The Catholic bulletin. [volume] (St. Paul, Minn.) 1911-1995, 1918-06-08
Continued from page IL
Some Points on Socialism

Dome T0lnIS on SOCIALISM
he could not recall a single instance
of a person who is at one and the
same time really earnest Socialist
and an orthodox Christian" (''Social-
| ism and Character" PIP. 2, 81
William English Walling, an able
and well known American Socialist,
tells us that the majority of Social
lists are firmly convinced that Social
ism and modern science must finally
lead to state of society where there
will be no room whatever for religion
in any form. C"The Larger Aspects of
Socialism,, p. 9S1.)
Morris Hillquit, whose competency
| to represent the mind of the Socialist
movement will not be questioned, is
inclined to believe that the majority
of Socialists find it difficult, if not
impossible, to reconcile their general
| philosophic views with the doctrines
and practices of dogmatic religious
creeds." 6"Socialism: Promise or
Menace?" p. 2O4)
Some of our readers will object that
they can believe in the economic pro-
posals of Socialism, without accepting
the immoral and irreligious theories
outlined in the foregoing paragraphs.
! We reply by agreeing with them.
Economic determinism is not essen
tial to belief in economic Socialism.
Moreover, there exist Socialists who
have made and do make this distinc-
ton. Neither the little band of So
called Christian Socialists nor the Sc
lect coterie of Fabian Socialists have
| subscribed to this materialistic and
anti-Christian philosophy
But these groups are relatively I'M
important elements in the Socialist
| movement as a whole. The vast ma
jority of the Socialists of the world are
adherents of what is known as Marx
| ian or International Socialism, which
does profess this attitude of hostility
to Christian ethics and the Christian
religion.
The few followers of the internation-
al movement who still retain their
Christian faith belong, for the most
part, to that element of the rank and
file underlying Socialist philosophy.
| Economic Socialism.
The economic demands of Socialism
are expressed in the following extract
from the platform adopted by the So
| cialist party at its international con-
vention at st. Louis held in April OF
| last year:
THE present system of production
and distribution is known as the cap
italist system to distinguish it from
the several systems which preceded
it, such as chattel slavery and the
feudal system. Under capitalism there
are two distinct classes, the capitalist
class and the working class. The cap
italist class is maintained by the TAX
ing of rents, interest and profits.
| The working class, owning no in
dustries, lives by getting wages. The
worker sells the only thing that he
owns, his power to labor. This power
to labor lessons with the advancing
years
Controlling the government, the
capitalist class makes laws in it's own
interest. Behind these class laws is
every instrument of the government
to make sacred and defend the private
ownership of land and industries and
the special privileges by which labor
is robbed.
The Socialist party aims to abol-
ish this class war with all it's evils
and to substitute for capitalism new
order of cooperation, wherein the
workers shall own and control all the
economic factors of life. 1t calls upon
all workers to unite to strike as they
vote and to vote as they strike all
against the master class.
only through this combination of
our powers can we establish the CO.
operative commonwealth, wherein the
workers shall own their jobs and re-
ceive the full social value of their
produce. The necessities of life will
then be produced, not for the benefits
of the few, but for the comfort and
happiness of all who labor. Instead
of privately owned industries, with
masters and slaves, there will be the
common ownership of the means of
life, and all the opportunities and re-
sources OF the world will be equal and
free to ALL
At the Socialist national convention
held in st. Louis last year, these reso-
buttons, were adopted after congress
had passed and the president had APP
proved the joint resolutions recogniZ-
ing a state of war with Germany:
The Socialist party of the United
/ States in the present grave crisis sol
emily reaffirms it's allegiance to the
principle of internationalism and work
ing class solidarity the world over,
and proclaims it's unalterable opposi-
ton to the war just declared by the
government of the United States
Socialist Action in War.
I'm harmony with these. principles,
the Socialist party emphatically re-
j jects the proposal that in time of war
the workers should suspend their
struggle for better conditions. On the
contrary, the acute situation created
by war calls for an even more vigor-
] GUS prosecution of the class struggle.
49,, - ~.