CATHOLIC CHRONICLE.

HOME NEWS.

The Federation Convention in Chicago.-The work of the Convention, done with the ability, deliberateness and temperateness of power, has been to set on a secure foundation the movement for Federation, to clear away misunderstandings, and tighten the bonds between Catholic societies. Various nationalities were blended, and most of the great Catholic national organizations have come in. There were an intelligence and sturdy independence about the deliberations that were inspiring. The Convention, large and representative, assembled on Aug. 5, 6 and 7, holding three sessions daily. Pontifical High Mass was celebrated in the Cathedral by Bishop Muldoon. In the santuary were Archbishop Elder and Bishop McFaul. Bishop Messmer preached. He said that the purpose of federation was social good, temporal and spiritual, mutual to the associated members and outward to all fellow citizens-" For the security and guarantee of the blessings of the Government and Constitution under which we live in these United States. . . . There is a field here where a Catholic Federation can join hand in hand with others in attaining the same great end." Bishop Messmer referred particularly to the abuse of Christian marriage and to the strained relations between capital and labor.

Dr. Howard Taylor, in welcoming the delegates on behalf of Mayor Harrison, said, “You hold up men into a loftier atmosphere than that of this commercial age. God bless you, and may you succeed."

Bishop McFaul, while praising the national administration for its habitual inclination towards justice, said that many mistakes would have been avoided had Catholics been approached and their true position understood.

The Convention passed resolutions of loyalty to Pope Leo and the Bishops, to the President and administration; declared its sympathy with the ecclesiastical body in the Philippines, and expressed the conviction that all that was needed was just and impartial administration of law. Entire confidence was reposed in Rome and our own national Government. The yet enduring publication of calumnies, even by great publishing houses, was sternly condemned. Catholic Indian schools and Catholic High schools strongly advocated, while an energetic protest was uttered against the fanatical sectarian persecution in France.

The first resolution ran as follows: "That this organization has for its object the spread of fraternal relations amongst the various Catholic societies throughout the United States, in the hope that, through the larger experience and knowledge acquired from mutual contact, each and all may increase in membership, improve in organization and methods of administration, and be made more effective as instruments for the inculcation of practical Catholic faith and morality, with the consequent sound citizenship, thus doing better work than ever before for God, for country and for truth."

Instead of arousing senseless prejudice, this and kindred Catholic action have called forth the praise of prominent non-Catholic journals.

The Negotiations with the Vatican.-Every day the absurdity, or bad faith, of the newspaper reports is becoming more evident. The Roman correspondent of the Philadelphia Standard and Times assures us that the Taft Commission had to protest at the office of one of the great newspaper agencies. The Stefani agents said they were sorry, but that they had received the news from the Associated Press representatives in New York. Instead of failure, ultimatums, abrupt breaking off, the Pope's letter to the President, and the Osservatore Romano (July 19) speak of cordiality, conciliation and friendly deference. Details will, naturally, be arranged in Manila, and without the need of any board of arbitration. The general principles have been traced out at Rome by common accord. "Idle and malicious information" is all the rest, says the Osservatore. The text of Pope Leo's letter to the President is as follows:

MR. PRESIDENT :--I am much pleased with the congratulations which you addressed to me in your letter of May 9. And since, in addition to the good wishes also expressed by the Governor of the Philippines, you have added a present of your own works, I am doubly grateful.

You, Mr. President, will surely remember the many expressions of good will which I have uttered concerning the United States.

Nothing could be to me more agreeable than to assure you of my continued good wishes, especially at the moment when the negotiatiations of Gov. Taft, having ended in a satisfactory result for both sides, have come to strengthen the excellent understanding between the Church and the United States authorities.

As a token of my satisfaction I have charged Mgr. O'Gorman to bring to you a mosaic picture from the workshop of the Vatican, representing our gardens.

May I ask you to keep it as a souvenir and as an expression of my friendly regard? LEO XIII.

Rome, the Vatican, July 18, 1902.

Convention of the Total Abstinence Union.-The Catholic Total Abstinence Union of America met in annual convention in Dubuque on Aug. 7. High Mass was sung by Bishop Garrigan. Archbishops Elder, Ireland and Keane were present. Archbishop Keane preached. The delegates present numbered over 700. The Secretary, Father Doyle, said that during the year preceding 10,436 new members had been added to the Union, and 139 new associations admitted. The total membership at present is 85,729. This does not represent the full extent of the temperance or total abstinence movement; there are many societies not yet affiliated. Much satisfaction was expressed over the development of societies in seminaries, formed with the purpose of future temperance work amongst the people.

The Summer School.-The Summer School has been remarkably well attended. Courses of much interest and fruit have been followed, and papers of great value read. Practical issues, too, were considered the condition of affairs in the Philippines, as well as Substance and Accidents, Gaelic Bards, etc. Dr. Pallen had a three weeks' course in literature. The School was visited by a large excursion of the Knights of Columbus from Montreal. Their choir of 40 male voices sang at the Solemn High Mass.

Catholic Indian Schools.-Mother Catherine Drexel writes to us that she has not secured the property of the Hot Springs, Cascade, Montana, for school purposes. "Our income," she regretfully writes, does not nearly approach the sum indicated. I only wish it did."

