The Irish standard., 1915-01-09

mother likewise is torn from her home.
The moral and intellectual needs of
the toiling masses are of no conse.
quence and the family is disintegrated
without qualm of conscience. Sanitary
conditions are neglected and the work
shop becomes a veritable prison house
where man, woman and child are con.
demned to systematic and progress
sive degradation. Such must of neces-
sity be the conditions wherever the
liberistic form of capitalism is al.
lowed full freedom without the inter.
ference of State action and labor
unionism. Such have been and still
are the actual results in many in.
stances. Need we wonder that the
great Catholic social leaders all with
one voice more bitterly condemn the
vices of individualism or liberalism
than even the errors of Socialism. The
first are the cause. The latter only
the effect.
What then is to be done? Clearly
the government must interfere. The
policy of absolute liberty, Laissez
faire, laissez passer, can not be toler.
ated. The individual laborer, says
Ozanam, is under a threefold disad.
vantage. He has less to spare than
the capitalist, and, therefore, is urged
by need to accept the terms which
are offered him. He has more limi-
ted horizon than his employer and is
consequently more subject to alarm
and intimidation. He is finally more
restricted in his choice of occupation,
The capitalist can find many ways of
investing his wealth, the laborer is
bound to his machine or at least to
the trade which he has learned.
While such is the condition of the
laborer, there is no less danger, on
the other hand, to be apprehended
from paternalistic government. Elk.
perience has shown that it hampers in
dustry and strangles commerce. No
worse form of universal slavery could
finally be imagined than the paternal-
ism to which Socialist agitators would
subject the entire human race.
The solution, therefore, of the prob
lem must consist in proper balanc-
ing of liberty and authority. Govern
ment Intervention is necessary, but
must be restricted to extraordinary
circumstances. Much can be accom-.
plished by the education of the work
er and by proper labor organizations.
The employer likewise needs to be
taught that liberal wages encourage
the workman, make him take more
pride and pleasure in his task and
help him to identify his interests with
his occupation.
We have already briefly indicated
Ozanam's economic solution. It would
be wrong, however, to convey the
impression that he believed the ques.
ton to be mainly an economic one,
He we'll understood that the evils of
the time were all reducible to a want
of charity and justice. The restora-
ton of economic Justice, where it is
violated, depends largely upon the
power of law and of organization.
But justice can never be restored with
out charity, the absence of which is
the radical reason for the existence
OF the social question itself. To pas
tor and people alike, therefore, Ozan-
am reads the great lesson of charity.
They must go out into the world and
take an active part in relieving misery
wherever they find it. They must
move the hearts of the rich and cheer
the hearts of the poor. In both they
must enkindle the fire of charity
which Christ came to bring into the
world. Charity, then, will return to
earth leading Justice by the hand. But
1t must be charity founded upon
faith and religion.