Delaware gazette and state journal. (Wilmington, Del.) 1883-1902, 1900-11-29
CLOSER UNION OF CATHOLICS.

CLOSER UNlON Ut VA HullGS.
Plans for the Federation of Church socie-
ties to be Discussed Soon.
New York Sun,
The proiert looking to the federation
of the Catholic societies of tho United
States into one great union whose
object, it has been announced, is to
| insist that Catholics shall not be dis
criminatad against, is to be formally
| discussed at n meeting of the Catholic
clergy and laity at the Fifth Avenue
Hotel, this city, on Thanksgiving Day.
Bishop McFaul of Trenton is one OF
| the leading advocates of the federation
idea. and he is expected to give his
views at the meeting.
A plan for frderating the societies
has been prepared by Bishop Messmer
of Green Bay, Wis. He defines the
proposed federation as union OF
Catholic societies in the United States
uf America for the purpose OF an or
ganized and common action in promot-
ing aud defending Catholic interests
ON religious, social and civil lines.
Under the religious head he includes
education, literature, Catholic sooie.
ties, Catholic immigration, homes,
colonization, homes for Catholic sail.
ors, Catholic conventions and demon
strations The social work of the fed
GRAFTON, according to his plan, would
have to do with the poor and orphans,
laborers, and public morality, under
which last head he includes marriage
and divorce, the Sunday observance,
the drink problem, the theatre. gamh-
ling and prostitution and obscene lit
erature. As relating to the civil rights
OF Catholics Bishop Messmer groups
the religious rights Of Catholics in
State institutions and in the public,
schools, chaplaiua in the army and
navy, the Catholic Indians, taxation
of church property, State support OF
sectai ian tProtestant) institutions, and
J corruption il politics.
According to Bishop Messmsr's plan
=; the federation would be directed by q
supreme council of from 10 to 81 mem
bers and house Of delegates which Is
> to elect supreme council every few
8 years and to make laws and rules fol
(. the federation. Bishop Messmer, after
! outlining his plan, says:
"Our object is not aggression 1T if
no menace or threat to any CT our non
= Catholic citizens. We do not wish mol
intend to rob them of single right
religious or civil, that our laws give
a them. We claim no more for ourselves
than We are willing shall be granted tt
II them. But we do claim the same and
g equal rights with them, religious, socia
!, and civil. We GEEK no change of tn
Constitution, but we demand that mo-
= its letter only but its spirit also shal
U be faithfully embodied in our Stat,
y and Federal legislation. it
Z "Our object is not political. VI
| ~, - H. II
g foreign to cur intentions to become
- political party or TO affiliate ourselve
Is to any of the existing political organi
!: cations, and no puiitlcal 'iobbing'
IL to be allowed in our federation. Ye
10 we cannot and shall not keep ava
y from politics altogether. Catholic in
IL terests, religious and civil are great
affected in many of our public institu
tions, the management Of which is sub
ject to legislation and the rulings c
public ofiicere-whether State or Fed
eral. If it becomes necessary to clan
lie or defend our full religious and civi
rights as American citizens or those o
- our Catholic fellow citizens In thos
% public institutions, ii must be don
through Just and proper lave aud Law
y givers, that is, through political actio
a or influence. Again should the socis
~ questions and troubles of the day bt
u come matter Of public or politici
~ agitation, Catholic citizens will b
~ bound by duty of religion as well a
u, of citizenship 10 take Fart in it. Th
10 foregoing political duties, however, d,
"a volve on every Catholic citizen, whetht
he be IL member of Catholic organi
zation or not. While, therefore, in tn
= very nature of the case this fsderatio
u | 10 70 ha af rf,i tin,oa or ,nln, /, a,
y tain conditions, forced TO exert poll
ns icaI influence, yet it will nevtr do {
~ for mere temporal, material or purel
w political purposes.
"a FINALLY, our work is not to be SEE
q, tartan in narrow, bigoted sens,
y which would exclude in principle a
~ co operation with uon. Catholic organ
VI cations or individuals. But wherey,
y. our field is the same as theirs Hr
~ wherever we can join our efforts wit
~. theirs on the basis OF common hri
10 tian principle of morality, without Il
i'e danger of scandalizing the weak
=. brethren, we shall gladly work band
a. hand for the best of cur fellow mel
~ Any one who looks over our program
- must see at glance the many poin
oss of contact where Catholics can wol
VI together with Protestalts toward
81 happy solution of the burning soci
= qut stions, toward eliminating or IL
" SEEMING some social evil. toward reno
d. ing many public disadvantages tis
hility, &c. There ia no reason why
~ Catholic federation should not exeroi
~ its powerful influence where non Cat
10 he Ollie organizations have been trying
va do good long before an organized etfo
~ had bsen made by Catholics"
=, - - .
~. Suicide of Edward Fassold.
ife Scranton, Pa, Nov, %. edward Fa