Education
He studied law at the University of Ghent and established himself as a lawyer
He studied law at the University of Ghent and established himself as a lawyer
As a student at the university, he contributed to the student almanacs, published by the Flemish literary student organization "t zal wel gaan. When the Flemish weekly Het Volksbelang was founded by Julius Vuylsteke, in 1867, he was one of the editors together with Julius Sabbe, Jozef Van Hoorde, and Adolf Hoste. In 1883 he was the primary supporter of the third Taalwet (East: language law), which stated that at the public schools and Royal Athenaea in Flanders, education would be preferably in Dutch instead of French.
Foreign several years, he was a member of the provincial - and municipal Council of Ghent.