The Mankato free press. [volume] (Mankato, Blue Earth County, Minn.) 1879-1924, 1902-10-03
OFFICERS ELECTED
Catholic Church Societies Close
Their Work.
They Will Go Slow on Joining Ameri.
can Federation-0ne Speaker
Den0unces Socialism.

A good deal of business was trans.
acted at the. biennial meeting of the
Roman Catholic church societies Of
staatsenfierband Monday afternoon
at the opera house. This is different
organization from the Benevolent So
ciety, which meets today and tomor.
row, and deals with the welfare of the
church.
The meeting was opened with prayer
by Rev. ]. NJ. Soince of st. Paul.
Secretary w. d. Eibner called the
roll, which showed that 800 delegates
directors and past officers were pres.
emit.
President p. M. Kerst of st. Paul
read his annual report. He said that
the membership of the state has in
creased $40 during the past year. He
urged that the members further inter-
est themselves and get more members
and start as many branch societies as
possible. He recommended that
Catholic days be held. Four new
branch societies were organized during
the year. one each at Freeport, Leaven.
worth, Medina and Fulda.
The following committees were ap-
pointed:
New business-Rev. J. M. Solnce,
Matt Nachbsr. Joseph A. Schroeder,
Henry Herder, Andrew Amann, Frank
Jungbauer, A. Sausen.
Resolutions-Rev. John Meyer,
Joseph Mott. George Stelzle, Frank
Schultz, NJ Fackel, Theodore Schobert,
George Gerlach.
Audit-Rey. Anton Artz, Charles
Hauck, W. Schoenburger, August
Lipetzki, Joseph Faerhle, Jacob Refs,
Matt Gross, Hubt Hillesheim.
Secretary Eibner read his annual
report, which shows that there are 1OS
branch societies and 81, 26 members in
the state, which were represented by
delegates present. The receipts were
1919. A, the expenses $50, 1874, and the
amount in the treasury $S79.44
Treasurer Paul Kemp of Winona
stated that his report corresponded
with that of the secretary.
Joseph Mott, editor Of The Wan
derer. spoke on some resolutions that
had been adopted in previous years,
and urged the members to activity.
He regretted their recent inactivity.
Rev. Wurst of Wabasha spoke on the
work that the new Federation of
Catholic Societies of the United States
has accomplished to date. He was q
delegate to Cincinnati and reported
what he had learned there. He urged
the state organization to go slow about
joining the Federation, and warned
the members that if the Federation
was joined "the gentlemen from the
Green Isle would swallow them up. :"
Joseph Mott also opposed the move
to join the Federation. 1t was the
impression of the speakers that the
Irish Catholics would have their way
if the Federation was joined, and the
use of the German language would be
tabooed and the American language
and ideas substituted as rapidly as
possible.
The meeting decided to act in a
very cautious manner, and adopted a
resolution to refer the matter of join
ing the Federation back to the local
societies for final discussion, and in
order to have them give the constitu-
tion of the Federation a years careful
study.
1t was decided to send two delegates
to the next meeting, to investigate
the Federation.
It was voted to appropriate 800 to
the Bureau of Information to be es-
tsbIished In New York to distribute
knowledge of matters of interest to
Catholics in a commercial way. such
as the fertility of the soil in certain
places. etc.
A motion was made to appoint a
committee of FIVE to devise ways and
means to pay the per capita to the
central society. This matter was re-
ferred to the local societies to devise a
new plan for the raising and paying
Of the per capita tax.
A motion to hold annual instead
Of biennial meetings hereafter was
made. but it developed that two years
notice has to be given before change
in the consti tuition san be voted on.
The motion was laid over, and 1t was
voted to hold special meeting Lext
year. thus getting around the consti-
tuition.
an annual per capita tax was voted.
in the place of the biennial tax.
The matter of establishing county
federations of Catholic societies was
discussed, but was not approved of.
Old Officers Reelected.
At the business meeting held last
night. all of the old officers were re.
elected. by reclamation. as follows
President. Peter M. Kerst of st.
Paul; vice president, Martin Walsel
of Msnkato; secretary, W. Eibner Of
New Ulm; treasurer, Paul Kemp OF
Winona; executive committee. Rev.