The Irish standard., 1906-05-26
A Convention Composed Of Delegates From
Each Of twenty-five Provinces will
Elect New General.
The Superior General Exercises Absolute
Authority in all Matters Pertaining
to the Order.

as theologian and controversialist.
He was then sent West and estab
lished the scholasticate at the Uni
versity of St. Louis, which is under
the care of his order. His reputation
and good management Of that insti-
tuition brought to it students from
all over the world. from Mexico, South
America, the Philippine Islands and
even from Europe. Formerly Wood
stock, Md. had the largest number Of
tudents. but it has been outstrippeG
by the University of ST. Louis, and
new receives few outside of the inn
mediate surrounding states.
While Father Meyer was rector OF
the St. Louis University he was made
of that province. which extends from
Ohio to the Pacific coast. and in 1892
was sent as delegate to Spain to the
convocation called to elect the sue
cessor to Father Anderledy, the late
superior general. Father Martin. a
Spaniard. was elected, and Father
Jones, an Englishman, was elected his
English assistant. Father Jones died
very soon after the convocation ad-
iourned. and Father Martin appointed
Father Meyer in his place as assistant
in charge of all the English speaking
Jesuits. Since then he has lived in
Rome. where his great learning and
ability have been recognized and his
ZEAL tact and piety have given him
great strength and influence in the
be chosen as the head of the Jesuit
order.
The other candidates are Europeans,
and in the Society of Jesus as we'll
as in every other organization. civil,
political or religious, are rivalries ana
iealouSies. America is not looked up
on as dangerous participant in the
politics of the church. Father Meyer
and the American Jesuits have never
| taken part in any of the quarrels.
They have no rivalries. no contests,
/ no friction with any other nation or
interest. but stand alone and are re.
garded as impartial and disinterested.
This makes Father Meyer very
| strong candidate, but he will not DC
elected without a contest.
is an equally strong candidate. becaus'
| he has been vicar general ever since
| 1892 anG will be in charge OF the af.
| fairs of the order until the election
of a new general. He is a man Of
great ability and wide acquaintance iii
the society, and possesses the conf :
dence of all the members. The fact
that it has been customary to promote
| the vicar general to the first place l.:
also in his favor and for that reason
he will receive the votes of many
| delegates who have no direct intres,
in eithc; of the other candidate:
Father Meschler, very able German
will also command considerable sup
| port. Fills principal reputation has
! been gained as an author. Father de
la Torres. a Spaniard, is also a cand
date. but he is old and nearly blind
and is not likely to receive much sup
port outside of Spain.
The convocation has not yet been
called and it's location has not been
decided upon This is very delicat.
matter. 1t cannot meet in France
Germany or Italy because theoretically
Jesuits are not allowed to live in any
of those countries. 1t cannot meet
in Austria for certain political reasons
which leaves only Spain. Belgium
England and the United States avail
able. The last convocation was held
in Madrid at the invitation Of the
Queen of Spain, and she may reneH
it this time. but there are several
important reasons why it would be
better not to meet there, but to gr
instead to some Protestant, English
speaking country. The leading politi-
cal issue in Spain is the taxation OF
property belonging to the religious or
ders and the passage of a law prohib-
iting them from engaging in manufac-
turing and commercial business.
Although the Society of Jesuits is