The Irish standard., 1903-05-16
NO CATHOLIC PARTY.
Statement of the Real objects of
the Federation.

York state and bringing them into the
national federation is just beginning
to be appreciated by Catholics. The
federation will represent a member
ship of more than a million men, 2OO.-
900 of whom hail from New York, says
the New York Sun.
Although New York has been the
last state to enter the federation, it's
founder, Bishop McFaul, of Trenton,
is closely allied with the New York
In outlining the history
of the American federation Bishop Nc
Faul made this statement to a "Sun"
reporter: Since the Columbian EXposi-
ton the Catholic societies of the United
States have been tending to national
federation. At the Chicago convention
there were four states already organ
lied and ten more in process. The
movement is increasing every year so
fast that it is expected most of the
societies will be represented at the
convention in Atlantic City in July, and
it is not too much to predict that all
the leading societies will send dele
gates to the convention which will like
ly be held at the Louisiana Purchase
Exposition in 1904 To account for
this rapid progress it must be observed
that federation has met with no serious
opposition. It's promoters have never
attempted to constrain any society to
take part in the movement, and from
the first they have insisted that every
organization thus federated should
maintain it's autonomy and freedom of
action. BY deed, rather than by as
sertion, they have lived down the
charge that they We're seeking to form
a political union. In their public ac-
tions they have avoided everything
that could SAVIOR of politics, notably in
their Cincinnati and Chicago conven-
tions. held at time when Catholics
considered they had just provocation
for adopting political measures. When
the entire Catholic body was aroused
last summer by what seemed at the
time to be detrimental to the interests
of the Church in the Philippines, the
dignified and loyal attitude of the fed
eration's delegates in Chicago did much
to inspire confidence in the administra-
ton. and to inform the American pub
lie of the true state of affairs in those
islands. In this way that movement
has been benefited rather than hurt by
the accusation that it is political and
anti-administration in tendency.
The trainers OF the constitution of
the American Federation of Catholic
Societies act wisely in declaring (Arti-
Gle ~: Partisan politics shall not
be discussed in any of the meetings of
the convention of the federation, or
subordinate body of the federation, nor
shall this body, or any subordinate
body thereof, indorse any candidate for
public Office" From the start this
enactment precluded the possibility of
utilizing the organization as an instru-
ment to advance party measures or to
control votes or political patronage for
any party or personal advantage, and
lifted the whole movement to the
high plane befitting a body with such
exalted religious. social and civil aims
Father John Wynne, S. j., editor of
the "Sacred Heart" who has worked
actively to bring New York into the
federation, supplements Bishop Nc
Faul's expression by this statement:
The object of the American Fedora
tion of Catholic Societies is to enable
the Catholic laymen throughout the
United States and it's dependencies t.
cooperate in religious, social and civi
enterprises, and to endeavor, alone
with other bodies of citizens not Cath
olic. to promote morality and patriot
ism. Prominent among the religious en-
terprises on their programme are Cath
olic education. literature, immigration
and conventions or congresses. state
and national. In education. while sup
porting and improving their own uni
versitieS. colleges and parish schools
they propose to encourage in every way
the tendencies so manifest in this
country, notably by the Religious Edu
cation association, organized in Chica
go in February, to improve the religi
GUS instruction of youth through every
possible agency.
In circulating Catholic literature
chiefly by the aid of Catholic truth
and literary societies. the importance
of patronizing good newspapers and
decent publications of every sort viii
not be overlooked. and every effort
will be made to stop or lessen the sale
not only of obscene books. but of all
that are dangerous to public morals,
such as advocate the overthrow of au.
thority. the invasion of private rights
or property. or such as create religious
dlssension by misrepresenting any
creed or church.
immigration is largely a Catholic as
well as national interest. or rather,
since nearly one-lalf of the immi.
grants now coming to our country are
hYtNKs,