The Intermountain Catholic. (Salt Lake City [Utah] ;) 1899-1920, 1902-03-29

caso convention. The policy, however,
OF permanent organization in the Fed
GRAFTON is along the lines of local or
county, then state, and finally national
Federation. This was the judgment of
the Federation as clearly indicated by
'ne constitution adopted at Cincinnati.
is there an American OF any nation
ATTY who will repudiate being an
American? He is bold man who
VIII dare to challenge the American
ISM of. any Catholic. Tine American
government interferes with no mans
nationality, language or customs 1t
protects them all. 1t wisely aims TO
amalgamate them ALL God himself,
1t would seem. in his beneficent dis
pensation, to have intended that here
the tangled and bloody skein OF ma
tional hatreds and jealousies should
be forever unraveled. That in Amer
lea there should be, because of nation
ality, no
separate heartbeat among all the
races of men"
While our government NEEDLES with
no mans nationality, tastes or GUS
toms, it aims to assimilate and protect
them all. In it's courts, legislative
halls and public offices it speaks a
common language. The general trend
in everything is toward the Ameri-
can ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS unification.
Ihis largely from necessity. Our
children are bound to become Ameri-
can in everything pertaining to Gus
tom and language, whether we wish it
or not. Another fifty years will blot
out by intermarriage and association,
for the most part, all differences. Be
this as it may. Under the present
conditions in American life there is no
strife, Our cosmopolitan cuts no prac-
teal figure. We follow what customs
we please. we speak whatever language
suits us, and above all is the shield of
the power of American unity. Fedora
ton can, as it seems to me. follow in
this regard no better or wiser model
than our own American idea of organ
ization. This, too, [ think. from the
necessity of our environment. Suppose
we aim to build permanently along
other lines. Suppose a national conven-
ton of federation so constituted that
it be made up of the great national or
CARNATIONS with their human nature
Of striving for precedence and control,
jealousies and contentious. Suppose to
this is added component parts made UP
of a German federation, a Bohemian
federation, an Irish federation and a
Polish fedora tion-each distinct and
supreme-night it not tax the genius
of Mr.. ''Dooley" to describe the scene
and sum up the general catastrophe?
The only serious difficulty about pur-
suing the American plan of organiza-
ton is this exceptional instance. The
German societies in very large num-
bers and in many states had already
federated before the idea of the pres
ent movement came in vogue. They
say, must we after long years of or
and the sacrifices we have
made in the struggle to do this very
work Of getting together, must we now
tear down and begin over? This very
question was discussed at Cincinnati.
It was at least partially solved there.
There was no dissatisfaction taken
away, on the score of organization as +
being followed now, from that con-
venticn. Why should meddlers exert /
to muddy the stream? Be [
cause the problems of federation are
difficult, so much the greater necessity |
,or ali to exercise good common sense.
One thing is settled: not matter who
ries to prevent it, federation is with
is to stay. 1t is gaining ground every
lay in all sections, where the Catholic
people come to understand its real
aims and appreciate the conditions
hat make it a necessity. OF course
t is, it will be, attended with great
difficulties. Carping and misrepresent-
ng will unite no knots. Everybody's
'iews cannot be adopted. The consti-
ution stands for what is authority
oday' in the matter of organization.
Let us drop quibbling and discussing
nd go to work organizing. Our dear
ST interests invite to unity of action:
ur children's interests demand that
re unite and act.
T. B. MINAHAN,
PRESIDENT American Federation of
Catholic Societies.
-1t- arle-a,-