The morning star and Catholic messenger. [volume] (New Orleans [La.]) 1868-1881, 1874-10-04
workingmsn's Societies in France.
THE CONGRESS AT LYONS.

mems Societies, and have been greatly
interested by all I have heard" says the
correspondent of the London Toilet. A
volume would hardly suffice to contain an
analysis of all the speeches. I must,
therefore, content myself with brief sum-
mary of the facts connected with this
movement. Two committees, which sit at
Paris, form the handspring of the working
mems societies, One of those committees is
called Gle Bureau Central des Ruvres
Ouvrieres," the other is lie Comite Cen
trail des cercles Catalogues d'ouvriers." I
my letters, described to you the nature and
object OF the last-named committee, the
leading members of which are Captain the
Comte de Man, Captain de la Tour du Pin
Chambly, Colonel Lion, etc. Its object is
Co promote the formation of 8" Cercles u or
mutual societies of working men in all the
cities of France. At these " Cercles" the
blameless amusements, and hear addresses
on religious subjects, and find facilities for
the performance of their duties as Catholics,
for each "Cercle" has a chapel of its own
and chaplain to serve the same. The
Comite Central has at present eighty
the direction of 1900 gentlemen, members
of the Society, who are either officers of the
army, or laymen in other stations in life,
and clergymen. The eighty ".Cercles Z"
have 10000 working men belonging to
them and all these "Cereles have to be
under one uniform direction and in strict
subordinat;on to the "Comite Central"
Not so with the "Cercles" aggregated to
the Bureau Central des Gavres Ouvrieres,"
which has for it's President Monsignor de
Segur. This Bureau" imposes no regu,
latlon whatever on the "cercles " or
" 9uvres 7" that are in connection with it.
self. 1t leaves them free to organize them
selves az they think fit, and limits it's
action to sending them information and
pecuniary aid; IN short, the "Bereau !"
simply acts the part of an intermediary be-
tween them and the public, and undertakes
no direction of any "9avre" Whatsoever.
From this very cause it has an extensive
and rapidly increasing field of operations.
In 1872 the General Report of it's proceed
ings showed that it had 326 "pavres" in
connection with it. In 1873 it had 597 and
this year, on the lst ult., it had on its lists
972 "euvres," of which 257 were specially
devoted to the benefit Of soldiers. Last
year we ascertained from the books of the
Society that seventeen of the Dioceses of
France did not contain any 9uvre" in
them; this year the number OF those SO
destitute is only five. Of the 7l2 " ceuvres
ouvrieres in existence throughout France
upwards of 400 are united-either in inten-
ton or in fact-to the Bureau Central"
Now supposing that these euvres" con-
tain, on an average, no more than 100
members each, we have 1861 800 working
men preserved from corruption. Add to
these 10000 for the "cercles" of working
men aggregated to the "Comite des Cercles
Catalogues" and the grand total rises to
1i6, 800.
The correspondent of the London Times
same movement. From this letter we take
the annexed extract:
The French Press are now discussing a
Congress which has just been held at
Lyons, and represents movement of ideas
which people have been little used to in
this country. 1t is a religious and 10 some
sense aristocratic movement of the
governing class in favor of working men.
The Freedman usually acts and speaks
almost as if God reigued neither on earth
nor iu heaven. 1t is a remarkable thing,
therefore, to find $50 persons belonging to
the most elevated ranks of society, to the
| nobility of the kingdom, and to the most
| eminent Offices in the Church, collected to-
gether for the purpose of considering work
| mems questions, of establishing eighty
clubs in single year, of giving 100 lectures
in Paris alone during the wiRter. season,
and of undertaking, in short, the task of
reuniting the social bonds which were
broken 10y forgetting God and by the ex
cesses of the Revolution. The Lyons Con-
gress has been taken no notice of hitherto,
owing to the Indifference of the French
Press for everything presenting a serious
character. The lecturers of the
Society have summoned not only the indif
ferent, but the most avowed adversaries
they have hired large rooms in the most
disreputable and dangerous quarters of
Paris, thrown open the doors TO all who
would enter, and, aided by devoted and
eloquent men, have boldly mounted the
Tribune. They have npt hanD afraid n
name God before men who hated Him
they have had the good sense not to EN-.
ploy armed force at their meetings for their
protection. Some of them have incurred
actual danger, but their sang froid and
courage have resulted in their completely
gaining the mastery of their position.
These public and gratuItous addresses for
the working classes have had a singular
and unexpected result. The people find at
their disposal a superior kind of instruction
which the we'll to do cannot obtain. The
Congress considered many other subjects to