The American. (Omaha, Nebraska) 1891-1899, April 17, 1896, Page 2, Image 2

Below is the OCR text representation for this newspapers page. It is also available as plain text as well as XML.

    2
THE AMERICAN
V W. S. SOB
F"l aava tm-a troubled wlla
cold l( and hands and lack of circulation iwa of Oonh.Mo. P
NERVOUS DYSPEPSIA.
com moor ki uuiitm wsi; a Hcuuvaiur Jan - imb iroani 1 eauuow! to improve frumtbe third day, and have found this Dicdl-
clua uurt pli.aasut. ao (rlptrur. do stcknoaa at the sumach: but a eomplrt Kroorator. and I voluntarily, without tha Doctors re
i)uMl rKcuoiuwDd this to an oo ami-led who Injunction and nervousness which follows. 1 bow eat wnll, sleep well, and S
hava (aUMMl auiut twenty ot pound in wetf bt, am Iraa from oold feel ur hands, circulation good and I feei better ttuut for'
r 150
D0SS
v 11.00
Dr. Kay's Renovator
FOR DYSPEPSIA
CONSTIPATION
LIVER ft KIDNEYS
SOLD BY
DRUGGISTS.;
many yars and I attribute this to Ur. Kay's Renorstnr. One Vt hoi wtll convince any on that It surpasses the whole train of pills J
and raiuartirt usually tason. I now only lake one little tablet whra I oyer load my wtomach and It will relieve Die at once." AT
ii.o nr. ur i x. a a it is invaluable as u reouvausa anu invworaws us wooie system ana purines and enriches the blood w
s-lviiar sew life and vior to the whole body, cut-in spring fever, dyspasia, const I pat loo, liver and kidney dlmaea and all ner-V J
total and blood diseases headache. uIUousih-ns etc It In the beat nerve tonic known for worn out business men. It has 2 to 4 times f
aw many doas as liquid medicines atlling- for tha aama prioa. Sold by druinrUu or sent by mall, toracts and II bend for J
vfrre aantple and hooklrt; It has many valuable receipts, Rive symptoms and treatment for nearly all diseases and many sav It Is 4 t
wonn an. ii iney could aot get another. Address Ir. b. J. Kay Medical Co., iWestern OtHcel S0 So. 16th Street. Omaha. Neh. V J
SHERUAN & UcCONNELL DRUG CO.,
1513 Dodge Street, (2nd Door Wett of Postoffice), Omaha, Neb.
BEHIND STONEWALLS.
Let the Search-Light of Rea
son bo Turned on.
hbtuM the I ry f Ketigfa Sab-Id the
I'eatfaU l"rm l'ubllr lavrxtliraUoB
The Mate Should Iaw U
Rkrun Heights. O., April .-An
ci has been Introduced In the legisla
ture of Ohio, adding the convent and
Roman Catholic schools to the list of
Institution, which a jm perly appointed
committee are to yearly e xamlee. All
lovers of their country should make
every exertion to have this become a
law, aril when enacted, at e to It that
it la enforced. The magnitude of the
evil this law seeks to remedy la not un
derstood by the people. The convent,
or nunneries, are usually situated In
retired localities, and when In cities,
the closed gates shut them effectually
from public gaze. Within their thick
walla, whatever transpires Is never rt
vcaled, and the 'sister" who takes the
ell Is as dead as though burled In the
tomb.
When this subject came up legisla
tively, I referred to SullUtr'$ Cutltolic
IHrtctory, published for the church,
and attempted to learn bow many con
vents there are In Ohio. Although the
name of each convent la given with
great clearness, the number of sisters
is befogged In such a manner as to
render It difficult to get at the matter
with exactness. The state Is divided
Into three dioceses, that of Cleveland,
Columbus and Cincinnati, the latter
being an arcA.dioce(e. I give the list
of nunneries In the latter in full:
Convent ot the Good Shepherd, Bunk
at., Cincinnati Mother Mary ot St.
Joseph, provincial supr. Twenty-nine
professed sisters and 0 outdoor sis'ers.
