Loyola University Chicago Loyola eCommons Master's Theses Theses and Dissertations 1952 The Interest of Catholic Leaders in Labor Problems 1875-1900 Jane Dominic Birney Loyola University Chicago Follow this and additional works at: https://ecommons.luc.edu/luc_theses Part of the History Commons Recommended Citation Birney, Jane Dominic, "The Interest of Catholic Leaders in Labor Problems 1875-1900" (1952). Master's Theses. 911. https://ecommons.luc.edu/luc_theses/911 This Thesis is brought to you for free and open access by the Theses and Dissertations at Loyola eCommons. It has been accepted for inclusion in Master's Theses by an authorized administrator of Loyola eCommons. For more information, please contact [email protected]. This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-Noncommercial-No Derivative Works 3.0 License. Copyright © 1952 Jane Dominic Birney .. fBI :ommBS! OP OAtHOLIC tEADDl II' lABOR PROBmIIS 187S--1900 by Sl.t8r lane D_l1110 l1ra8, to. P. 1 the,l. 8ubld. tted to the 'aoult,. ot the Gra4ute Sehool of Loy,la UDlveralty 1n Part1al rult111ment ot tbe Requir.ments tor the DeI1".. ot lIa.t.!' .f Art. !ABDI or COID_S Chapter Pac_ I • mB()I)tJ'CI lOll • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • 1 Soo,. ot the pa,. ...... n1nc ot 1n4u.trlaU. -!a4u.trlal ••ptuUa-looDOIlie powth to 186O-r.bor prebl•• betore 186O ...ltt •• , ••t the Oin1 War-Catholle Churoh 1n ....rl.a, 183o-186O-ZXternal and lnteraal OharGh pr.... 1eIt.... -oo ... 1:1011 ot the Ohurch with labor betore 1860. II. !HI Plosma 0., WCIl D TBZ UD IDlftlftH ' OBItUl!' • •• • • • • • • ~ • • • • • • • • • • 10 !be Churoh and e.onomic llte--Cathol1. te80h- 1Dc .D. o.... rahip.-Worth of human labor-In­ .1ne.e ot the a_oil on .oral pr1ae1ple. 18 aooial and eoo1'1_o Ute-Le ••eDin, of 11 Catholl0 lDtl..... by 19th century.-I•• 4 tor 8Jl .ppl1.atlol1 ot Christian pr1l101,ple. to .04.,-n ••onotd.e 111. at that tlu-Gl'owth ot ~ Charoh tbro. lamd.patloa-Itte.t. upon .. Clmrch ot lam18ration-Seer.t ... oietSe. and •••tau.. oa".. Obul'olaell oon­ oe,.. with labor....,.."'" an4 *he ea., ot the '; I"rl1ch'l .f tabor-oppo.ltlon to loolall__ &ltrleu1tl., fa'iDle.thoU. lea«.,.. Sa juq. 1Dc labor problau. JIAIDIJ!l!JOI' or DftRBST II I.A.BOR JlROBIDS, l! OAtJlOLXC r.tIAJ)lmS dOlO PRUSle AID LlDY. 18"* 19CM) • • • • • • • • • • • •• • • • • • • • '. • • w.t ... ot 0.tho110 le.d.l'.h1p.-Perplexitle. ot the 11ft •••la1 .,-,•• .....catb.ol1e pr1e.t. r ••opl ••• tor tbei!' 010.. ne •• to ,tb.ewor... " iDI,' ptople-ArtS.ole. aeaUna with 1&1t_ written :I 1'I'1··, ... "..C''''' ot •••t ., the oler.,. •• ':J'l:ter..!;. ~%n~r!~'~7 ~:Z:'" l.a7a4m. .xp•••• ct in pel'l041•• t. ........ t ...st ot (be laity ...11 but 81lD1ttoant. , • fBI DtIllU! or fBI CAtHOLIC iIXlRAROB!' II fBi UB. JIIlOBtBIIS or .lIIIRlCA t 18'1-1900 • • • • • • • S1p1t1e... e ot inte,.,t .hown. by the l:d.er. ar~'" re••• tor the ocm.tul_ with r.pf4 to la'bor.....J)l..... n.. in outlook dOne lea41nc ...18t • ....o.o..... ot the 8eocm4 Pte.. a".,. 