The Catholic bulletin. [volume] (St. Paul, Minn.) 1911-1995, 1915-01-02
SOCIAL WORK OF
THE COUNT De NUN
MOST NOTEWORTHY WORK WAS
ESTABLISHMENT OF CIRCLES
OF CATHOLIC WoRKINGMEN.

The death at Bordeaux of the Count
de Nun has attracted attention to the
social work which that Catholic states
man carried on i'll France, says q
writer in Central-Blatt and Social JUS
tice. De Nun in his social program
was very much in favor of action by
the State and had at one time gone so
far as to acclaim himself a Christian
Socialist" though that was at the
time when the phrase Socialism did
not have the distinct meaning which
it has today, and his conduct and poll
cies always belied any adhesion on
his part in any way to the principles
of MarXism. In everything pertain
ing to social or political action, in fact,
he unhesitatingly followed the die
tates of the Holy See. It was under
his patronage that the Association
Catholique de la Jeunesse Franchise"
Association of French Catholic
organization which today numbers
100000 members, all engaged in some
way or another in social action.
His most noteworthy work, how
ever, was the establishment in 1873 of
the "Cercles d'Ouvriers Catholiques'-
Circles Of Catholic Workingmen-with
the assistance Of the Marquis de la
Tour du Pin. There had previously
been formed in France a union of
Catholic workingmens associations,
which had held it's first congress in
Nevers in 1871, but this organization,
laying too much stress on the spiritual
life and devoting practically no atten-
ton to the economic or class interests
of the workingmen, never made much
progress except in some localities in
the north of France. de Nun desired
to unite in the circles which he formed
the best mechanical and agricultural
laborers, to bring them under the in
fiuence of educated, practical Catholic
gentlemen, SO that, led by the latter,
the workingmen might exert social
and political influence in the world of
labor. At the same time he wished
1.-THE organization to frame a distinct
plan of social reforms" A marked
feature of his associations or circles
was that they paid much attention to
the problems of the agricultural
mechanics and factory workingmen.
De Nun himself drew up the program
for them, including the limitation of
working hours, regulation of the rate
of wages, laws for Sunday rest, etc,
all to be obtained through the action
of industrial associations. Though the
national annual meetings of the
circles, first held in 1875, at times had
as high as 300 to 400 delegates, with
thousands Of people attending their
public assemblages, the influence of
these organizations gradually de-
clined due, it is said, to the fact that
de Nun persisted, as matter of prin-
ciple, on mixed membership of work
ers and employers. In 1892 the last
national meeting was held; at that
time 1900 circles were still in
existence. Some of these joined the
diocesan organizations, some united
with the Association Catholique de la
Jeunesse Francaise;;" the great major
ity of them had for some time before
been transformed into more pious fra
ternities. Thus the most important
work of de Nun ended in apparent
failure; what it's fruits may be cannot
be conjectured. That he understood
the great need of the times, the forma.
ton of Catholic workingmens asso.
Citations, is fact worthy of remem-
brance.