Dependant house, Convent of the Good
Shepherd, Mt. Immaculate Conception,
77 Baum St., Cincinnati, O. Mother
M. Gertrude, supr. Ten professed sis
ters, 2 lay sisters and 10 outdoor sis
ters. Convent of the Sisters ot Notre
Dame, Sixth St., bet. Sycamore and
Broadway, Cincinnati Mother Julia,
general supr. of the houses of the order
in the U. S.; Sitter M. Borgia, local
upr. There are In the diocese of Cin
cinnati 201 sisters, distributed as fol
lows: Fifty-eight at Reading, 13 at
Hamilton, 30 at Dayton, and in Cincin
nati, ISO.
Convent of the Ladles of the Sacred
Heart, Clifton, Cincinnati, O. Rev.
Mother Mary Garvey, supr. Twenty
two choir rellglousand 14 lay sisters.
Convent of the Sisters of the Poor ot
St. Francis, Third and Lytle sts., Cin
cinnati Sister Deslderia, provincial
upr. Professed sisters in the diocese,
94; novices IS; postulants, 33.
Convent of the Sisters of Mercy, W.
Fourth st, Cincinnati Sister Mary
Baptist, supr. Sisters in the dlocete.50.
Convent of the Little Sisters cf the
Poor, Montgomery road, Cincinnati
Sister Joseph of Maxellande, supr.; 15
sifters.
Branch-house of the Little Sisters of
the Poor at Clifton Ilelghts-Mother
Esther, supr, 13 sisters.
Sisters of Charity, St. Joseph's
Mother-home, Delhi, O (P. O. Mt St.
Joseph, Hamilton Co, O.) Mothfr
Mary Blanche, supr.; Sister Bastlia,
assistant; Sister Mary Florence, treas.;
Sister Ambrose, procuratrlx. Sisters
in the dloceee, 203; outside, 179; total,
472. At St Joseph's mother-house,
novitiate and training-school, near
Delhi, novices are thoroughly In
structed for teaching in parochial
schools.
Provincial Monastery of the Good
Shepherd, Carthage, Hamilton Co., O.
Mother M. of St. Joseph David, supr.
Thirty six professed religious, 6 nov
ices, 4 postulants, 1 outdoor sister.
Maria Stein Convent, Maria Stein,
Mercer Co. Mother-house of the Sis
ters of the Precious Blood. Mo.her
Ludovica Scharf, supr.; Sister Corona,
assistant. Thirty sisters, 10 novices, 30
postulants. Number of sisters in the
diocese, 390; outside, 126; total, 518.
BRANCH HOUSES OF THE SISTERS OF
THE PRECIOUS BLOOD.
Convent of the Visitation, Minster,
Auglaize Co. Sister M. Gottliebe,
supr. Fifty-five sisters, 10 novices, 4
postulants. Pupils, 324.
Convent of Mary, Gruenwald (Cas
sella P. O.), Mercer Co. Sitter M.
Harlina, supr. Sisters, 35.
Convent of the Assumption, Cartha
gena, Mercer Co. Sister M. Euphemia,
Bupr. Sisters, 23.
Convent of Mary's Flight into Egypt
(Minster P. O.), Auglaize Co. Sister
M. Raphael, supr. Sisters, 40.
Convent ot Mary, Mother of Mercy,
Hlmmelgarten (St Henry P. 0. Mer
cer Co. Sister M. Cordula, supr. Sis
ters, 40.
The Sisters of the Precious Blood
have also Mission-Houses at Botklns,
Cellna, Ft. Recovery, Russia, Troy,
Versailles and Wapakoneta.
In these sixteen institutions there
are sisters of all appellation, 1,894, or
an average of 113 sisters to each. The
diocese of Columbus, comprising the
central portion of the state, has tha
following:
Convent of the Dominican Sisters
Shepard P, O.), Franklin Co., O.-
Mother Vlncentla, supr. Sisters ia
community, 120; Sisters at Mother
house, 50.
Convent of the Sisters of the Good
Shepbc rd, West Side, Broad and San
dusky st., Columbus Mother Theresa,
supr. Twenty-five sisters, 29 Magda
len, 70 lttnlUnU, 71 preservation children-
Convent of Sisters ot Notre Dame,
Rich it , Columbus, 31 Sisters, teach
ing In Holy Cross and St Patrick's
schools, and conducting St. Joseph's
Academy. Pupil, 120. Sister Mary
Llguorl, supr.
