1919 Bishops' Plan: Documents

2. William Cardinal O'Connell's "The Reasonable Limits of State Activity,"

   In this address to the Educational Convention in St. Louis, MO on June 24, 1919, Cardinal O'Connell warns of the dangers of government interference in business and citizens' private lives. Cardinal O'Connell saw government legislation regarding labor and business as opening the door to a socialist form of government. Consequently, he criticized Bishops' Program of Reconstruction and its call for social reform legislation that would regulate working conditions and wages.

3. Selections from Ignatius Donnelly's novel, Caesar's Column: A Story of the Twentieth Century, Chapter 11, pp. 96-99; Chapter 12, pp. 101-108, pp. 112-114.

   In 1889, Donnelly wrote Caeser's Column, a utopian science fiction novel. The book is a cautionary tale set one hundred years in the future (1988). In Chapter XI, the protagonist learns that unbridled capitalism ruined the political and economic systems of the world. Donnelly also predicts globalization in this chapter. In Chapter XII, he outlines an economic system that he believes would result in a utopia.

   NOTE: Ignatius Donnelly's Caesar's Column contains ethnic prejudice, but we include it here because:

   John Ryan was powerfully influenced by Donnelly, a United States Congressmen, populist and author who lived in a town near Ryan's own in Minnesota. Late nineteenth-century populism, as historian Richard Hofstadter showed in his classic work, The Age of Reform, sometimes contained elements of anti-Semitism, aligning Jews with elite monetary power. Ignatius Donnelly's populism contained strains of anti-Semitism, and the excerpt from Caesar's Column included on this website, in attributing the impoverishment and exploitation of Europe to "Israelites" and to individuals with allegedly "Semitic blood," exhibit this prejudice. The passage also contains anti-Asian sentiment, very common in American society during this period. We have included the excerpt here because Donnelly's ideas (Ryan mentions the impact of Caesar's Column by name in his autobiography) heavily influenced Ryan's, and these passages clearly illustrate Donnelly's populist views.

   There is, however, no evidence that John Ryan himself was anti-Semitic. To the contrary, Ryan famously denounced the anti-Semitism of Father Charles Coughlin in a 1938 Commonweal, piece titled "Anti-Semitism in the Air," which was reprinted as a 1939 article titled "Catholics and Anti-Semitism" in Current History. He denounced anti-Semitism generally in a 1939 pamphlet titled "American Democracy vs. Racism, Communism." He was also a member of the Committee of Catholics to Fight Anti-Semitism.

4. Leo XIII's, Rerum Novarum

   Pope Leo XIII wrote this encyclical to address the rise of industrialism in western countries. Rerum Novarum examines the relationships between the Church, government, business, labor. It used neo-Thomistic reasoning to just the support of the right of labor to organize and the support of private property. The encylical rejected both unbridled capitalism and socialism.

5. British Labor Program pdf1 pdf2 pdf3 pdf4 pdf5 pdf6

   Many different social and economic programs from a range of countries influenced John Ryan's thinking on economic and social reform. This outline from Ryan's reference notes on the Bishops' Program reflect the influence of British reformist thought on his own.

6. Mother "Mary Harris" Jones documents

   Mother Jones took a different approach to labor issues than most Catholic social thinkers: she was an avowed radical and socialist. Known as the "Angel of the Miners," Jones always sided with labor. The documents presented here demonstrate her support of labor and her belief that business and government conspired to exploit laborers.

7. Selection from John A. Ryan's personal "Journal", November 11, 1894.

   John A. Ryan's personal "Journal", kept during his years in the seminary and shortly thereafter. This selection, written in November 11, 1894, expresses his disappointment at the losses suffered by the People's Party in the November elections. The People's Party referred to was the Populist Party, also called the Alliance or Farmers's Alliance.

   Transcription

8. Selections from Social Doctrine in Action: A Personal History, (New York: Harper and Brothers, 1941)

   This selection describes the impact of Pope Leo XII's encyclical Rerum Novarum on John A. Ryan's social thinking. The encylical supported Ryan's Populist distrust of an unregulated free market and the necessity of government intervention in the economy to ensure the welfare of all.

