El Paso herald. (El Paso, Tex.) 1901-1931, 1913-08-12
Make Fight For Reforms
More Than 100000 Catholics Repre-
scented at Federation Meeting
In Milwaukee.
T.
By + rederie J. Ha


MwAUKEE, Wis. Aug. a.
MI The annual convention of the
w American Federation of Cath
Ollie societies. now in session in Mil
| Waukee. is attended by delegates. rem
| resentlng at least 100000 Catholics
This federation is a national body
/ which is composed Of branch fedora
lions in each OF the states. The state
| decorations are all working in the
same direction as the national body
| and the convention will tend to spread
! over the entire country the benefits
OF each new activity undertaken in
J lhe states Inc Catholic Federation
has been officially approved by the
| pope, and includes organizations of
both the church and the laity.
A great civic meeting, a feature Of
/ the convention, viii be opened by Tho
mas B. Minnehan Of St Paul, who will
deliver an address upon THE Catholic
1 American Citizen The federation in
existing for various purposes under
the authority of the church. No
sodallues or devotional societies are
I Included, but only such as are regard
ed as social in their scope The
/ nights Cf c"iumbu the Knights Of
| st John, the Holy Name society, the
| Catholic Total Abstinence society, the
! numerous charitable and benevolent
| organizations. as well as most of the
educational clubs and institutions
/ which flourish in Catholic Localities
/ the different states or in the national
| organizations
Christian Education Sought.
| The first avOwed principle of the
/ american Federation of Catholic So
| cieties is the Christian education of
| the youth Of this nation.
J The second is The correction of er-
! ror and the exposure of falsehOod and
! injustice, the destruction of bigotry
/ and the placing of Catholics and the
| church in their true light, thus remov-
I ing the obstacles
! impeded progress"
/ The third is The Infusion Of Christ
/ ian principles into the public and So
! cial life OF the country by continually
Z combating the errors which threaten
I to undermine the foundations of civil
society, notably socialism divorce dis
honesty IN business and corruption in
/ politics and in positions of public
I trust"
Special Council for Women.
Because of the increasing recogni-
I ton being given TO the work of or
ganized Catholic women in their num-
erous activities, a special council for
the women viii be a feature OF this
convention. Catholic women are in
/ terested in every reform movement.
/ At the Washington federation meeting,
recently held in Seattle q social re-
I form. session was led by Dr. Mary
O'Brian Porter, Of Chicago who Dre-
scented the white slave subject and
urged that the Federated Catholics
take some steps TO prevent the des-
y
are said to disappear each year be-
! tween new York and Chicago. The
largest Catholic W0men's orgauiza-
I ton is the Catholic Benevolent assO-
/ citation which now claims a member
ship of 1900, 000 The treasurer's re-
port, given at the annual meeting Of
this organization held at Atlantic City
last month gave the sum of S142, O0G,-
I 600 as having been raised and dis
pensed by this body of women devoted
/ 10 religious and benevolent purposes
since Its organization.
Protest Against Papers.
A feature Of this convention work
viii be a protest against certain sour
rilOus publications being permitted TO
pass through the United States mails.
A new publication has lately been is
sued in New York, published in the
! 1laIlan language, which has been
I ton on tn egrOund of indency and i'm
morality Other publications objected
to are those which print false state
1 and its clergy The Holy Name So
clety of New Jersey is the Organiza-
tlon which is especially forwarding
this work
One Of the greatest works under
taken by the federation as a whole is
the effort to unite in friendly under
Standing the Catholics Of different ma
tionalties and TO harmonic their diff
ferences-
Theater Movement Started.
Among the matters pertaining to
the SGltLdA SOQQ 10 De considered at
Milwaukee is the Catholic theater
movement. looking toward a more
rigid censorship Of the plays being
presented in the moving picture shows
which are recognized as likely to be-
come the theater of the future The
New York federation has been active
IN this work during the past year and
IS fostering a movement which will
be influential in prohibiting pictures
which are irreverent. as well as those
which are obscene or immoral Among
the plays recently criticized is a YER
sion OF Victor HugO's novel THE
Hunchback of Notre Dame" which it
is claimed places the Catholic church
in a false light This play was sup
through the influence Of Catholic So
cietieS.
Committees Of the federation in ev-
cry state are upon the alert TO pre-
vent the enactment of any legislation
inimfcaI to Catholic interests in a com
munity- In New Jersey. a bill was re-
Gently before the legislature which,
II passed would have placed a tax
upon Catholic schools. A committee
Of the federation waited upon the leg
lSiatorS and were successful in haV-
ing the wording Of the bill so charged /
as 10 give the Catholic school the
same immunity from taxation as was
enjoyed by other educational institu- /
lions.
The federation has given its stron-
gest support to the Catholic university I
at Washington and is largely respOn-
sible for its success. An educational /
movement now being conducted by the /
organization is toward securing Cath I
Ole books in public Gbrares Large ]
sums of money are contributed annu- 1
ally for public libraries from state and 4
municipal funds 10 which Catholics I
contribute no small share Insisting 1
that justice requires that they should /
receive their prOportionate benefit /
therefrOm. the federation urges Cath
Olics in every community to insist that /
the directors Of every public library I
systematically purchase Catholic /
books
Tomorrow: Evolution of Our Daily 1
Bread.
his duty as an officer of volunteers in |