The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1901-12-12
Will MEET AT CHICAGO
CATHOLIC FEDERATION COMPLETES
ITS PERMANENT ORGANIZATION.
Election of Officers Not Finished-New
Constitution Adopted - Contest
Over the National Offices.

CINCINNATI, Dec. 1.-THE American
Federation of Catholic Societies, at the
three sessions of their second days meet
ing, held here, transacted most of the i'm
portant business which was to come be-
fore the delegates. The constitution
was adopted after long debate; Chicago
was chosen as the place for holding the
next meeting, in next July, after a spirited
contest, and L. b. Minahan, of Ohio, was
elected president to succeed Henry j. Fries,
of Pennsylvania, after the only real strug-
gle of the convention. The protracted
contest over the presidency prevented the
election of other officers. and these will
be chosen tomorrow. All of the national
conventions of the organization hereafter
will begin on the third Tuesday in July.
The date for the Chicago meeting is
July Is.
In addition to a membership of over a
half million of the laity represented here
chis week. this federation has received the
Endorsement of the Pope, the American
cardinal, the archbishop of this province
and of half dozen bishops who have been
present and of very many in the priest
hood. 1t is however, an organization of
the laity. All the officers are laymen,
and its objects are for distinctive work
from that of the hierarchy.
was that of the admission of women. The
committee on constitution did not report in
favor of their admission, but the conven-
ton took 1t up and after a long and ami
mated discussion decided to admit them.
The convention will be concluded to-mor-
row.
The federation has had provisional con-
stftution the past year, and with Ii a
basis the leaders of the federation compiled
the constitution which was adopted to-day,
which provides more fully for a working
xn6 with into
the autonomy of any societies that affiliate
with it. The basis of representation is two
delegates from each local society and the
same ratio carried on up from parish to
county and from county to state and from
state to the national organization. In state
conventions there will be one delegate for
each one thousand members and one for
each fraction of five hundred or more Pro-
vision is made for ample resources, with an
initiation fee of IS for societies and a per
capita tax. No State is 10 have the pres
idency for more than two successive years.
1ntermeddling in politics is absolutely for
hidden.
Late tonight the committee on nominal
tions reported the following ticket:
President, T. B. Minahan, Ohio vice
presidents. L. ]. Kaufman, New Jersey: G..
H. Cannon, Illinois; T. w. Fitzgerald. New
York; secretary, Nicholas Conner, Dubuque;
treasurer, II. j. Fries, Pennsylvania; mar
shall, J. ]. O'Rourke, Pennsylvania; execu-
tive council, NJ. p. Mooney, Ohio; p. II.
Mcclure, Pennsylvania; 7. B. McKenna,
d,
r. Nj. Kerst, Minnesota: T.. d. Reardon, In
diana; George w. Gibbons Pennsylvania.
The former president and secretary were
nominated for treasurer and marshal, re-
spectively. Mooney, who was formerly the
treasurer, heads the executive council, and
the new men were nominated for presi-
dent and first and second vice presidents,
as we'll as for secretary. Reardon is the
only one of the old executive board who
renomina ted.
AS soon as this report was made con-
test was precipitated by John j. Coyle of
Philadelphia, chairman of the old executive
board, who presented the name of Judge
Thomas w. Fitzgerald, Of Brooklyn, in op-
position to Minahan for president Ii was
recognized at once that this meant a fight
against the whole ticket headed by Nina
ham, and dilatory tactics were resorted to.
After several motions to adjourn and other
dilatory proceedings had been defeated bal
loting began. Shortly after midnight Min
ahan was elected over Fitzgerald by a
vote of 143 to AZ. many of the delegates
having left the nall before the balloting