The Catholic times. [volume] (Columbus, Ohio) 1951-current, 1953-09-11
Msgr. Flanagan s Labor Day Talk

such a minority in mind when
he so thou2htfully described
such conduct as matter for ex-
animation of conscience. Con
science" he said, will know how
TO set limits to the sums eX-
pended upon luxuries, and will
likewise induce those of more
modest means to provide, before
all else, for what is necessary
and useful, and then TO put the
balance into savings, if there re-
mains a balance" Distinguish
then, my friends, among what is
necessary, what is useful and
what for you is sinfully luxuri-
Gus. Be guided accordingly and
provide by thrift against the evil
day.
Active union membership then
means continuous, intelligent, az
dent interest in your union
whether as rank-and-file member
or as official, il means faithful
performance of your job and it
means thrift. Now with these
virtues in evidence, you can de-
fend unionism and your parish
clergy can defend unionism AS
our Popes and our Bishops and
our expert Catholic economists
say that il should be defended.
In arguing, however, for the
necessity of perpetuating and ex-
tending unionism, there is a vi
tai consideration to be kept in
mind. We must not make the
mistake of the communists.
Their idea is 10 accentuate class
strife. They would use unionism
10 sharpen class. consciousness
among workers and hence to fos-
ter unending industrial war. The
Christian viewpoint, on the con-
trary. while encouraging union
ism 10 preserve and extend the
improvements achieved, aims 10
do away with class conflict.
Twenty years ago Plus XI noted
how two armed camps bitterly
opposed each other in the eco
nomic scene. Later he denounc-
ed the philosophy which purport-
ed to improve social conditions
by emphasizing such bitterness.
Just year ago our present Holy
Father warned that "class strug-
gle can never be a goal (of ours)
in the social dispute. since the
Church feels itself equally be-
holden TO ell classes and strata
of the people. "
We want then TO establish a
beneficial. harmony between or
derS of workers and their EN-
ployers. Failure of unionists to
make this distinction OF purpose
has lured them into commun-
ism. Failure likewise to make it,
on the part OF specifically
thinking people outside the labor
movement, betrsys them into
smearing all who favor strong
labor organization as "commun-
isis" OF at least as "communis-
tic"
Now this isn't new calculat-
ed risk for Christians who de-
fend unionism. Throughout its
history the American labor
movement has been plagued
with some such difficulty. Previ-
ously ii was socialist" and so
cialistic" that conveyed the
smear. Now religious-minded
people can rejoice that, for their
participation in industrial social
effort, the Holy See has clearly
taught the distinctions needed.
One-sixth of the Encyclieal of
1891 was devoted TO the con-
demnation of socialism. The La
Dor Encyclical of 1881 again con
demned socialism even in its
mitigated form. Then the author
of that document, Plus Xl, in
1887 gave to the world as an en-.
eyclical, the best pamphlet that
has ever been written against
communism. In that great pro
nouneement he described the
philosophy of godlessness which
socially and economically has be.
come the communism before