The Irish standard., 1911-01-07
New Organization Formed Has Been
Named the Militia of
Christ"
At the Head of 1t Are Catholics of
the American Federation
of Labor.
Object of Association Stated and Of
ficers and Directorate
Are Chosen.

Another branch has budded forth
on the tree OF Catholic development,
when the American Federation OF
Catholic Societies commissioned a
fraternal delegate to the last conven-
ton Of the Federation OF Labor, held
in st. Louis, recently.
The Militia of Christi is the name
of a new organization formed for the
purpose OF social service by promi-
nent Catholic members of the Amer
ican Federation of Labor.
In explaining the purpose of the
new organization Rev. Peter e. Dietz,
who addressed the Federation of La
Dor convention, said:
ut is our idea chat society is built
upon the unit, the family is built upon
the unit, the state is built upon the
unit. AS We look out over the state
we notice it is an industrial state.
AS an industrial state it rests upon
industrial society and industrial So
clety TO a great extent rests upon
trades unionism. In fact we can say
that trades unionism Is the very back
bone of Industrial society, and there
fore the great problem of social re-
form is largely the problem OF trades
unionism. We have witnessed in the
nineteenth century great democratic
movement. We have noticed every
where how the power of government
or of forming the government has
passed from the hands of the few
into those of the great masses of the
common people. 1t is not necessary
to examine the causes, but it has
forced the legislatures of every civil
lied land to give larger share Of
its work to the social problems, to
the adjustment of the relations of the
workmen and the employers, of the
rich and the poor. The poorer and
weaker portion of the population and
it is meet and just and right in a
democracy that they shall have the
greatest share in making and in the
administration of the law, and that
they are entitled to the largest bene-
fit of the law.
But we realize that the protection
of the state cannot be enduring un-
less it be sustained by labor organ
Go ot
try gives continued evidence of social
dissa abstraction and disaster is proof
to any thinking man that society is
| not sufficiently organized. If every
industry were organized, the parasitic
| industries that take and use up the
! life-blood of the successive relays of
working men, casting the worn-out
toiler on the scrap heap, to be taken
care of by the community, would
cease to exist or would have to be
amended"
The object of the Militia of Christ
for Social Service" is the defense of
the Christian order Of society and
| it's progressive development. The
Militia of Christ will rest upon the
ethical, sociological, economic and po.
litical doctrine of Christian philos.
ophy, as developed in the course of
history-the legacy of Tradition as
voiced in modern times in the letters
of Leo XIII and Plus x. The propa.
! ganda will be carried on by means OF
syndicate letters to the Catholic and
labor press, by social lectures and
conferences, the establishment OF a
Journal of Social Service, the advo
cacy of Christian principles in trade
unions, an intelligent and active in
terest in labor legislation, the prob
lens of civil service and general ad
ministration, industrial education, pre-
vention of industrial accidents and
diseases, workshop and factory and
mine inspection.
The following are the officers and
directorate:
President, Peter ]. McArdle, Pitts
burg, Pa, president Amalgamated As
sociation of Iron, Steel and Tin Work
ers.
Vice-President; John S. Whalen
lRochester, N. Y, ex-secretary state