The Irish standard., 1906-09-08

The following account of the Peo-
pies League in Germany was contrib
uted to a recent number oe the Toledo
Record, from which it WAS published
by the Catholic Union and Times:
It was in the year 1880 that Ludwig
Won. Windthorst conceived the idea OF
devising a plan to perpetuate the sue
cess which the Catholics .. Germany
had achieved under his leadership in a
twenty years struggle against the
fiercest enemies of the Church. Though
the Kulturkampf was nominally at an
end, the foe did not think of burying
the tomahawk. Many fanatical Prot
estants, dissatisfied with the course
events had taken, had founded a So
ciety called the Evangelical League,
whose aim was the continuance Of the
struggle which the Iron Chancellor
. himself had given up as hopeless.
In addition to the fanatics of the
\ Evangelical League, other enemies had
arisen and were acquiring tremend-
Gus power which, Windthorst clearly
foresaw, they would soon turn against
tntions. These enemies We're the So
cial Democrats with their n,aterialistic
and pagan principles concerning prop
erty, matrimuny and religion.
Anxious to devise ways and means
to meet their imminent dangers,
Winlthorst invited some III his fore
most political friends of the Center
party to meeting at Cologne. When
some one mentioned that it might be
dangerous for him to undertake jour-
ney at such a season-it YVES at the end
of October-he quoted the parting
words Of his devoted wife: "Since you
are living only for the great cause, we
must be satisfied if you would not re-
turn from that journey. Let us leave
all to God"
The meeting lasted all day. When at
9 p. m. somebody asked the veteran
leader of 7S years whether he would
retire, he said: Il will hold out, if it
WOULD last all night" That night wit
messed the birth of the Volksverein.
Fiery. enthusiastic appeals, signed
by Windthorst himself, We're then pub
lished in all the Catholic papers of the
Aempire. Windthorst had not spoken in
vain. His words were enthusiastically
received by the Catholics throughout
the Fatherland, and when the beloved
leader breathed his last, few months
later, the Volksverein had been placed
on solid foundation.
The Volksverein is governed by a
managing board of thirty-three Off
GERS, who are chosen at the annual con-
vention. The managing board appoints
commissioners for the several states
and dioceses. Under the discretion OF
the latter the county and city man.
ayers carry on the work. These III
turn are assisted by parish and district
agenIs-prnmoters. The whole empin-
is divided into districts, each compris
ing from twerty to forty families. The
number of promoters exceeds $4,000
The total membership on September I
1906, was 100000. Each member pays
an annual fee of one mark (25c).
The most important part in the Or
ganization is the Central Bureau Gen.
tralstelle). There the chief business
pf the volksverein is transacted. 1t is
controlled by the president of the
league, and consists at present OF
thirty-two salaried officials, who devote
. all their time and energy to the worl
rf the Volksverein. The old idea that
men are able to do efficient work fol
the community in their leisure mo.
ments outside of their professional oc.
cupations were resolutely discarded
!: Even of the Central Bureau officials
the writing staff-are men we'll verset
in literature, economics and apollo.
getics; as requisit. for their posi-.
. tions, they have taken thei4: degree IL
political economy or in theology. Tht
others act as secretaries. boolskeepers
librarians, etc.
The work is distributed among the
writer's Of the Central Bureau in suct
way that the various practical ques.
tions of socialism, agraranism, labol