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Show CENTRIST LEADER IS DEAD. Dr. Lieber Headed the Catholic Party in the Reichstag. Dr. Ernst Lieber, the centrist leader in the reichstag, is dead. - On more than one occasion Dr. Ernst Lieber, as leader of the center or Catholic Cath-olic party in the reichstag. almost disputed dis-puted with Emperor William himself the position of being the mbst important import-ant personage in all Germany. WTith ninetj'-six members at his back, sitting on the middle benches of the reichstag, he held the balance of power, and this was especially the case three or four years ago in the navy bill. After Aft-er constant parliamentary warfare he lived to see the iron hand of Bismarck perceptibly mitigate its treatment of Gfrrran Catholics. He was elected a member of the first German reichstag in 1S71. was a prominent prom-inent supporter of Herr Windhorst and aimed at placing the Catholic party on a broad democratic and independent basis. Dr. Lieber visited America in 1SS3, and when he returned to his own country he set about democratizing the German Catholics. He came to the United States again to attend German Catholic conventions at Cincinnati, Pittsburg and Detroit. Dr. Lieber came of an influential middle class family and was born at Kamburg, in Nassau. He was 63 years old at the time of his death. |