The Irish standard., 1906-06-30

claiming for the primary school and
the establishment ,Of- secondary in
struction the prerogatives of the
Church; his personal opinion and con-
viction was that religious teaching in
the schools ought to be again intrusted
to the Church, for it is her depart
ment by positive right and by natural
right" If the first ten years of his
leadership met with but scanty success,
this circumstance but served to make
him more undaunted and filled him
with a determination to keep up the
struggle until either he or his great
antagonist should be forced from the
political arena.
With the death of Pope Plus IN.
affairs assumed Il brighter face.
Touched by the state OF the Church
in Germany. the late Pope Leo XIII.
essayed IL relaxation in the persecu-
ton by notifying the Court of Berlin
of his accession to the Pontificial
throne. Negotiations We're opened
with dscourteous replies and num-
lin; with too much confidence on the
part of Rome. Moreover. though Bis
marck had solicited the aid of the
Pontiff in settling the religious af-
fairs of Germany and had sought him
to arEitrate the Caroline dispute With
Spain, Windthorst rested not till piece
by piece he had silenced the batteries
of the Chancellor against the Church
and her institutions. In place of the
violent kulturkampf, Bismarck now
mad recourse to disguised and UNDER
hand measures. which proved far more
dangerous than the open persecution.
Windthorst ever had at heart the
civil liberty of the people and so,
while champoning the cause of the
Church, he directed his efforts to-
Indeed. while the Liberals and Con-
servatives refused to believe in the eX-
stence OF the social question. the Cath
olics, led on by their chief. formulated
Il programme. which made provision
for the just revindication of the fourth
estate. Their measures were at first
rejected; but the rapid march of de-
mocracy soon brought the infatuated
members to their senses and a just APP
probation of the gravity of the situa-
tom
In demanding from the State meas
ures of social protection, he reclaimed
for the Church her liberty, that she
might be in Il condition to instruct and
better the lot of the poor. The pro-
posed measures of HitZe and Lieber
for the protection of the aborng class
cs We're ultimately carried through the
lower House by an overwhelming ma
jority; William II. adopted the ideas of
the Centre. and Bismarck. seeing him
self defeated in the religious and social
questions was obliged to resign. The
programme of the Centre became that
Berlin: and the former Minister of
the King of Hanover, the leader of
the German Catholics, shared the coun-
sells of the Kaiser.
In political questions Windthorst
displayed an equal activity in restor-
ing harmony to the most embarrassing
situations. To oppose the usurpatiOn
of Prussia, 10 defend the autonomy
of the States. to revindicate the royal
exercises of public liberty to take ac-
ton against the measure of exclusion
directed against the Alsatians, the
Danes, the Poles or the Socialists Such
We're some of his principal political
measures In 1872 he protested against
the maintenance of military rule in
Alsace. demanding in 1873 the nation
provinces. In 1882 he opposed the to-
bacco and in 1856 the alcohol nonop-
oily, which later was ultimately defeat
ed. He never hesitatcd though he re-
fused his vote to the military law of
1880. to throw all his authority into the
balance when the dignity and military
power of his country We're ut stake.
Though undoubtedly the busiest MEM
Der of Parliament. he found time to
extend his exercises to other spheres
of action. In fact, whatever concerned
Catholic life in the Empire merted
his close attention and claimed his fos-
tering care. His influence and that OF
his friends contributed largely to in
crease the clientele of the Catholic
journals To such an extent. that they
soon ranked With the most widely
circulated periodicals of the land. But
it was on the congresses held yearly
for the purpose of preparing for the
elections and of drawing up and car
rying into execution programme
suited to the demands and needs of
the time, that the indefatigable cham
pion bestowed his greatest care.
Endowed with the most amiable
CAPABILITIES and with the gifts of gen.
ius. Windthorst won the sympathy
and admiration of his adversaries.
Serious and at the same time spir-
itual, he ever refrained from giving
grave offense to anyone. Though pos
SeSSod of kaep wit and hittar corooo on,