ROME.

The Romans Celebrate the Jubilee.-The sixth of July was for the Romans. Seated on a throne outside the Library of the Vatican, and surrounded by the banners of the fifteen rioni, or districts of city, Pope Leo received them. There were people of all classes, particularly the wage-earners. Fifty thousand tickets had been distributed, but many thousands could find no room. So enthusiastic was the applause as Pope Leo greeted his faithful people of Rome, that it was impossible for him to speak.

The American Methodists.-Amongst the most prominent evangelizers of Rome are the American Methodists; amongst the least courteous, also. Their conventicle and hall are called "Venti Settenbre "the 20th of September, the day Rome was sacreligiously taken from the Holy See; and the "feast day" is kept by raining insulting mottoes from the roof on the Catholics who pass below. The revolutionary bands who parade on that day are demonstratively

joyous as they recognize their Methodist friends, while they take care to show by their behavior what they think of the Catholic churches on the route. The Methodist way of converting the Roman is by ready money, and when there is question of getting possession of the young, the expenses are lavish. Their free night schools, now, fortunately, put out of fashion by the Irish Christian Brothers, were organized for this purpose. Their Institute Crandon, in the Via Veneto, a superbly equipped boarding and day school for girls of the middle class, is more dangerously deceptive still. The fees are nominal, and employment is sought for the pupils after leaving. A promise is made to respect the faith of the girls; but in reality, as Miss Vickory, the principal, admits in her report to the Methodist conference, no means of perverting the inmates is left untried. Amongst these are the regular addresses of the apostate Miraglia. Catholic orphans are admittedly Methodized. The Baptists are, if possible, less unscrupulous than the Methodists.

The New Reference Library at the Vatican.-It is the gift of the munificent Leo. The Vatican archives and library consist mostly of manuscripts. A reference library was much needed for the scholars to whom the Pope has thrown open the Vatican's historic treasures. There are few reference libraries in Rome, the government itself having done little since it took over the public libraries in 1870. The new reference library, excellently situated for use, is very well appointed. There are complete sets of the Fathers and Councils, lexicons in various languages (exegetical lexicons, legal, liturgical, etc.). Cardinal Mai's library has been added to the collection of books, which is still growing under the care of the Prefect, Father Ehrle.

Another monument of Leo's bounty is the new college church of the Maronite Syrians. The college was founded by Gregory XIII in 1584 and revived by Pope Leo in 1895. Since then it has rapidly developed.

The New Prefect of the Propaganda.-Cardinal Gotti, a Carmelite, formerly Prefect of the Congregation of Bishops and Regulars, has succeeded Cardinal Ledochowski. Cardinal Gotti is a great theologian and canonist. He is an orator, it is said, and speaks French perfectly and Latin like Pope Leo. He is an ascetic also. He was born in Genoa in 1834. For twenty years his life in this Order was undistinguished. He took part in the Vatican Council, and soon after was made Procurator of the Carmelites. Later he spent three years on an embassy sent to reorganize the Church in Brazil. After his return he was made Cardinal.

ITALY.

The King's Visit.-On his proposed visit to Russia and his ally, Germany, Victor Emmanual avoided the other ally, Austria. Twentyone years ago, his father, King Humbert, went to see the Emperor Franz Joseph at Vienna, but the compliment was never returned. The Emperor was willing to come to any other city of Italy save Rome. Last April, the heir to the Austrian throne, the Archduke Francis Ferdinand, coming from Naples with the archduchess, passed Rome without entering its gates. All this painfully reminds the Italian monarch that his usurpation of the States of the Church is by no means a dead issue. Italy's pretensions at present lean towards Tripoli and Albania, and Austria favors them not.

Christian Education.-The war on Christian education is less demonstrative than in France; but, it is declared, nevertheless. Students of the Catholic colleges are practically forced to become registered in those of the Government if they hope to pass the examinations for valuable degrees. The subjects for examination are, when possible, bitterly sectarian. Signor Nasi, Minister of Education, allows the matriculation diploma to students of Government colleges on the strength of the class marks given them by their teachers during the year. This favor is not, of course, for students from Catholic schools. There are rumors that the ministry will imitate their worthy brothers of France in proscribing religious teaching.

ENGLAND.

Progress of the Education Bill.-The Bill is making steady and favorable progress, notwithstanding difficulties arising from its very nature, and opposition from its secularist opponents. The amendments adopted improve the Bill greatly, or, rather, were entirely necessary. They are radical, too, some of them; notably, the increase of school money by an additional 900,000 pounds from the general taxation, and the abolition of the local option clause, the local authorities being thus obliged to accept the direction of education. It is only fair, surely, that three millions of children, out of five and a half millions attending schools, should no longer attend starved and ill-provided establishments. A point gained by the radicals is that the new (not the already existing) secondary schools shall have no distinctive religious teaching. Nearly all the existing training colleges are denominational. A determined attempt has been made to neutralize the Bill by what is called "popular control"; this is, by making the local authority absolute. The Catholic Bishops have protested against all proposals to deprive the school trustees of the appointment of a majority of the managing board. Mr. Balfour favors the Bishops' desires.