Ka Leo o ka Lahui, Volume II, Number 418, 25 March 1892 — SOCIALISM, WHAT IS IT? [ARTICLE]

SOCIALISM, WHAT IS IT?

The coDirauni6tic idca was long kept aJive by Ihe Church, being in- j cu)cated on the rich in the furut of alrus.—giving, aiid fu!ly euib.)died in one of her w<>st romarkable in--Btitutions — the RtligiouB Houae», wiih hfe and goods in eomuion, and the «urpiuB goods to ihe poor. We find too. the early fathere of the Church, St. Jerome, St. EaaH anU oihers dcnouncing richeB ae robbery. And all throughout tbe ages of the Church'p grandeur and power we find her aainU soeaking eommuniam, the Church nol eondeaning; althougQ ah« ner»elf, in her oollecUv« oapacity, partiy frooa raapect tor the eatabliih«d order m % thing«, ptrtly bcca««» ab« profiled by Uie iD«titut>on of property, tean«d to tb« eide of th« rich and pow* erful in tb« great eoeial quarrel whieh went oo intermitiently. In truly oitholic and compreben«veapjrit ahe oombitted eminiao with pH?at« prop«rty i& b«r««if; ia equally eatholic apirit> thoufb not quite in th««pml tl» Found«r of ihe Chuieb, afc» ga*« b«r bmdletioti to riob aa toil aa poor; taklag a oar« to mak« ti* ferm« pay ia Ntera fcr tb« hm a»d f«« imm to IMr «oult, «oom «qQivak»t part«f wbhb «b« b«ld fbt tb« poor. In tb« d«ftt af«e in tb« Utmg «trugcl« of tb« ttmg anoif hm and iinii?ldiiala ( tb« Cbmtian ld«al waa wbolly inapplfeabi» wk&i* af tbe m *art eam* ) peoaaUo» tb« poor aad ' km +m9 wni fcr by Um Omu*, ! tk4tlotlMnoftkM (mmmn&v+\

|ly few) who wer<* noi eerff> tr» any i !ord, nt»r had anjr of liwe?l !u»o*i. Wlien w«? fwlly cs*.;th|iBl.i J. gucii'ty ;«*.*. u liier ar< i»!' 1) Kr >datio,. of . l.ii»s-s,. fhe strt>ng t»>ua at t!»e lop as lord, tbe weak auil bene&th as Berfs. Tht* #erf lftl>orfcd ee many dayn for t\e l»rd, >0 many for hitnaelf, pretty mueh in th« t»«n>e order ss uaay be «een on our own Hawaiian Crown Landa. The motidicani or pauper ciasa t the !&ckland& and iaekalle were noi comparative!y nutnerous, In the town the Crafts« aien were aseociated in guilds whieh protected the intereeta of their memheie. Socieiy wa? stable; nien wero in fized re!ations to other tren t and thougb there wms bigher and lower, strong sud weak, there was iittie disaaiisfaction; Uie mor row and īie food wss sure to all. even ta ibe deeiitute tew. During th? declitte of Fe:idalisin and a/ter it we find a difTerent siate of things. S«ctety Uniue āgain fluid and di«orßani*ed. We find risings jf people in Ktiglsmi. Frai»ce, aud Gvruia!iy, the three lpading ntttiotis. risit>st( «>t the ,4comnionalty M it» K:ig!urid. Peasant wars in Gcrim»ny, .I.ic|iivrie in Kr; i.ce, froiw 111- nan:c ct)tiituun t-uuß«- in <\nch c;im\ nt;.3 \vo fii.d the C6niuui>i)stii. i»hr..*«•? i.> tip- 111'is« <»f thr-U\«dor*.. F<>r livi« huttdr-id v«\.rF iu Kngl i*i m»ti: th;- mi;*g of Hat Tvier in to KclV rt>ol itty uij.~l.tb!c and liahle u» s->.M Mii:niotionS; in Kt £ltuvl .11 lhrr. {}u» c< tilui V »»f (he T!-d-»r S»»vorfMjsj ;s. w* rtnd reii\i*Ml i:i>umrlu»nft «#f th« |>eO]»h to io..iat;iin their liiihi** to Ihe lsi>«*; ;ig.\ ;r>st tho J>rat-C*» of ■•ch*£ir»i)o< s m<d by the gr*ut landi»ivn»ni. T)it rit*ittg aguiui»t the di.icl:m' nf <'}»aram , e&. of turning »rahle nI» pustore laiid. and driviug away the cu!tivat »rB, was piaihly an aileinpi to d*prive ihe tiilvrs of the t-oii of llie meanti of lile, snd the attempt of the ]andiords to exerei?e alMioluie rghi of property in the lr nd whieh ihe? never really pos»ep?ed and couid be p*runited to exercisc at ihe cost of the «?xi§tence of the< people. , The strong Tudor Kings Henrv VII and Henry VIII Uiok iiie part of the people in thia fraud. and aiiempted by siatuies to eheek the practice, thougb with only pariial eooeeee. One pera»anent eo* eial leeuli fol!owed fro« tbeee prao* tk*e togeiber with ihe eonfieo«tion oftbe property of reiigtouB oooaiuunttiee v naiueiy . a greai inerea«e in ihe deetiiute poor« ao gi*at ihal at iaa a perroaneoi provi«<m bad to be n»ade fer t!.wn v and a new nom< mumelie laaiilulian in the sbapeof iw Undi tat df*iied li» plaoe of lbe 6id oommuniaUe n«tiiutione dīseoN«d v Tbe greal inoreaee of ibe poor nnd ibeir bardabipe ?ooaed ibe pit? and e?mpeihy of 6lr Tbonsaa More wbo in his "Utopia* go*a baok to tbe nmmmmwkm of Ihe Oeaneii ānd i» eoaw retniūts of Plnlo'a 1» pnb)ie ae tbe o*ly radkal m* (To be Ooalinned.) ■ m m