POTTER United Families

In August 1861, Frans joined forces with Vuylsteke and Geiregat, on
the side of the Flemish Liberal Commitee, a department of the action
group “Flemish Union”, fighting for the establishment of a Flemish
Association for the countryside. Thereafter, Frans disappeared from
politics for a while.
He moved permanently to the Catholic party in 1870. At the local
council election from 1 July 1872, he was appointed candidate for the
"Opposition List”.
This list was adopted by the conservative Catholic newspaper
“Flemish Land”, and described as a list of "distinguished citizens with
several belonging to politics”, (...), “lending each other’s hand to give
Ghent a leadership in accordance to its interests, no more blind and
disastrous war against religious and free education”.
They wanted “economic” deals with benefits for the urban finances
and ensuring prosperity in a somewhat decaying Belgium.
Since the opposition list was supported by all Catholic newspapers,
and since the electoral process took place in the premises of the
“Public Goods” and the “Catholic Circle”, it was for the liberals
foregone that it is not an independent list here, but a tough "burners
list ".
The “opposition list” was overwhelmingly defeated.
After such a defeat, Frans left politics to carry out action for the
Flemish interests in cultural associations and magazines; the pen and
the printing press were his weapons par excellence.
He thereafter published a total of 212 titles, including groundbreaking
studies on it area of the history of creation and of the peasantry.
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