9. Selections from John Ryan's personal journal on October 14, 16, 1892.

   John Ryan's Journal, written largely during his seminary years in the 1890s, provided an outlet for his musings on society. In these selections, Ryan muses on "man as social being," and the election of 1894. They reveal emerging beliefs that would be fully developed later, in publications such as the Bishops' Program of 1919.

   Transcription

10. Selection from John A. Ryan, "Individualism," from The Catholic Encyclopedia (New York: Appleton Co., 1910) Volume VII, pp. 761-762

    In this encylcopedia entry, Ryan defines "individualism" as "the tendency to magnify individual liberty, as against external authority, and individual activity, as against associated activity." Extreme individualism, as defined by Ryan, rejects the intrusion of authority from church, state, and in the realm of business. Ryan states that the Catholic position is neither individualistic nor anti-individualistic.

11. Selections from John Ryan's personal "Journal," kept during his years at the Seminary and shortly thereafter, 1892-1898. These selections from the last entries for November 17, 21, 1894; October 10, 1897.

    Transcription

12. John A. Ryan, Social Reconstruction (New York: MacMillan Co. 1920) pp. 213-216.

    This book was composed of a series of lectures delivered at Fordham University's School of Social Service at the end of 1919 and beginning of 1920 on the issue of social reconstruction, shortly after the issuance of the "Bishop's Program for Social Reconstruction."

13. Selection from John A. Ryan, "The Attitude of the Roman Catholic Church Towards Radical Social Reform," Community Forum n. d. 1917 (?)

    In this article, Ryan explains that the Catholic Church's approach to social reform is a conservative rather than a radical one.

14. Letter from Bishop William Russell, Bishop of Charleston, South Carolina to all Archbishops, National Catholic War Council Records, ACUA.

    In this letter to all Archbishops Bishop Russell explains the need for the American Catholic Church to create the Committee of the National Catholic War Council to effect legislative change on the national level.

15. Letter from Rev. John O'Grady to Rev. Mgr. M.J. Splaine, October 9, 1918, NC War Council Records, ACUA.

    In this letter Rev. O'Grady suggests potential members and an agenda for the Committee for Reconstruction. Suggested members include members of both labor and management. O'Grady emphasizes the necessity of the committee being public.

16. Letter from Rev. John O'Grady to Rev. Mgr. M.J. Splaine, October 16, 1918, NC War Council Records, ACUA.

    In this letter Rev. O'Grady presents a revised budget for the Committee for Reconstruction and urges caution in choosing its members.

17. Letter from Rev. Mgr. M.J. Splaine to Rev. John O'Grady, December 6, 1918, NC War Council Records, ACUA.

    Rev. Msgr. Splaine requests that Rev. O'Grady provide a detailed plan for the four bishops of the Administrative Committee.

18. Rev. John O'Grady's autobiography pdf1 pdf2 pdf3 pdf4

    Here Father O'Grady describes how he acquired the work of Father John Ryan and submitted it as the Bishops' Program.

19. Minutes of the Meeting of the Committee on Special War Activities, December 10, 1918, NC War Council Records, ACUA.

    These are the minutes for the meeting in which the Committee on Special War Activities approved and endorsed Ryan's Plan for Social Reconstruction. Note that the plan is accorded no special status in the minutes.

20. Report of the Committee on Social Reconstruction (Part 1), (Part 2), November 20, 1918, NC War Council Records, ACUA.

    This the actual program presented by the Committee on Social Reconstruction. The plan is called "a practical and moderate program." Though it deals with specific issues such as a living wage and vocational training, it does not provide specific solutions.

21. Letter from Rev. John Burke CSP to Bishop Peter Muldoon, December 10, 1918, enclosure of "Social Reconstruction" Program, NC War Council Records, ACUA.

    Here Rev. Burke, CSP, asks that Bishop Muldoon support the "Social Reconstrution" program and expresses his desire to publish the plan as soon as possible.

22. Letter from Bishop Peter Muldoon to Rev. John J. Burke CSP, December 14, 1918 NC War Council Records, ACUA.

    In this letter Bishop Muldoon expresses his general support for the statement. He worries that the document is "a pronouncment on social problems" rather than a "social program." The lack of practical suggestions or methods, he fears, could lead to confusion and frustration among the clergy and the laity.