0'0\11\011--1.. 1 tl.s .f 'tba thUd Plena,...,. <: ...11-f- 1I1,.,.e.t .tthe hterarebF 1R .eneral in labor probl........ rhat of Car41aal G1bb ..J UObtt1.h,0, Ireland, 11.hop Keane t aDA Itl!lo, .,.14ln& in part1aular-l_a17 ot ,he int.r.,t .t the CathoUo h1era,.u, 4viDe tid, )MIrlH. ' , fl. OOlCr.tJIlOI .................. • • 124 ...to-econ .... obaq.. 11'1 lMI'1oan 11te... Ca11M. an4 nature of labor PJlobl.e....... 1a­ tlouhip ot Oa thoUc leaders to labor­ ......, aDd .0ola11.. cau.. andu.e oonc.rn.- • Ditftedtie. tor the t.l"len4. ot labor-­ Baroi. qaal1tie. required tor ona.plon1Dc labor's Gau •• 1n tho.. 4a1.--AppreolatlGB aDd reoop.1tlon 4_ to tho.e who .. inMH.t baa .en reGorded.. • • • • • • • • • • • IIDODUotIOlI Ia aD atteapt to mow .Y14enoe ot the 1ate.... t o~ lIle.. loaD. CathoU. lea4... 8 1A the labor proble.. of the late rd.ne­ teel1tb 0811".,., ... pr.llalDa:ry ob ••nat! .. _" 4..... r.le­ ftIl". .., _1p, ther.t... , 1. tM pMr.l ••0,. ot 'the paper brlet17 pre.. nM4 he" but a110 a 001101 .. 48ftlopael1" ot Wu­ trial o.pltal1_ iD. ......s. •• 18 11.,..11 to a14 the rea4.r 1ft • bet- ter ......taJt41ac of tbI prob1eaa ot 'the labor1q ola.... ot 'the period ...r .ttldy_ Al.o It ft. thoucht .....ary "0 try to ••••taat 'tha .tat'l' ot the OathoUe Ohare clarlllg the .u1ier ,ear. of oar 001U'1uy .0 that a proper per.p•• t1 .... ooal4 aON r.a4 117 be approsSaated. tt wa. 4 ••14.4 ...n "eteJ'lll ns,q the nat.e aDd extent the pr... llt reaea:reh to lJa1t the .00,. ot 'the the.l. to the la.t qau't.r .t the ldaeteellth oeatury. .ot oa1y wa. thi. perlocl t0UD4 t. be PS'.paa't with -301' 1 ..... 111 Datlonal aD4 •••18.1&lt1oa1 .t., ba' tM ......,.. ohalll.' and. the prob1elu J'l•• ul:t1nc there. _ ..... t. wat*rant Dot1.. aDd 1I1..... tlea1;I_ • .... ill ......, , ••1'1 hal been witten about the problea. of labor. ..., of the ••thor. haft vl.et to trace the 4..... 10paeat 1 2 • the.. proble•• 1D. the alchteaath ud JUneteenth .entul... , ot , taot tbat at tbe e. of tbe latta.... atv,. a ••t o~ tbe problell. 0 labor ba4 be.... aOllt.. and the a4484 taot that a state ot c.nara uar ••t .... the wor1d.npea of tbe co_v,. wa. le"1'al17 raooc­ rd._4 (wbeU.r tbJtoupt.ar, Mora; OJ' ,878patbl') ·la4ta. ph.. at _iter to ·.v1.. to a_rtaia to wbat enellt Cat1lo11t leader. fa ...rio ....... trJ'Mr.ate4 ill t.bapUP'.t the :labfW1ac .la.... , it po•• ible. to,po1D.t ftt tbe .b••• t .....wh1eh b.tl.... 4th1. inter•• t.lt 'ft........ ta. at tbeoat.. ' that t.be pl... r_ • .,....... t. ·CathoU.... ial· .otloa 414 aot be,iIl .t11 atter tM ttl1'll ot tb8 twentieth ••at.,.. lDA... a. wS4•• p ••" aOfta4tllt 4v iDa \be perl04 ....1'.4 by tM. theala 0Ul ... .la... 4, bat ..... pl......... la,p"'at,•• aDd, ao 40ut, , ••• who tol1_4·.0 .ao•••• h11l' ill the tweatieth 08at.,. wMlA be __ tlw tlret to .,knowWe. ,be tulcht aIl4 t".ieht of tbetr te... a.... pr.d.- e••• or. ot the a ..atou .....4 •• 3•• ' prlor to 1900. (ta ...au.. with labO!' prob1ell. tho.. ot the la4•• tr18l lab... r wiU be .t Uiet ....n., .t_r.t..._ .xplaaatioa ot tbe ... • t ~ tan t1a4uv1aU.' ..... 