Convent of Sister of St. Francis,
New Lexington Mother Gonzuga,
suor. Sisters, 2t; pupils, 40.
To these must be added the strange
conglomerations of school and convent,
which feed the nunneries with their
victims. Of these the most conspicuous
are:
St Joseph's Academy, Columbus
Conducted by Sisters of Notre Dame.
Twenty five sisters, 120 pupils. Sisters
from this house teach the parochial
schools of Holy Cross and St Patrick's.
St Mary's of the Springs Academy,
one mile from the city of Columbus
(Sheperd P. O.) Franklin Co., O.-Sls-ters
of St Dominic. Mother Vlncen
tla, supr. Sisters, 25; pupils, 80. Sis
ters from this house teach the pa
rochial schools ot Zanesvlllo, Stenben
vlllo, Newark, Lancaster, Somerset, St.
Lawrence, I ronton, and of Vincent Fer
rer, New York City. Rev. R. P.
O'Rourke, O. P., chaplain.
St Alaysius' Academy, New Lexing
tonSisters of St. Francis. Twenty
four sisters. Mother Gonzaga, supr.
Pupils, 40.
In the dlocose of Cleveland there are
eighteen convents, but the number of
sisters, tor some reason best known to
the priests, is not stated. It is to be
presumed that the average is at high
as thatof Clnolnnatl-113. That would
give 2,127 sisters. The convents of Co
lumbus apparently contain 423, and the
academies 74 more; while in the state
there are 4,515 sisters of all degrees,
from those who have taken the veil and
are suffering a living burial, to the
fresh pupil, enticed by alluring words
and hypnotized by the priests, passing
the threshold as novices, as flys walk
Into the den of the hungry spider.
Such Is a full and complete statement
ot ths facts. What an awful picture It
presents here in one of the greatest
states of the union, originally settled
by the offspring of New England Purl
tans. now little the people know of the ex
istence of the nunneries may be learned
for the asking. "How many convents
are there in Northern Ohio?" I asked
of a prominent Congregational clergy
man. "I have heard that there are
two or three," was the reply. He was
astoalshed when the case was pre
sented, and did not give credence until
the Catholic Directory itself wss turned
to. There Is no other institution in
the state that is free from state super
vision; but these convents claim exemp
tion because of their religious charac
ter. If they are such holy places,
where nuns pass their time In prayer,
there can be no harm In the fact being
proven by investigation. Only because
they are rotten with crime and perfidi
ous villainy, are their doors closed.
There are in the state 4,515 sisters,
withdrawn from all the pleasures of
life and sacrificed to the unholy selfish
ness of the prleithood. The walls of
the convent are thick, the windows are
heavily barred, the doors kept locked;
there is a high wall around it. The
heart of the mother superior is ice, and
the visiting priests, capable of forgiv
ing all sins, can commit none. The con
vent is a world within itself. It is
ruled by its own laws, and the wail of
despair and the cry of agony which go
up from the lipsof entrapped innocence,
has no answer but the echo from the
arched celling.
If there was an American unlawfully
confined in a prison in farthest Europe
or Asia, he would be demanded by our
government, and if not released, the
whole strength of the nation would be
called forth to enforce the order. To
hold persons in confinement against
their will is one of the most revolting
of crimes and is severely punished.
Yet, in the state of Ohio, 4,515 sisters
are held in duress more exacting and
in closer confinement than are the in
mates ot the penitentiary, and not a
word of censure comes from the press,
which is ready to uphold the taking of
the veil, when the deluded victims
have reached that awful sacrifice.
How many of these 4,515 sisters are
held against their will? Who can
know, as they are not allowed to come
in contact with the outside world?