23. Letter from Rev. John O'Grady to Mr. Ralph Easley, April 9, 1919 NC War Council Records, ACUA.

    Rev. O'Grady responds here to criticisms of the bishops' program published by Ralph Easley of the National Civic Federation Review. O'Grady reminds Easley that the Church does not necessarily support labor over business but seeks equitable treatment for all.

24. Letter from Rev. John J. Burke to Bishop Peter Muldoon, April 2, 1919, NC War Council Records, ACUA.

    Writing to Bishop Muldoon, Rev. Burke expresses his excitement over public reaction to the Bishops' Program for Social Reconstruction pamphlet. He also notes with frustration difficulties with the New York Diocesan Council whose members are questioning the authority of the NCWC, even referring to these critics as "bolsheviki."

25. Letter from Archbishop Edward Hanna of San Francisco, to Bishop Peter Muldoon, April 4, 1919, NC War Council Records, ACUA.

    In this letter, Archbishop Hanna expresses his enthusiasm for the bishops' plan. He requests a thousand copies of the pamphlet and states that he will be using the document in a sermon.

26. Letter from Rev. John J. Burke to Bishop Peter Muldoon, April 4, 1919, NC War Council Records, ACUA.

    Rev. Burke passes on news of more responses to the Bishops' Program, celebrating the enthusiasm of Archbishop Hanna, as well as noting the critical reaction of the civic reformer Ralph Easley. Also reproduced here is a communication from the Secretary of the Knights of Columbus, William J. McGinley, to Burke concerning the activities the War Council in the war's aftermath.

27. Letter from Ralph Easley to P.H. Callahan, April 11, 1919 NC War Council Records, ACUA.

    Here, Ralph Easley claims that a Bishops' Program pamphlet was given to him by "important Catholics" who did not believe that the document had been authorized by the hierarchy.

28. Letter from Bishop William Russell to Rev John J. Burke, June 6, 1919, NC War Council Records, ACUA.

    Transcription

    Here, Bishop Russell relays the fact that some members of the hierarchy had misgivings about the Bishops' Program.

29. "Social Reconstruction" published pamphlet, 1/1919, NC War Council Records, ACUA.

    This is the final, published form of the Program for "Social Reconstruction" issued by the NCWC.

30. Selection from John A. Ryan speech before the First Annual Convention of the National Council of Catholic Women from "Proceedings of the First Annual Convention of the National Council of Catholic Women," Volume II, Typewritten Mss., National Council of Catholic Women Records

    In this speech to the National Council of Catholic Women, Ryan explains that attempting to bring Catholic theories regarding social action into eveyday affairs actually offends many Catholics.

31. Selection from P. Tecumseh Sherman, "Catholic Social Reconstruction Program Analyzed," The National Civic Federation Review, September 25, 1920, pp. 5-8, copy in Reference Files, Ryan Papers, ACUA.

    Sherman illustrates what he believes are a number of fallacies with the bishops' program, especially with regard to the minimum wage and social insurance. He dismisses the program as a day dream rather than a practical proposal. One should note that his arguments rely more on economic ideas than religious ones.

32. Letter from John A. Ryan to Bishop John P. Farrelly DD, Bishop Of Cleveland, January 15, 1921, NCWC Records, Social Action Department Files, ACUA.

    Here Ryan asks Bishop Farrelly for his support in lobbying for a minimum wage law for women and children in Ohio.

33. Letter from Mrs. Clara Pressler to Rev. John A.Ryan, March 3, 1921, NCWC Records, SAD files.

34. Selection from John A. Ryan, "The End of Hysteria", NCWC Bulletin (June 1923).

    Here Ryan applauds policy shifts within the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI)related to revolutionary and reform groups. He criticizes the FBI for stoking public fear, unjustly antagonizing immigrants, and discrediting reform movements by labeling them "red" or "Bolshevist".

35. Nation clipping, Reference Files, Ryan Papers, ACUA. Here the journalist Raymond Swing comments on the Bishops' Program in The Nation

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