CATHOLIC  SOCIALISTS.

I2I

himself  to  merely  noting  facts  without  having  any  ideal  in  view,
holds  similar  language.  Throw  down  all  obstacles,  establish
liberty  in  everything  for  everybody,  and,  among  individuals
given  over  to  universal  competition,  the  most  skilful  must
succeed.  They  will  become  the  richest  and  most  powerful.
This  is  what  the  welfare  of  society  demands,  and  that  constitutes
justice.
Malthus  was  the  precursor  of  Darwin,  who,  indeed,  fully
recognized  the  fact.  When  Malthus  speaks  of  those  for  whom
there  is  no  place  at  the  banquet  of  life,  and  whom  nature  is
not  slow  to  eliminate,  he  is  applying,  in  advance,  the  theory
of  the  struggle  for  existence.  Christianity  reaches  out  a  hand
towards  the  unfortunate  and  demands  a  place  for  the  disinherited. ­
  Darwinism  and  the  orthodox  economy  tell  them  that
they  are  in  the  way,  and  that  their  business  is  to  disappear.
Darwinism  submits  to  the  actual,  in  the  name  of  natural  law
and  necessity.  In  the  name  of  the  ideal,  Christianity  rebels
against  the  actual,  and  hopes  to  subordinate  it  to  the  dictates
of  reason  and  justice.
We  shall  see,  in  analyzing  Bishop  Ketteler’s  book,  how  it
is  that  the  Social  Democrats  prefer  atheistic  materialism,
which  logically  justifies  the  enslaving  of  the  people,  to  Christianity, ­
  which  calls  them  to  freedom.

'I'he  Bishop  of  Mayence  was  looked  upon  as  the  mos
eminent  prelate  of  the  Catholic  hierarchy  in  Germany.  Hi
recent  death  has  left  a  blank  which  has  not  been  filled  since
In  his  book,  “The  Labour  Question  and  Christianity”  ii
order  to  paint  the  evils  of  existing  society,  he  borrows  th
colours  and  even  the  expressions  of  Lassalle.  Like  him  h
considers  Liberalism  and  the  Political  Economy  of  Manchestei
aas  Manchesterthum,  responsible  for  these  evils.  The  Frene
Ultramontanes  of  to-day  express  the  same  ideas  and  hoi
Thusat  Charms,  mtheCong«,
o  the  Catholic  unions.  Count  de  Mun  spoke  of  the  “  socii
aims  of  the  Catholic  labourers,”  and  of  a  return  to  th
ancient  organization  of  labour.”  He  depicted  moder
ciety  precisely  as  the  Socialists  do:  “The  thirst  of  spec,
on  consumes  everything;  a  merciless  struggle  has  take