Evening capital and Maryland gazette. (Annapolis, Md.) 1910-1922, 1919-01-10
LETTER TO EDITOR
To the Editor Of the Epening Capital;


most in the minds of all today. Mr.
the charge that the church has null
lifted this, and other fundamental les
sons of Christ Yet in certain periods
of the Ages of Faith, as well as in
early Christian communities. before
Christendom was torn by heresy and
schism. the principles of brotherhood
and cooperation was fully realized
in the social legislation of the Catholic
church, as applied in her gilds. Now
we are seeking to apply to present
conditions these principles of the
church which have been ignored dur
ing the intervening period in our dom
inant economic system of industry and
systems of the gilds, inaugurated by
the church, capitalism was impos-
sible, there was no chance to make
corner" and pauperism, as we have
1t today was unknown.
There is vast difference between
the system of capitalism and the mere
fact of private ownership in the means
of production. The former is antago-1
nistic to the entire spirit of Christian
ity, the latter, in its broadcast sense,
has always existed and always will
continue to exist, mauger Socialism
and its exaggerated theories. BY elimi-
mating this distinction radicalism has
gained its hold upon many earnest
minds.
cit is ordained by nature wrote
Pope Leo XIII in reference to the
forces of capital and labor, that these
two classes should dwell in harmony
and agreement, and should. as it were.
groove into each other, so as to main
tain the balance of the body polite
Such is the teaching of the church,
and such is the ideal of all labor
unionism which has not been per-
verified by radical influences. But the
harmony and balance which are here
described were violently interfered
with by the system of economics which
came with the invention of machinery,
the passing of the gilds, and the grow
ing power of the Reformation. That
system is known today as capitalism
and must not, we repeat, be confound-
ed with the mere fact of capitalist
production Supreme considera-
tion for the common good always re-
NAMED the ideal of the Middle Ages,
however much men might offend in
practice. Egoism was the sole ideal
of the new economic system that, fol-
lowed. 1t was an economic liberalism,
with no interest save such as might
eventually augment personal gain The
oppression of labor, the exploitation of
women and children, the destruction
of family life, were all normal meth
DDS that never caused the lifting of an
eyebrow. A rational and perfect
system of large-scale production
would have been possible under the
influence of the church, not so the
system of capitalism. The spirit of
the church's laws, directed against
taking of reasonable interest or profit
in modern industrial life, and so the
upbuilding of a sound and prosperous
economic system, but it would have
rendered impossible the usurious
profits exacted under the reign of
commercialism. Again, the spirit of
organization, which the church COM
municated to her gid system, would
have helped to bring about the widest
diffusion of private ownership, but
would not have allowed the paralyzing
and destruction of labor organization
xxyhi rh M frn Mo s<ol
ism, consistently with the principle of
a ruthless, relentless, INSCRIPTIONS
struggle for gain The strength of
Socialism lies in its half truths. No
one will deny the existence of class
conflicts, more or less bitter. The
error of Socialism lies in attributing
them to purely material sources. The
cause lies far deeper; in our own
fallen nature and in mans wilful vio-
lation of the laws of God
THE right to acquire property is
inherent in the nature of man, nor is
this right restricted to unproductive
property alone But in order that its
exercise may not exceed the bounds of
justice and conflict with the rights of
others, it must be wisely regulated by
the state. Not in the mere fact of the
existence of private capital, but in the
neglect of the laws and the spirit of
Christianity Is the cause for the class
struggle to be found The divine
right of kings and the unlawful use
of property are doctrines equally OBJ
noxious to the church, and have ever
fallen under her severest condemna-
ton. The former has been used
against her by Protestant princes. the
latter has brought her trouble through
even her own members. In place of
these things, abhorred by her, she bids
us love God above all things and our
neighb0r as ourselves, while on the
state she enjoins the duty of seeking
in all its laws the common good. If
capital, labor and the state agree to
observe these as teachings, the class
struggle is ended. There can be no
other solution. EXTRACTS from essays
of Rev. Joseph Husslein, S. j., an en-