H AMERICAN A Celebration of Independence Day In a Wisconsin Town. AmtrlraiiUalioa of the NurwurlanH. Mtrlety SUrkrd the Xiik Hull. Uj at SUugoton. "The Norwegian Fourth of July," a the Independence day of Norway i called In the west, occurt on the 17th of May. This year the celebration were held on the 18th, a the preceding day waa Sunday, and the Norwegian unlike the Germans, are somewhat puritanical Id their obterranco of Sun day. Until quite recent yeart, the 17th of May wai celebrated In a great many town of tho went, but tb la year It waa celebrated in very few placet), and In dlcallont are that before another ten year have passed It will cease to be honored anywhere ouUlde of Chicago and Minneapolis The Immigration from Norway baa fallen off, the old generation are passing away, and thulr children do not hold to tho tradition of the punt. The American-born Nor wegians do not keep up the old tongue, tne ou customs. Tuelr hearU are with tho country of their descendants, not with tho country of their anees' tor. Nowhere else in America can tho vanishing Norwegian fete day be ob served to such advantage as In Stough ton, the capital of Norwegian Wiscon sin. This town does not derive that eminence from its size, for It has barely 3,000 inhabitants, but from the fact that its population is almost entirely of the Viking stock, and that it Is the center of the most purely Norse dis trict in the country. A tew sections of Minnesota may have ns Urge a portion of Scandinavians, but not so large a portion of Norwegians. In the town ships surrounding It are settled some 40,000 people of Norwegian doscent. In its Immediate neighborhood the townships are occupied by Norwegians almost to the exclusion of other n&- tlonalltles. Stoughton is the center of Norwegian life, of Norwegian thought, perhaps of politics, too, for the state of Wisconsin. It is a very Mecca for tho descendants of Gamol Norge. A visit to Stoughton Is the nearest thing to a visit to Norway. The Norsk goes there to steep himself in the associations of the fatherland and renew his old na tional feelings, to talk the old language, to sing the old songs. The first thing that attracted my at tention as I debarked from the train at Stoughton on the morning of the ISth of May was an American dug. The next thing was another American flag. Boys and old men had small flags in their bats, girls were them on their shoulders, stores and houses were hung with them. Not a Norwegian flag was in sight, nor did I see one until night, and then it was only one. There were no exorcises of any kind booked for the forenoon, and I passed the time walk ing about and observing the types. The streets were crowded with people. The Norwegians of the surrounding country were out in force, and politi cians from Madison, the state capital, were busy among them "looking after fences." It was an orderly crowd. Tall, flaxenhalred men, whose faces baked to an earthly brown by the sun and wind, were in curious contrast to their yellow hair and blue eyes, stood about the streets conversing quietly. There was no shouting, no boisterous laughter, no ostentatious greetings of friends. The Norwegian is not quar relsome. He does not have that melo dramatic quality of the lower class European on a holiday which causes the possessor to delight in attracting attention to himself, even by making himself ridiculous. The Norse bear the reputation of being heavy drinkers. All their history reeks with the fumes of strong liquors. The Scandinavian ancestors of the English were as mighty at the wine and beer cask as they were in battle. It would not be surprising if the descendants of the old warriors who shed the blood and drank the wine of southern Europe drank and fought In the New World. I had heard of Norwegians who drank pure alcohol. Indeed, from the stories told, one would think they drank little else. Yet in this crowd of thousands I saw no one drunk during the day, and those whom I saw drunk at night num bered less than a dozen. Taking into consideration that the day was a holi day and the people were out for a good time, this sobriety quite contradicted the statements so frequently made about the Norwegians. At one o'clock a procession formed in the main street to march out to a park where addresses were to be delivered. At the head of the line marched a militia sergeant carrying the Ameri can flag, and that was the only flag in the procession. A newly formed militia company, so young that it had not yet received arms, formed the larger part of the procession. The day was not only devoted to a commemoration of Norway's independence, but to the dedificatlon of the militia company's new armory. The speakers of the day were a young attorney of Norwegian descent and the principal of the high school. The latter had a German name, spelled according to tha English method, a few t's and c's, supernumer ary In English, being omitted. I r marked to an acquaintance that It was strange that the high school of a Nor wegian town should have a German principal. "He s not a German," said my ac quaintance, "lie's an American. lie has a German name, to be sure, but he Is an American." And so he was. The excellent ad dress which he gave was American through and through. lie was address ing Norwegians, but he referred to Norway only twice. He was an un compromising American, who believed that our own history furnishes plenty of Instances of valor and virtue without forcing us to fall back upon the history of Europe for Illustrations. The second speaker, a young man wbo had ac quired considerable reputation a i speaker in Engllth, gave a comio ad dress in a peculiar dialect, a dialect which bears towards tho literary Nor wegian a relation somewhat similar to that which the Yankee dialect boars to literary English. Humorous stories and anecdotes are frequently told in this dialect. I was somewhat sur prised that there was no address in lit erary Norwegian, and asked why the speaker had not given one instead of his humorous speech. "Ho couldn't," a college friend, Norwegian replied. "In this dialect any mistakes in Norwegian that he makes are not noticed. He is a good orator In English, but not in Norweg' Ian. There are very fow Norwegian' Americans wno possess at tne same tlmo ability as speakers and a complete command of Norwegian. The commit tee of arrangements tried to get Prof. Q , of the State University, but he wouldn't come." "Why was that0" "Well, vou see, we young Norweg lans are Americans now, and we foel that those foreign holidays