The menace. [volume] (Aurora, Mo.) 1911-1920, 1919-09-06
D1OMANISM, the teaching Of
III Roman Catholics, purports
= to be religious for moral
4Yl ,,,,rr,ncnr Socialism tho

pun puoSo' COCloiloill1 tAO
teaching of Socialists, purports to
be scientific for economic ends.
Science, the teaching of scientists,
purports to deal with facts for the
discovery Of natural laws.
Now, it so happens that isms are
not always what they purport to
be. All Romanists would like to be
taken seriously as concerned prin-
'cipally with religion; all Socialists
would like to be taken seriously as
truly scientific; and all scientists
wish their alleged discoveries to be
given the same serious reception
Notwithstanding the human weak
ness that sometimes impels them to
dodge facts in the interest Of a
charming theory.
In other words, human
nature asserts itself among
all the cults, and the desire for
proof of predetermined conclu-
sions is too often father to related
theories and thoughts.
But the Romanists, with their
profession Of exclusive devotion to
religion, areain politics more pro-
nouncediy, more practically, and
more effectively than the Social
lists; and, strange to say,the So
cialists, with their professed devo-
ton to politics and economics,
have faith in mankind as well as
q corresponding belief in their
economic dogmas that is genuinely
religious in its intensity.
RomaniSts and Socialists are
both in politics: the former to get
office, and the latter to disseminate
ideas. The Romanists are both
practical and scientific while the
Socialists are conspicuously i'm
practical and unscientifc in their
methods however practical may be
their ends or how scientific may be
their doctrines.
To come directly to the point,
political Romanism has corrupted
the Socialist movement with the
same facility and by the same
means that it has honeycombed the
Republican and Democratic par
ties. This statement may seem
strange to some, but it is neverthe-
less a matter of fact that is demon
strated by the Socialist press.
For instance, it is no part of
that Socialism which, calls itself
scientific to further purely polit-
ical revolutions such as that now
attempted by the majority faction
in ireland. But the New York
Cal, the leading if not the only
Socialist daily newspaper in the
United States, is today more de-
voted to the Sim Fein than to its
own political program in the
United States.
The Milwaukee Leader, another
leading exponent of Socialism, has,
within the last few weeks, refused
publication of a we'll written and
carefully prepared article in oppo-
sition to political Romanism.
1t is a safe guess that the aver
age Socialist has little or no use
for popery; but the press he sup
ports is certainly tainted with
Jesuit influence. That is why the
papists are getting the Offices and
Socialism seems to be getting little
else than prison terms for its lead
ers.
The Socialists need more of the
science which they profess but
which Rome practices with effect
1t should not be necessary to re
mind Socialists that Rome is theil
implacable and most powerful en-
emy. 1t should not be necessary
TO remind them that Rome is now
as ever, the ally of power and priv
ilege. 1t requires no excursions
into science to show that Eugene
v. Debs is unjustly imprisoned fol
political reasons while practically
the entire press and clergy O.
Rome arc at large actively sup
porting the Sim Fein and its elab
crate reasonable propaganda.
Some Of the Socialist paper
have gone into Sim Feinism, ant
others which have not gone tina
far seem fearful of antagonizinI
popery. Why this is so is too mucl
of a puzzle for THE MENACE t.
solve. Popery never loses an op
portunity to land hard on Social
ism and on Socialists. From th
monarch of the papal system dow
to its parish priests and thei
dinky parish magazines, all ar
holding Socialism and Socialist
up as the teachings and imps o
the very devil.
If the Socialists had any scrap
ping blood in them, they and thei
press should not be too proud t
defend themselves; but the sof