Finally, there is the Left Wing of the Roman Catholic party, who derive
their social convictions from Pope Leo's Encyclica 'Rerum Novarum,' which
affords a great many points upon which joint action is possible, for Leo
XIII. is often called in Holland 'the Workmen's Pope.' Both
Anti-Revolutionists and Roman Catholics entertain entirely different
political ideals, but they agree upon this, that the modern Liberal State
is not really neutral in religions matters, but is 'Modern Protestant,'
and 'Modern' Protestantism spells atheism in their eyes; and both regard a
weak and fragile Christian as a better citizen than the best atheist or
agnostic. For this reason they are combined in hostility to the existing
System of elementary education, which they suspect of an atheistic
tendency. These two questions, religion and the schools, virtually exhaust
the vital points of agreement between the Anti-Revolutionists and the
Roman Catholics, though in an emergency they might possibly unite on
social legislation or some mild form of Protection. The latter would,
however, have to be very mild indeed, for Dr. Kuyper is a Free Trader, and
the 'Little people' like cheap bread just as well as other folk. For
Holland it might be a matter of great importance if progressive social
legislation became Kuyper's chief work.
There is no doubt a great drawback in this mixing up by ail parties of
politics and religion. Kuyper, the Calvinist; Schaepman, the Catholic;
Drucker, Treub, and Molengraaf, the Liberal Democrats; Goeman Borgesius,
the man of the 'Liberal Union;' and Troelstra, the Socialist, all have
many common ideas on social questions, although they may differ in
principles and seek different aims. Each of them, however, has
Conservative opponents in his own party, and there is just a possibility
that the next few years may bring about not only a healthy measure of
social development, but also a much-desired readjustment of parties, on
non-theological, undogmatical lines.
Chapter XVIII
The Administration of Justice
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