When visited by friends, whom they
are allowed to see at rare intervals,
they meet on opposite sides of a grate,
in the presence of the superior, and
should they utter a word of censure, or
desire to eccape, the most horrible
penances would be imposed. To kneel
on the cold stone floor until the knees
become ulcerated, to lick the dirt from
the floor of the hall, to be deprived of
food or water, are among the least in
flictions. So contrary to nature is it for a young
person to renounce the pleasures and
allurements of life, that it la the pre
sumption that nearly all the inmates
have been deceived, and were held by
compulsion until ao changed by their
surrounding that they loae tha desire
to escape. That any one can become so
subjected and dominated as to cease
desiring to live a natural, true life,
ought to be sufficient for the condemna
tion of the system to eternal infamy.
Whether they do or not, they should
be allowed to ex press themselves, and
the Iron door should be open tor those
who wish to go. A committee should
be appointed, with highest power, to
visit every convent twice each year,
with the right to make thorough ex
amination and converse with the in
mates without surveillance. This com
mittee should a'sa have the power to
give freedom to such as desire to leave
the convents.
The evil has grown up unobserved
and is rapidly Increasing, but if those
who desire are allowed to return to the
world, the stories of abute, Insult and
torture they would relate will bar the
way for those who become infatuated
with the allurements of the convent
life as pictured by the priests. Such
Institutions are un-American, and con
trary to the spirit of our laws. They
are In conflict with the spirit of the
age. An American Institution is one
open to the public, one without closed
doors, hiding secrets which should not
exist. That there are 1,400 nunneries
or convents in the United States which
are outside of its laws as much as
though the ocean Interposed, and never
Investigated, is a disgrace to our civil
ization. Hudson Tuttle.
OPES LETTER TO ILLINOIS A. P. A.
Its State Officers Accused With Dictat
Ing In l'elltk-R.
Friends We have reached a period
In the life of our organization when we
are in a position to demand recognition
from the political leaders of the state.
The two great political parties are on
the eve of a great struggle; the Demo
crats are making their last stand
against threatened Republican suprem
acy; the Republicans are fighting
among themselves for the nominations
which seem certain of election. By its
own greediness the Republican party
Is opening the only way to success for
the Democrats a split in the Republi
can ranks. The fight Is going to be a
close one; neither party Is sure of vie
tovy. The balance ot power is in the
bands of the A. P. A. The question
before us is a simple one and ought to
be decided without much hesitancy.
Are we going to use our power, or are
we going to sit idly by and let a set of
oorrupt officials prostitute the organi
zation that we are members of? I
know this Is a serious charge to make
against our state officers and yet I
make it. The charge is susceptible cf
proof: I give you herewith the facts
on which this charge Is based, and you
may judge for yourselves on how good
a foundation it rests. On the
Saturday prior to the Republican love
feast, at Springfield, Chas. J. Klnnie
was In Chicago to keep an appoint
ment with the state officials, Clarence
P. Johnson and Will D. Newton. A
conference was held In the office of C.
Tupper Beatty In the Association
building, and the following facts were
stated by the state officers to Mr. Kln
nie: That Henry L. Hertz was opposed to
the placing of Mr. Kinnie on the state
ticket, as he was too well-known as an
A. P. A.
That Henry L. Hertz had demanded
of Mr. Johnson the withdrawal of Mr.
Klnnie as a candidate for the office of
state auditor.
That Mr. Johnson had refused to
have Mr. Klnnie withdraw and would
not support Hertz If he did not drop
the fight on Klnnie.
Now, friends, I would like to know if
we elected Clarence P. Johnson for
the benefit of Chas. P. Klnnie or for
the good of the order. I ask by what
right Clarence P. Johnson either re
fuses or pledges the support of the or
ganization on account of any one man.
I ask by what right he has a conference
with Henry L. Hertz for the purpose
of fixing up a slate In the Interest of
any one man? Clarence P. Johnson
has no right to make political deals
with Henry L. Hertz on any pretext
whatsoever, for Henry L. Hertz is a
Romanist and will make no deals in
any way prejudicial to the interest of
the Roman Catholic church. You
may not believe these charges, friends,
but silence on the part of Clarence P.
Johnson will be an acknowledgement
ot guilt, and you may rest assured he
will maintain a discreet silence.
Should he care to probe into these
charges, I will be pleased to publish an
autograph letter from Dr. T. N. Jamie
son that will conclusively establish the
relation now existing between Mr.
