CATHOLIC SOCIALISTS. 
127 
Mayence, like Lassalle, thinks that the “ self-help ” of Herr 
Schulze-Delitsch, that is to say, the savings of the working men 
themselves, will not be sufficient. But, while the Socialist 
agitator demands a hundred millions of thalers from the State 
to reform the existing order of things, the Catholic prelate 
appeals to Christian charity. 
The social question, he says, is closely connected with 
Christianity. Is not the first and great commandment of the 
Gospel to love our fellow-men and aid those who suffer? 
Should we not sacrifice everything in order to fulfil it ? But how 
is this duty, which Christ imposes upon us in such pressing and 
even menacing language, to be performed? Experience has 
shown that it cannot be done by alms alone ; and, inasmuch 
as economic laws always reduce wages to an insufficient mini 
mum, the end can only be attained by putting the labourer in 
the way of bettering his condition by the utilization of capital 
belonging to him. 
“ May God in His goodness,” cries Von Ketteler, “ bring all 
good Catholics to adopt this idea of co-operative associations 
of production, upon the basis of Christianity ! Thus alone can 
salvation be brought to the labouring classes. The freedom 
promised by Liberalism is like Dead Sea fruit, fair on the out 
side but dust and ashes within. Liberalism proclaims freedom 
of contract ; but for the labourer without capital, it is merely 
freedom to die of hunger ; for how can he live, if he does not 
accept whatever conditions may be imposed upon him ? Free 
dom to go where he likes, Freizügigkeit, is another meaningless 
phrase ; for is not the working man who has a wife and 
children tied to the spot where he is settled? How can he 
seek employment elsewhere, when he lacks the means of 
satisfying his first needs? Freedom of labour; what is it, 
except the competition of labourers reducing their wages to the 
lowest point ? Free trade ; what other result has it except to 
enable the rich to buy what they want in the cheapest market, 
and to reduce the working man to the level of those who can 
u sist upon the least? Christianity, practically applied, can 
alone bring it about that these liberties, of which capitalists 
ow reap the entire profit, may also benefit the labourers.