Socialism

New Zealand Tablet, Volume XXXIV, Issue 13, 29 March 1906, Page 2

Socialism

Mr. Pickwick made a great flare about his discovery of an ancient inscribed stone, until it was pointed out to him that the cryptic letters merely read: '.Bill Stumps,; his mark.' SMrophel ma-dc a fine buzz about his discovery of an elephant in the moon. The elephant in the moon turned out to be merely a dead mouse in the telescope. And the ' Sydney Morning Herald ' has been dancing an unseemly carmagnole— the skittish old thing \>— over its ' discovery ' that Cardinal Moran ajnd Archbishop Redwood hold different vievs regarding the Australian Labor Party. * The alleged clash of opinion is credited to the Archbishop's recemtl pasltoral letter on solera! ism. Now we happen to have before us the full text of the pastoral and the verbatim report of the Cardinal's utterances regarding socialism and the Australian Labor Party. We liaVe searched them, so to speak, from Dan to Beersheba, and we find therein no line of cleavage, no clang of inconsistent or contradictory views. The ' Sydney Morning Herald ' has whooped too soon. The elephant ■which it discovered in the moon is merely a dead mouse in its own mental vision. Archbishop Redwood's pronouncement was in express terms 'directed against (a) the anarchists ; (b\ the cormmunists, who would fain have all things held in common ; (c) the extremists or dynamiters ; and (d) against the commonest of .the several protean and shifting shapes taken by ' scientific or moderate socialism,' — namely, the scheme of those who ' deny the right of private property ' in ' all capital, or the materials of labor, or productive goods ' ; who would transfer these 'to the hand of the State, whether the central or the local Government ' ; and who are ' in open antagonism with the Catholic Church and true Ohristianity.' This last-mentiioned phase of modern socialism (d) formed the tburden of the Archbishop's cogent pronouncement. Each and all of these forms of socialism are in antagonism with Catholic principles which are as fully shared by the Cardinal-Archbishop of Sydney as by the Archbishop of Wellington andbyievery instructed Cte.tholic, both layman and ecclesiastic. * As to ' the Australian Labor Party ' : it was not so much as mentioned, or even hinted at, from beginning to end of Archbishop Redwood's pastoral. Australian and New Zealand socialists did, indeed, receive a passing and pturely incidental mention. But they were not referred to as an organised body, much less as being identical with ' the Australian Labor Party.' In fact, the> very terms of the Archbishop's indictment against socialism sufficiently excludes the Labor Party, as a Party, both in Australia and New Zealand. For, al the ugh they advocate a considerable measure of State control and ownership, -they do not ' deny the night of

private property ' in ' all capital, or the materials of labor, or productive goods ' ; neither have they demanded the confiscation of them to the State ; nor are they ' in open antagonism with the Catholic Church and true Christianity. 1 It is, nevertheless, a fact (as stated by the Archbjishop), that the subtle poison of anti-Christian socialism is ' permeating the minds of many, even of those who yet abhor its 'tenets,' and that ' many, without the least suspicion, adopt and defend some of its principles ' and thus ' unintentionally become the preachers and propagators of a deadly heresy against the Church and legitimate civil Government.' This is just what makes the pastoral letter a valuable and timely warning to the Catholic worker.

All this coincides witn the declared views of Cardinal Moran. Here are two typical extracts from the public utterances on the subject :—: —

There are two distinct lines oF popular feeling at the present time. One is an independent 'democratic sentiment, which I would like to see spread throughout the length and breadth of Australia, which desires to build up and diffuse every possible blessing amongst those classes who are deprived of many social advantages and blessings. But there is another party — the party that aims at pulling down everything that is noblest and mosu elevating amongst us. They propose to themselves what is Known as the communistic principle ; but I am happy to say I have not the slightest fear that such principles and maxims will ever leceive an enthusiastic reception from the good, common-sense people of Australia. If some irresponsible individuals give utterance of such extreme, such fallacious, s v uch erroneous views, is it wise, is it fair, is it just to impute to a strenuous political body those extravagant utterances and false principles which would be so subversive of society ? No ; I say most emphatically No'; and I most distinctly refuse to impute such subversive ideas and motives and principles to the political party (the Labor Party) to which I refer. There are some of these gentlemen who will call themselves socialists. Weil, I do not like the name of socialism. But then, what is in a name ? If gentlemen assume the name of socialists, whilst they repudiate the fallacious and extreme views connected with such a name, who shall say that they are not qfiite within their right to assume such a name ? ... It is by their principles and maxims we must judge them , and it would be unfair and unjust to assign to the leaders ol this strenuous political Labor Party the false maxims that are implied in the name of communism.'

1 Qui respiciunt ad pauca facile pronunliant,' said a great philosopher of old. Which, being interpreted, meaneth that people of hasty judgment are apt to reach conclusions with a hop-step-and-jump, without waiting to duly consider evidence or weigh arguments. The Sydney dailies belong to the class of newspapers that (to adopt Bacon's words) would set a house on fire to roast their own political ee;gs. It was evidently political passion that prompted the hasty and ill-considered conclusion that there was a difference of opinion between the Cardinal-Archbishop of Sydney and the Archbishop of Wellington in regard to tn*e question of socialism and the Australian Labor Party.