Johnson and the Republican machine.
I ask you, friends, simply to read and
think. Daisy G. Mack.
HOME-SEEKERS EXCURSIONS.
Via. Missouri Pacific Railway.
Very low rates for the round-trip to
polntsin Kansas, Arkansas, Oklahoma,
Texas, In fact to nearly all points in
the southern states. Don't forget the
dates, April 7th, and 21st, also May
5th. For full particulars, land pam
phlets, books, etc., call on your nearest
agent or company's office, northeast
corner Thirteenth and Farnam, or
depot, Fifteenth and Webster streets,
Omaha, Neb. Thos. F. Godfrey,
J. O. Phillippi, P. and T. A.
A. G. F. and P. A.
CRIPPLE CHEEE. COLO., HEWS.
George S. Irwin, one of our friends,
who has just recovered from an illness,
makes an Ideal president of Cripple
Creek Typographical Union No. 227.
AN American's patriotism is not
measured by the intensity with which
he hates Roman Catholicism and
Roman Catholics, but by the intensity
with which he loves the principles of
liberty and freedom.
Seventy-two persons were arrested
tor illegal registration at Victor on
Monday night. The jail at Victor
being Inadequate to accommodate all
the prisoners, twenty-one of the men
were brought to Cripple Creek and
confined in the city bastile. All those
men are alleged Populists.
The Duke of Norfolk will shortly be
a recipient of a fine portrait of Pope
Leo XIII. The picture was painted by
an Italian artist The duke is one of
the most prominent and wealthy ot the
English Roman Catholics, and is a
warm advocate of the projected papal
conquest of Great Britain.
There being only one mayoralty
ticket in the field at Cripple Creek,
Mayor Hugh R. Steele was chosen to
fill for another term the office which he
has so creditably filled during the past
year. As mayor of the city he has de
veloped a well defined backbone some
thing which every exeoutlve officer
should possess.
Captain George O. Nevins, the
Chesterfield of Cripple Creek Ameri
cans, Is polite, urbane, kind and con
siderate to those with whom he comes
in contact. He finds it unnecessary to
use profane expletives, and he Is a man
whose perional habits are above re
proach. The captain is a gallant,
genial, gracious and generous gentle
man. We are informed, on trustworthy
authority, that the Larry Maroney
Lumber Company furnished, free of
charge, the lumber and labor to con
struct a building in which the Catho
lic Sisters of Charity could hold a fair
two weeks, for the benefit ot their
order. The lumber company will, at
Its own expense, it is alleged, also tear
down the structure and cart away
the lumber at the close of the fair.
What American lumber company
would perform a like deed for a Protes
tant interest for such an organization,
for example, as the Cripple Creek Bap
tist church, of which Rev. Mr. Kirk Is
the worthy and patriotic pastor?
HERE AND THERE.
The Florence and Cripple Creek
Raiload Company is contemplating
building a branch line from Victor, a
distance of ten miles, to a new townsite
called Wilmington, near Nipple moun
tain. The new camp abounds in min
eral and the site is near excellent min
eral springs. Denver capitalists are
behind the new enterprise, and will
build a large brick hotel there costing
$60,000. Surveyors are to take the
field in a few days.
The first annual ball of the Victor
Typographical Union No. 275, held at
Armory hall on Monday evening, was
a grand success, and redowns to the
qredlt of the members having the affair
in charge.
The new mining camp of Freshwater
is attracting considerable attention
from prospectors and others. It is
located about twelve miles southeast
of Howbert, a station on the Midland,
titty-seven miles west of Colorado
Springs. A good road leads from
Howbert to the camp, and a stage line
is soon to be put on the road. Fresh
water now has about forty buildings,
and several stores and a second livery
stable are now in progress ot construc
tion. The Florence and Cripple Creek
Railroad will sell tickets to Denver
April 21st and 22d, at one fare for the
round trip $5.75 limit to return April
27th, on account of the meeting of the
G. A. R-, Sons ot Veterans and Wo
man's Relief Corps.
A. P. A. Wing at Anaconda.
A more orderly election was never
held than that which took place yester.
day at Anaconda. There were two
tickets in the field, the American,
headed by Henry Dahl, and the Citi
zens, headed by Thomas Waddleton.
