question their
wisdom, but we must respect their
right. But no State may invade the
home or take the land or the mine or
the mill that has been bought or in.
herited or received as gift without
due process of law and adequate com
pensation.
Foundation Of Socialism.
Socialism rests on the rock of pub
.a.ii