1a orel.... ,Ile.on 1ft­ du.trialila 1. ot· t.iJtlJ' a04.rn _.... otat1_. It II --0Dl7 al- . • 0018t•• with the iD.""."ou ot the .1Ihte.ath ..at .. ,. .hioh intr04... 4 .... MOlm.1q.S, _OUCh' aboa' .obS.. pr_uotloa, ... at1ll"', Altha•• ' ..._4 t._. of POWI', t_ aoat 1'8.018'loaar7 ot _hiGh ft. ..ea. BeGa"" of tbe po_liar t ••t._. ot Aaer10an 01... 111.atl_, Wu.tr1al 4..... 10punt ft' un1qu Sa W. .trlpUaa .. 3 oountr1 wlth lta vast reSDVC•• and thouaanda ot aores ot virSin lan4. ID4utrlall.. in the Unlted Stat•• , theretore, reached lta "cOIIplete expresslon 111 the textile 1I1lla and taotories ot .... Incland wlthout the aU of .t.... " .e'ftrthele •• , the eSS81l0. of iDdt1strlal1a .,. be oalle4 the appl1catlO1l ot noa-baaa.t non­ tre. po.. r to ••ebaIll... tor tbe proctuatlon ot lo04s on a lar.e .oale. the ftrlou. powera •••4 in procluctlon are oate.vl•• 4 aa. those readily available to aU or a8JQ', no1'1 as _~1 water· and w1n4 power, aDd those requ1r1ng a creat _O\Ult ot oap1tal to utl­ l1.ae, 1 ••• , larS_ water, .te.. ,electrloal, al14 011 ponr.1 . lD4u.trI811•• at be:41.t1Dp.iabe4 flo. 08p1t811sa whloh 1D It. a04erB ..... Mua the OWD.SrMip aJl4 control ot pro- 4l1Otl_ b,. othera tbaa tbe workers. ln4uatr1al1_ 1. the r ••ult ot the ••r1.. ot prooe.se. by whieh ohans.. 1n it. _thod. ot pro­ dactlon ..re aooo.p118he4. 08plt8U" waa the lnstltatloaal tora ~,. whioh the .. new proce ..e. "'1'. explolte4. In the ear17 per104 .t ban4-power tools, and even in the 4a,.. ot the nrst ..ohi •• !whether 4r1ven b,. wla4 or by _11 water-power, oapltaU. was not • oOllpl1aeatary tactor. It was not. _iU atter 1814 when Boaton ..rohant. tranaterre« tbttr tlu14 oapltal traa ou.meroe to ootto.n IWllltact_tna OIl • large ••ale at .uch 01t1e. 1n the .tate aa lalthaa, le'ftU. ana Laurence, that 1n4.strla11_ ana. oap1taU_ 4 ..re wedded ta the United State. an4 industrial oapltalism began to &1"1 •••2 Altho1.'lgh the be,1ml1ngs ot industrlal eapital181 weI"• ..d. early 111 tbe rdn.te.nth century, yet the growth was co.para­ t1.,.11 slOW' anti1 tbe advent ot the olnl War. lIevertheles. ,rowth 1t _I, and the worker. who weI'. drawn into the new 8Ylt•• of in411.tr1811.. only gradWllly O81Ie to realize their loss.. in .tatus and tnclepen4enoe which no coatort lains oould cancel. At first 1ndusVla11a bad retained ".uch of the lellurelines. ot ita rural orl,ln. It knew 11ttle ot atnotenoy in the ••nse of aaxl­ •• output per unit ot t1lae and cost •••• the 014 hours .... r. ap­ pal111l1lr lone. but they were borne with better Irace beoau•• the dlsclplin. was slack.-3 Until atter l840 the _~orlty ot worker. were not de. pendent _Ie laborers who aold tb812" labor powers to the indu.­ trlal oapltalist and took 11P ••ployment under tbe root ot the factory where productlon and llanacellent were plaune4 and central- 1zed. fhe cre.t ooncentrat1011s ot populatlon which caused the phenoaenal crowth of urban Ute had not yet taken plaoe.