While there was no demonstration to
mark the fervor, there was a most
earnest pull on both sides to win the
battle. The total vote was 549 and the
American ticket was elected by an
average majority ot from 40 to 65.
Following is the official counts of the
judges:
For mayor, Henry Dahl, 264; Thomas
Waddleton, 226. Dial's majority, 33.
For trustees, American ticket: H.
B. Allen, 305; J. M. Stutsman, 297;
Thomas Montgomery, 285. Citizens'
ticket: Thomas Kenney, 243; J. D.
Williams, 243; James C. Chamberlain,
243.
The American has from the first
supported Mr. H. P. Dahl for mayor ot
Anaconda, because it believed him to
be the best man for the place. We
predict that he will never betray any
confidence which may be reposed in
him. ,
Election at Gillett.
There were four tickets In the field
at Gillett, but as many of the candi
dates appeared on more than one
ticket, it virtually put the Republican
ticket in the field against the faction
of the Independents', Peoples' and
Citizens' tickets. Peace prevailed and
quiet work was done, resulting in a
straight Republican victory.
Following Is the judges' result: Total
vote 239:
For mayor, A. S. Perrler, 126 votes.
For trustees, S. B. Collins, 156; F.
Harper, 145; E. A. Brindage, 137;
Charles M. Cranson, 114; E. D. Sloan,
138; J. W. Yeaman, 129.
The lowest vote of the above parties,
all of whom were elected, was twenty
above all other tickets.
The successful candidate for mayor,
Judge A. S. Perrier, announced him
self openly during the campaign as the
A. P. A. candidate.
Foreign Immigration.
Mr. Lodge has been one of the prime
movers in the troubles from which the
country now suffers. He began a year
a go, or more, to create the perturbation
in our foreign relations which, during
the last few months, has been so disas
trous to business, and has done so much
to turn public attention away from our
domestic difficulties. He has always,
however, reserved for himself a little
shelter In the shape of something of
comparatively small consequence,
which would not seriously affect his
own character as a demagogue, and
yet enable him to make a display of
Interest in our domestic affairs. One
of these is civll-servlce reform. An
other is copyright. Neither; of them
seriously attract public attention, or is
likely to damage him or lessen his In
fluecca with the class which he most
cultivates. Whenever one resents bis
attacks on the currency, or 'his tariff
madness, or his military propagandists
all of which are likely -to affect ser
iously the character of the nation, the
answer always Is to see how faithful he
is to clvll-servlce reform oand what a
gocd friend to International copyright.
To these political sentry-boxes he has
now added hostility to Illiterate immi
gration, which he says ls',"a subject of
the greatest magnitudeand of the most
far-reaching importance:"
"The injury of unrestricted immigra
tion to American' wages and American
standards of living is sufficiently plain
and Is bad.oenough, but (the danger
which this immigration threatens to
the quality of our citizenship is far
worse. That which it concerns us to
know, and that which is more vital to
us as a people than all possible ques
tions of tariff or currency, is whether
the quality of our citizenship is endan
gered by the present course and char
ter of immigration jto the United
States. To determine this question in
telligently, wejmust look into the his
tory of our race."
We do not need to look into the "his
tory of our race" to get at the bottom
of this matter. The history of our
own country is fenough.fi Every one
must regret Ignorant olmmlgratlon.
There Is no doubt that it does lower
the quality of our citizenship, and that
it has a tendency to breed demagogues.
But the question withjjus to-day is
whether, and to; what degree, it is re
sponsible for the evils which now afflict
us. What are those evils? a They are,
first, a tariff which, highj'or low, it
seems impossible to settle in any man
ner which will not make It a constant
menace and disturbance -Jto business
stability. We care not whether it be a
high or low or middling etarifl. Our
next evil is a mixed, disorderly and re
dundant currency, the various denomi
nations of which are maintained at par
with each other by borrowing money
quarterly. Oar third evil Is a wide
spread popular 'passion tor foreign ag
gression, and the conversion into a
military republic of one which was in
tended to be, and .has been untiljnow, a
peaceful, trading, manufacturing atd
agricultural republic.
