The Nonpartisan Leader Newspaper, May 27, 1918, Page 18

Those Who Love America [ A scandinavian Hero | Immigrants From Germany and Other Nations of Europe Ready to Die for Land Which Gave Them Freedom BY C. J. BUELL OW let us apply a little common sense to this question of “The Hun Within Our Gates.” Let us face the facts. People of Ger- man descent make up -a larger fraction of our popula- tion than any other of our so-called “foreign elements.” Most of them have come into this The best blood of all the European nations long ago came to the Americas. The bravest, hardiest, most in- dependent men and women of the Old World struck out for freedom and left the decadent monarchies for the promised land. These love America above every other country. They are thrilled by her name. She is more to them than their native land, even though they can not forget that. They cherish America’s his- tory as the record of those who have lived and suffered and died for great ideals, i and they are ready to die for those same ideals, if by dying they can make the realization sure. What fools are they who attack the loyalty of the men who have of their own free will chosen their country? country since the failure of the dem- ocratic revolution in Germany and Austria in 1848. Why have they come here? Those who came between 1848 and 1860 all escaped from the two German autocracies to save their lives or their freedom. All were intense haters of the tyranny and oppression, autocracy and junkerism of the ruling houses of Hohenzollern and Hapsburg in Prussia and Austria. ; Is it probable that the children and grandchildren of these haters of au- tocracy and tyranny are really friend- “ly to the pretensions of the kaiser? Another very large element of our § German people have come to this country since the Franco-Prussum war-—smce the so-called “unification” of Germany under the Prussian ty- rants. They came to get away. from the very sys- { tem of autocracy, mili- i\ . tarism and tyranny that are today the curse of the whole civilized world. They came hunting a* land of freedom. s Let us see that their . dreams of democracy and | freedom are not blasted “. and -shattered by a pol- icy of inexcusable stu- pidity. - THE TRUE AMERICAN VIEW I can not better ex- press this idea than in the language of a sturdy old German-born citizen of Renville county, Minn., - Herman Schmeckel by name, who . has been chosen by his fellow " farmers of that county - HERES as their candidate for the state senate. Speaking of his reasons for leaving Germany, Mr. Schmeckel said: “I wanted to get into a country where I could be free—where I could bring up my children in an atmosphere of liberty, equality and justice.” < Mr. Schmeckel is prominently con- nected with Red Cross and Liberty loan work in his home community, yet he has been subjected to the sneers and insults of the irresponsible yellow press of the state because of his Ger- man name and the fact that he is the candidate for State senator of the Farmers’ Nonpartisan league. At a small village in this same Ren- ville county, where the people are practically all’of German descent, a meeting was called at midnight,.Sun- day, April 14. Every man but three was present at this meeting. Fifteen minutes after the stroke of midnight these men had subscribed two and one-half times their quota of the third Liberty loan. Now this is just what people with real brains would naturally expect; and yet these people of German descent will be vilified, libeled and lied about—called traitors, pro-Ger- mans and kaiserites—by a certain portion of the plutocratic population and press of Minnesota, because they refuse to respond to the overbearing, autocratic methods of a lot of self- appointed “guardians of patriotism” who became very active and very of- fensive early in the game, in their attempt to monopolize all the patri- otism of the state. SELF-SEEKERS MOUTH THE SLOGANS There is in Minnesota, perhaps more than in most states in the Union, a large group of discredited, old-gang politicians who have been kicked away from the public trough, thanks to our nonpartisan system of electing city, county, judicial and legislative of-. ficers. With these are associated the agents and representatives of special privilege and all kinds of undemocratic sentiment—those who :would, if they could, establish an autocracy here equal to that of the kaiser. At the beginning of the war these people immediately jumped into the front row and began to proclaim their own patriotism, at the same’time denouncing as pro-German and trai- tors all who didn’t fall for their camouflage and shout in the 'same key. All over the country they se- cured prominent places as directors: - of new public activities; and, while BUILDING WOODEN SHIPS TO WIN THE WAR / When the potash trust tried to rob the farmers of Denmark, they fought back by planning a fertilizer factory of their own, and two ocean going steam- ships. That bluffed the greedy monop- olists into cutting prices. The picture is of L. Broberg, director of the Dan- ish Co-Operative Society of 1916, a leader in the fight that licked the trust. some of them made good, many of them failed and are now in the class with the Hog Island “patriots.” Min- nesota has her full share 'of these people. Now the great mass of thoughtful ; people have very little use for phari- see and hypocrite, and they didn't take kindly to this sort of bunk. About this time the first Liberty loan was launched, and in some places in the state fell flat. This was partly due to-resentment toward the phari- sees who were trying to run._things, but more largely, perhaps, to the un- fortunate time of its launching, hit- ting the farmers just at.the time when they were least prepared. Since then two leerty loans have been oversub- ; squbed in Minnesota. ‘Mr. Wilson has made wonderfully clear the war aims of this country, For every steel ship being built on the Pacific eoast a dozen wooden schooners nre being !aunched. Tlus picture shows one of tlle wooden vessels in course of eonstruetion nt Olympia, Wnsh. i B ~ and has influenced England, France and Italy to restate theirs much more in harmony with democratic ‘ideals. The Russian revolution and the over- throw of the czar have eliminated the incongruity of the democracies of the west in league with what many be- lieved to be the worst autocracy in the world. The kaiser and his band of pirates have had more opportuni- ties to show to the world their true nature, and have made full use of every such opportunity. Even most *# of the Socialists have become convine- ed that Mr. Wilson and Lloyd-George are sincere, and that this is really a war to make the world safe for de- mocracy. They are, therefore, work- ing enthusiastically and very effec- tively to strengthen the hands of the president. THE LOYAL WORK OF THE LEAGUE Perhaps the greatest single force in bringing about this change of view, so far as Minnesota is concerned, is the remarkable work of the Nonpar- tisan league of farmers and toilers of the towns. Their speakers have gone into every corner of the state, carry- ing the message of real democracy, kindly consideration and human brotherhood. They have explained in simple effective language just what this is all about—just what the kaiser and his associates are trying to im- pose - on the world—just ewhy it is necessary for each and all of us to do our utmost to save what democracy we possess, and how it can be ex- tended and enlarged until the ideal of ‘economic and industrial democracy can be _established and made safe un- der the protection of a political de- - mocracy that shall guarantee to all— men and women alike—their equal rights, notonly before the law, but also their equal rights in the natural resources of the earth and in the re- sults of economic and social evolution. Of course the persecutions of the Nonpartisans by fools in power have all helped. “The blood of the mar- tyrs” has always been “the seed of the church.” = There are still a few people who are ignorant—still a few who do not un-- derstand. They sometimes say un- wise and injudicious things, but they are not pro-Germans nor traitors. They can’t be converted by mobs nor prison bars. “What they need is a little kindly leading—a little intelligent, .sympathetic instruction—and they will no longer say nor do things that will arouse the wrath of even the most self-righteous of the pharisees. These ignorant people are in nd way dangerous to the peace and wel- fare of the country, except as their foolish sayings and doings are mag- nified and advertised by the more /foolish zealots who sub- “ject them to persecution and mob violence. A P i e HIS RED CROSS ACRE Willmen, N. D. Editor Nonpartisan Leader: I have been a member of the League since Jast fall and I am pleased to say that it is a good organization. Most . of the farmers around ' here -are League mem- bers and one sure thing is that we will stick. ‘I have seeded one acre for the Red Cross, I am an American from the sole of my foot to the top of my head and will do all 1 can for my coun- try. Hurrah for a gov- ernment: of .the people, “by _the people and for the people. = - J . A. HELQUIST