Views of the Labor Movement [pp. 784-798]

796 Views of the Labor Movcme'tt.
er company and the remainder of man- and wide; and finally, (io,) they
kind. It is only the old principle of would cherish the thought that their
self-interest, covetousness, greed of zeal might be efficient in strengthengain, love of money, exercised by ing the influence, facilitating the opepartnerships or corporations instead rations, and increasing the glory of
of single persons. Thus, some of the church. ~Vhat an immense difthese companies will get very rich, ference between reductionism and sowhile others, though burning with cialisin!
covetousness and discontent, will fall 2. The essential conditions of such
into great poverty. But besides sel- an association would be the vows of
fish motives moving men, there are oth- poverty and obedience, under such
ers more powerful and certainly more sanctions and guarantees and inspired
Christian. For instance, a cat/io7ic by such hopes as only the Catholic
community of goods would rest on Church can give; and, since the society
directly the opposite of self-interest, would admit persons living in marand be induced by charity counter- riage, and since the church teaches
acting the excess of egoism. True, the indissolubility of the marriage-tie,
as in the other case, association would the un~~ of the consent of husband
be only a means, and also a guaran- and wife to the acceptance of these
tee of safety, economy, and increase; vows previous to admission. The vow
but how different the ulterior object! of poverty would be a sine qact non,
The final causes of a catholic "re- since without it the society would
duction" to commumty of goods be liable to the precariousness of all
would be: (i) to live apart from the secular enterprises; and since, also,
evil example of the world; (2) to sus- without this vow the society would
tain and encourage one another in the not have the marl~, the trait, the esfaith and its practices; (3) to secure sential quality that distinguishes disinthe rearing of children in the practice terested reductionism from riches-andof religion; (4) to be able to hear comfort-seeking socialism. The vow
mass oftener, and indulge more fre- of obedience to a superior authority,
quently and expansively in prayer and such as a clerical director or a bishop,
other sweet and consoling devotions; is also indispensable. Those who have
(5) to save and increase wealth in- had opportunity of observing the
deed, though not for seif not for the interior operation of a socialist or Procompany and its members beyond the testant association must be fully
absolute necessities of life, but for ex- sensible of the importance of this
ternal charity-distribution among the condition. They are distracted by
poor neighbors, or the establishment divided counsels, inconsistencies of
of sh~ilar companies; (6) the "re- purpose, obstinacy and pride of opiductionists" (We venture to generalize nions, rival ambitions, and the like.
the name they had in Paraguay) The end is generally ruin. They
would work in a spirit of self-sacrifice only succeed in proportion to such
to please God; (7) they would offer modicarn of humility and obedience as
up their voluntary privations as acts they have contrived to incorporate in
of love, penance, and prayer; (8) they their rules and intention. Somedmes
would be actuated by aspirations to it is only the acknowledged superiorimerit grace and attain perfection; (9) ty and energy of character of a foundbe moved by a desire to display faith er or leader that preserves the organibefore the worid, and to concentrate zation. As soon as this personage
its light so that it might radiate far dies, his creature goes also into disso