Now, to which of these evils has the
foreign Immigration, large as it is,
ignorant as it is, contributed anything?
The states which contain most foreign
born citizens, as we have often pointed
out in these columns, have been sound
est on the currency question much
sounder than Mr. Lodge or anv of his
leading companions. On the manage
ment of the tariff, which is really our
American system of taxation, during
the-past thirty years the foreign popu
lation has exerted no influence, or next
to none. It has been almost exclu
sively In the hands of American manu
facturers and their American congres
sional allies. Any falsehoods or delus
ion which have helped to maintain it
at an extravagant height, or have led
to sudden and violent changes In it,
have been spread among the foreign
population by intelligent and educated
Americans. The irredeemable-greenback
movement and the silver move
ment, with all their absurdities, are of
purely native origin, and are most
deeply rooted to-day in the states which
have received the least foreign immi
gration. The present prevailing de
sire, of which Senator Lodge has been
himself a chief promoter, to get up a dis
pute with foreign nations which would
entail enormous expense, and, if per
sisted in, seriously change the charac
ter of our government, is absolutely
native-American In its origin and
maintenance. There are very fow for
eign immigrants, even of the present
class, who have not clearer conceptions
of international morality and of the
convenances of international intercourse
than such men as Morgan and Vest,
for example.
The matter on which the Influence of
the foreign Immigrant has been most
potent is city government. But the
only city in the Union in which this
has been visible, palpable, and over
whelming, Is New York. The govern
ment of New York has been undeniably
Irish, and we admit shockingly bad.
But, alas, the government of the other
cities, Philadelphia for . example,
which is In native hands, Is just as tad
and some say worse. So is that of St.
Louis, Chicago and Cincinnati. In all
these cities the chief leaders in the
work of corruption have been Ameri
cans by birth, and as a general rule it
Is Americans who have taught the for
eigners the tricks of the trade. As to
foreign illiteracy, to which Mr. Lodge
attaches so much importance, we affirm
that it has not done us a hundredth
part of the mischief wrought by native
literacy. Mr. Lodge himself, for in
stance, was taught to read and write
when he was a child, and has, In ma
turer years, had the best educational
advantages the country affords. But,
in spite of this, a very large proportion
of the educated and thinking men of
the country look on him as a citizen
who does more damage to the nation
than a hundred thousand, or, we might
say, a half-million, ignorant Europeans.
At no period in the history of the
country has so much damage been done
to our government as within the last
ten years by the congresses which we
have been In the habit of calling
"brutish." They have exhibited ig
norance and folly In about equal pro
portionsignorance about nearly ev
erything with which it behooves a leg
islator to be acquainted, trade, com
merce, industry, finance, currency, for
eign relations and yet every member
of them know how to read and write,
with different degress of proficiency,
it is true, but all fairly well. Some
had even read books and dictionaries.
So It is quite plain that making for
eigners read and write at their port of
entry would not necessarily make them
desirable additions to our voting popu
lation, or to our halls of legislation.
Take again the boss system, which
is so rapidly changing the character
of our state governments: Who de
vised it? Who carry it on? Who are
its main suppjrters? Why, the native
born country voters of New York and
Pennsylvania, just as much as the
Irish laborers and liquor-dealers of
New York city or Philadelphia. It is
not Paddy or Hans who is seen hurry
ing to No. 49 Broadway every Satur
day. In truth, the most marked char
acteristic of a great deal of such la
mentation as Mr. Lodge's over for
eign illiteracy, and of a great deal of
the legislation of the day, is the desire
to find some mechanical substitute for
character, something which will dis
pense with the necessity of being hon
est and true and upright, and loving
one's country in other ways than show
ing readiness to fight foreigners about
matters which do not concern us. Does
any one suppose for one moment that If
the ruling passion at Washington and
Albany today were a sincere desire to
do what was best for the country, what
was most likely to promote the com
fort of the poor, and the safety, honor,
and welfare of the nation, as these
terms were understood by its founders,
the existence among us of five times as
many illiterate foreigners as we now
have could not ba witnessed without
concern? New York Nation, March se.