Page:Catholic Encyclopedia, volume 14.djvu/441

 SYNDIC

3S.-

SYNDICALISM

tive intellect. In the field of moral conduct there are snnilar first principles of action, such as: "evil must be avoided, good done"; "Do not to others what you do not wish to be done to yourself"; "Parents should be honoured"; "We should live temperately and act justly". Such as these are self- evident truths in the field of moral conduct which any sane ))erson will admit if he understands them. ."Vccordinf; to the Scholastics, the readiness with which such moral truths are apprehended by the practical intellect is due to the natural habit impressed on the cognitive faculty which they call sjTideresis. While 3onscience is a dictate of the practical reason deciding that any particular action which I am contemplating IS right or WTong, sjTideresis is a dictate of the same practical reason which has for its object the first general principles of moral action.

St. Thomas, Summa, I. Q. Ixxix, a. 12 (Parma. 1S52); P.itdzzi. Oe ralione humana in Migne, Thcoloiiiie Cursus completus. XI
 * Paria, 1S41). T. SlaTER.

Syndic, Apostolic. — A layman who in the name, ind by the authority, of the HolySeeassumesthecare ind civil administration of the temporalities and in Darticular the pecuniary alms destined for the support ind benefit of Franciscan convents, and thence pro- vides for the requirements of the brethren. To the Friars Minor corporate as well as individual ownership yas forbidden by the constitution or the rule. During
 * he first years of the order's existence, the hteral ob-

servance of this precept, being feasible as well as Dossible, presented no ditfieulty; but as time went on, md the order developed as a vast organization, and spread over the whole world, countless difficulties had o be faced and fierce controversy arose, the qucestio de ■laujK-rlale lasting for centuries. To preserve and safeguard as far as possible the letter as well as the spirit of the complete "expropriation" advocated by 5l. Francis, the popes adopted the fictio juris of assum- ng to themselves the ownership of all goods bestowed ipon the friars. Thus the friars were legally regarded is mere users, the right of property being vested in the •ioman pontiil, except in cases where the donors made ■xjiUcit reservation in their own behalf. But as the m act of ownership, and this was prohibited by the rule, luch administration had to be exercised by a steward ippointed, or at least authorized, by the Holy See.
 * ivil administration of property in one's own interest is

According to the Decretal of Nicolas III, "Exiit lui seminat" (art. 12, n. 2), 14 August, 1279, the ap- )ointment of the syndic Apostolic rested with the ovcn-ignpontitTor the cardinal protector, — sometimes )ishops acted as their delegates in this matter; but Uartin IV ("Ex-ultantcs", 18 January, 1283) em- )Owered the superiors of the order — the general, the )rovincials, and the custodcs — within their respective ipheres of jurisdiction, to appoint and remove syndics IS circumstances might require. The hirger powers ('ith which the syndic was invested by Jklartin IV md bj' his successors, Martin V ("Constitutiones Mar- inianae" in Wadding, "Annates", X, 301) and Paul V ("Ex Clement! ", 1 July, 1.555), g.ave rise to the ap- )ellation syndicus Marlinianus in contradistinction o syndi-cus communis. This latter, as constituted by Nicholas III (Exiit) and Clement V ("Exivi de Para- li.so", 6 May, 1312), could deal only with movable )roi)erty (valuables excepted) and with purchase noneys. "The Martinian syndic on the other hand, IS trustee and agent of the Holy See on behalf of the riars, might receive and dispose of all goods movable md immovable (money offerings, legacies, and re- nunerations) and, in pursuance of his trust, institute iroceedings in the courts and tsike such other steps as night be deemed necessary to protect the interests )f the communitj' in whose favour he acted. The Apostolic syndic and his wife and children were ac- lorded the enjojTnent of all and sundry indulgences, >ardons, and privileges which the friara themselves XIV.— 25

have obtained, or shall obtain, from the Holy See (Clement VII, "Dum Consideramus", 16 April, 1526).

Bitllarium Franciscanum (Rome. 1759-1908), passim; VVad- DiNO, Annales, passim; St. Bonaventure. Opera Omn., Vlll (Quaracchi, 1882-1902). 332; Ferraris, Bibliotheca (Rome, 1885), s. V. Syndicus; Marchant, Rdectio Theol. de Institutione et Usu Syndicorum sec. Regulam FF. Min. (.\ntwerp. 1048). The expositors of the Rule (ch. iv) includinc thosnlitli- siml erudite, if sometimes erratic, Hilarius de Parisiis. RTionjTnous with Industrial or Trades Unionism; but like "Sociah.sm" the word has come to be used almost exclusively in a restricted sense and implies the principles expressed in theory and practice by French syndicates united in the Confederation G<5n6rale du Travail (General Con- federation of Labour). Three influences have com- bined in the formation of this new system: revolu- tionary unionism. Anarchism, and Socialism. The theories of Proudhon together with those of ]Marx and Bakounine are here combined in a new form of in<ius- trial agitation which has received the name of "direct action". There has been no scientific or purposeful adaptation of the various doctrines. The mere co- operation in the same syndicats by followers of these often most antagonistic leaders has gradually brought about an agreement upon fundamental principles of revolutionary action to which all could subscribe, while free divergence of opinion might still find its individual expression outside the Syndicalist move- ment. While Syndicahsm has but recently forced itself into popular notice, it is not new in its doctrines, which had almost all been accepted by the old "Inter- national" of Paepe, Marx, and Bakounine. When this was finally swept away during the revolutionary period of 187-71, the present si/n<licats were gradu- ally con.structed, and after countless vicissitudes the Sociahstic and Anarchistic elements were at last con- solidated in the Confederation Generale du Travail.

The primary object of revolutionary Syndicalism is common to the various groups of which it is composed and consists in the destruction of the existing order of society, the expropriation and aboUtion of ca])ital, and the elimination of the entire system of wages. Its basic doctrine is the teaching of the class struggle, while, like Socialism and Anarchism, it sees in patriot- ism one of its worst enemies. The State is to be vio- lently combat ted even when it enacts measures bene- ficial to the labourer, since all reforms arc said to be deceptive unless forced from it by the sjiidicalist workers themselves. There are but two di\'isions of mankind, the employers and the employed, and any- thing which can foment bitterness and disagreement between these two is a triumph for the worker. All this is pure Marxian doctrine. The metliod by which revolutionary Syndicalism would bring about its pur- pose is known as direct action, i. e. the absolute re- jection of all intermediary influences between the worker and his intended revolution. It disregards politics and parhamenfary activity, repudiates in- tcllectualism, and refuses to employ any agency except that of the workingiiian alone. Although direct action does not in itself imi)ly violence, yet the employment of physical force is considered insepa- rable from its successful application. The particular form in which direct action is to find its adequate exjiression is the general strike. Each strike now takes on the nature of a skirmi.-sli preceding the great battle and becomes an end in it.self indejiendently of its success or failure. It calls for the support of the entire working class, and the more severe the conflict the greater the class-consciousness that is developed.