St. Paul daily globe. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn.) 1884-1896, 1884-09-09
Business Meettno--Morning Session.

The delegates to the nineteenth annual
convention of the North American German
Catholic Central society assembled in Pfei-
fer's hall yesterday morning at O'Clock to
organize for the business meetings. Pre-
sident Spannhorst, of St. Louis, called the
meeting to order, and requested the mem
bers of the committee on arrangements to
occupy the seats on the platform, afterwhich
the president led in prayer. The German
language was used in the transaction of all
business, as well as in social intercourse.
The names of the delegates were read and
corrected, after which the president read his
annual address
The president opened his address by say
ing that the delegates present had come from
near and far to transact the business of the
society, and they should regard it as an
honor that they were chosen as such, and
therefore take heed that whatever they should
do was for the best interests of the societies
which they represented; they should not be
dead letters, but should show by their actions
that they appreciated the honor bestowed
upon them. Although the convention was
held in the northwestern part of the United
States it was well represented, not only in
numbers but in intelligence. Delegates
from thirteen states and eighty-three cities,
from the far north to the extreme south,
were present. This gave him hope that
the business of the convention would
be transacted with care, and ito the interest
of all concerned. Although the society had
been in organization for over thirty years,
and, with one exception, a general conven-
ton had been held every year, the object in
view had not yet been obtained. He thought
an explanation of that subject would be
timely, as there were probably several in the
| convention to whom it had not been made
clear. The object, however, was becoming
clearer year after year.
| Touching on the incidents which led to the
formation of the society in its present form,
and upon the objects to be attained by such
formation the president said circular
! had been issued in 1854 by the
then existing German Catholic
Benevole Mt society, of Buffalo, New York,
which recommended the formation of a gem
eral society in order to secure closer commu-
nication, and to assist in accomplishing the
| object for which these societies had been
formed. In that sense the constitution was
adopted. The fear of the then existing
know nothingism was at that time nearly
over, and the central society held conven-
ton every year, with the exception of 1859.
In the eighth Convention at Cincinnati in
1868, there were represented larger number
of societies than ever before, consisting OF
nineteen. In the thirteenth assembly in New
York in 1864, the convention took
up the subject of immigration,
although it never came to anything
From that year the society began to increase
although some of the societies of Pittsburg
Allegheny, Birmingham, all except one in
Buffalo, and many in Cincinnati, refused II
cooperate by bringing in their reports ant
giving their assistance. But the organiza
ton continued its growth, until now it con
tanned $50 societies. In order to intelli
gently discuss the question it was necessary
to understand the constitution of the organi