The Waterbury Democrat., 1934-05-21
Knights Hear Plea
For Social Justice
Michael O'Shaughnessy Editor, Speaker at K. OF 6.
Communion Breakfast, Gives History OF Movement

. ~@~'
s,,bgtItuilng for H., the individual
ltght Of reason To interpret 'ne
tuBpclg, Th's Revolution Wus also
aOcInj ana political H. character
"ybn fcudnI System was diAln'
tegrntlng, with consequent world.
wido social unrest. Discoveries Of
new lands In the western hcnh.
nl,horc, roputed TO be OF fabulous
richness, heightened the restless.
ness nnd the desire tor material
gain among all peoples. IN the In
dugtrini order. the guild system,
| founded on religious authority,
gradually gave way 10 whnt we
have some TO -cail "the cnpltaliStie
system"
"The papai authority In social
md economic matters WnB thus
also challenged. While the peoples
4, southern European countries no.
,nnined loyal TO the Dapncy to re-
| ligious authority. IN spiritual mat.
ters, they denied tho authority Of
the Pope In matters social ana
economic"
As Mr. O'Eha ugllnossy pointed out
this tended 10 make property rights
superior to human and eventually
Catholics 'Ven acquiebced IN all
such beliefs. The modern day de-
| yelopment In capitalism, prcdicat-
I'd on the theory that without cap
itnl labor would perish.
Defines Capitalism,
| Discussing capItnliBin, socialism,
ard communion. Mr. OEaughncBgy
said, "In adopting the cnpitnliBtic
system al men IN effect substituted
their own rules for human conduct
N gocInI and economic matters for
Tho laws Of God. ibid down In the
Gospels.
"Capitnlisn,, In It's present form,
ot licy God, denies that any c0nnec.
lion exists between religion and
4 usinesg, between mornilty anu
economies. insists ON tho inllncy ..
Irce competition dominated by a
predatory few. and the survival oi
the nttest, always the richest ana
Usually the most rapac'ous, ana on
rugged In. vidualiBm, meaning IN
practice the right Of the few 10 en-
slave the many.
ut regards human labor nv n
commodity tho mnrkct for which
~ TO be controlled by capital. II
eonfounds interest with usury, cx'
tolls the sacrcdness oil debts, re.
Lardlcss OF the welfare OF debtors
holds that property rights arc NJ
pcriOr 10 human rights and that
| money must dominate instead oil
serving human beings
Ict.Alnc Policy Endorsed
ut In based on d philosophy OF
Gaatcrial fatalism. generally known
as "luissez- fare" by which IL
meant that man cannot control
economic forces. but must be tho
victim Of them, that he cannot
compel an equitable distribution ol
wealth or OF the fruits Of mans
ttil, but bS the nature Of things
mankind must be divided into. O
few excessively rich and vnsi
nordcs Of propertylcss wuge-slavcs
lund impecuniOus farmers.
"Under this system the inflnites-
mai few who control money ant
81 edit constitute the sOrld--Oyer 4
pIut0cracy that pcrpctuates H.
domination OF society by CONTROL.
ing government for its own ben
cit and to the dctrlment OF The
nlpsEcs of mankind"
II The speaker praised Abraham
Lincoln, Theodore Roosevelt
Woodrow Wilson. and FRANKLIN -
Roosevelt as the greatest human,.
|. tartan presidents we have ever had
lie stressed the fact that President
Roosevelt has revealed time and
again his complete knowledge oil
the sound advice given by Pope
Plus XI in his "Quadrsgesimo An.
no" Of 1881 and the "Rerum No.
,arum'' OF Pope Leo XIII In 1891
COrdeII Hull. secretary OF state
and Secretary Of Agriculture Wal.
lace were pointed out as two typ.
ical examples OF statesmen and
Legislators who recognize the need
ct social Justice and the indispen.
ia bility OF religion to the success
o. reconstruction.
II Clcary Gsauds COunciI
District Deputy Cleary. the first
speaker. declared that the activi.
ties Of Sheridan Council In the pas
year. proved that fraternaIism wa
not dead. with fifty glorious years
behind there MUST be much ahead
tor the order was his parting
thought.
Rep Francis Hogan urged tbs
4 Columbian squlres to pick ~
where the present generation h
leaving on. lie stressed the ncef
~ good Catholic principles gultlinf
the LEGISLATOR aud said that ~
s.an need apologize for his rsii'
giuFs.
Representative Hogan said IN
part:
svrhe thing Tint counts In oui