ought to be discontinued. We don't like to do any' thing that tends to make us a separate class among other Americans. You know that wherever our race has gone, it has quickly assimilated with the original inhabitants of the country. In France, we became the French of the French; in England, English of the English, and in Amorioa wo are going to become Americans of the Ameri cans." That la the watchword of the Nor wegians in Wisconsin. Everywhere you will hear it. First uttered by the professor of English literature of the the State University, the Norwegian students took it up and carried it with them everywhere. The Americaniza tion of the other nationalities comes from without and is strenuously re sisted. The Americanization of the Norwegians comes from within. Citi zens of a country that is a republic In all except the suzerainty of the Swed ish king, a country without an heredi tary aristocracy, the Norwegians are especially fitted to enter into the plrit of our institutions. Were all our foreign accessions like the Norwegians, we would hear no talk of prohibiting immigration. The Norwegians dislike the Irish. I had always heard this, but had never fully realized it before. Stoughton is an A. P. A. town. There are only a dozen Irishmen there, and no Roman Catholic church, and no exciting cause for an A. P. A. lodge, but the A. P. A. is there, and everybody Is in It, ready for the Irish if they ever do come, for the Norwegian allegiance to the A. P. is not brought about by an intoler ance toward the Church of Rome, but by a thorough distrust and dislike of the Irish. The Norwegians show no hostility to the Roman Cathollo Ger mans. They dislike the Irish as Irish, not on account of their religion. I doubt if the Germans dislike the French, or the Irish dislike the Eng lish any worse than tho Norwegians dislike the Irish. The results of this dislike are severely felt by the Irish. They have a large number of profes sional politicians. The Norwegians do what they can to defeat them. The Irish can do very little in the way of retaliation, for the Norwegians are not "in politics" to any great extent. When on the border of Scandinavian and Hibernian territory the young men of the nations meet In fray, the victory is usually with the Norsemen, for they are larger and stronger than their ad versaries, and when aroused exhibit a fierceness and implacability surpassing the Celtic fury. The old Berserker madness comes upon them, and woe be tide their antagonists. Outside of local politics in a few communities, the Irish have nothing to say in Wisconsin and Minnesota. The Not wegians and Swedes would not abide it. The relations between Norwegians and Germans are not strained, neither are they cordial. The Germans are fond of saying that the Norwegians are treacherous. Bring up the subject of Norwegians with a German, and he will be almost sure to tell you this The Yankees and Norwegians are very friendly. Race relationship and slml larity of disposition make them friends The Yankees have no bitter re mem brances of a time when hordes of Nor wegians crowded in upon them and lowered tha standard ot living by accepting low wages. The Norse went directly to the west and have never come Into industrial competition with the Americana. They are nearly all farmers. A ball gameacd a bicycle race made up the festivities of the afternoon. The evening waa to bo devoted to a ball in the newly erected armory. The mill tia company had not been in existence long enough to be mustered la by the state, jet it had almost completed a big armory. Though the walls were not yet finished off, the floor was ready for dancing and a dance was to be given. The whole town waa at the ball, and a good share of the surrounding terri tory as well. Fine looking girl were the rule; not all fair-haired, by any means. I early put my eye on typical Norse beauty, falr-halred, tur riuolse eyed, with a complexion of strawberries and cream, lithe of figure, and I sought an Introduction. Lo and behold, she was a Yankee maiden Black-haired and black-eyed girls whom I thought might be Yankees turned out to be Norwegians. There were several girls with luxurlent deep brown tresses that gave out gleams of rusty gold as tho light flashed upon them, like a rich fabric shot with dark golden threads. The possessors of those beautiful heads of hair were Nor wegians, and not stray Celts, as one might have Imagined. Xew York Evening l'ost. SCITOKT OF CATHOLIC l'ASTORS. How It is Managed In Country Parishes Abroad! In country parishes usually the par lsh priest on the Sundays following Easter and Christmas sits after mass at a table In the chapel with a book containing the names of the parish lon ers and the amount each contributes, to receive the offerings of his flock, says the Contemvorary Review. In towns and oltie the priests make a house-to-house collection of tho "dues.1 The amount of the "dues" is in the case of a farmer fixed at so much a pound on the valuation of his land. Laborers pay 1 shilling six pence, ar tisans or clerks from 2 shillings 6 pence to 5 shillings, according to their wages; small shopkeepers from 10 shillings to 1 pound, larger shopkeepers and the professional classes between 3 pounds and 5 pounds, and the gentry contri bute larger sums, according to their wealth. The "dues" are in a sense obligatory, for Roman Catholics are bound by the laws of the church, under pain of excommunication, to contribute to the support of their pastors. But as the "dues" are not as a rule oppres sive they are willingly and cheerfully contributed. In addition to the "dues" the parish priests also receive fees for the dis charge of offices at marriages, bap tisms, funerals and for saying mass for any particular object, such as for the repose of a soul or for a blessing on some secular or religious undertaking. These fees also vary considerably, ac cording to the position of the persons for whom the offices are discharged. A poor person may have a mass said for 5 shillings, while a rich person would pay 10 shillings or 1 pound. Marriages in humble circles are per formed for 1 pound or for 1 pound 10 shillings, and In well-to-do circles for much larger sums arrived at by mutual agreement. In country parishes, where the "fortune" of the bride Is known to everybody, tho custom is to charge a fee of 5 per cent of the dowry. Many parish priests in the country districts also add a little to their in comes by farming operations, such as letting fields to graziers or raising stock on their own account. In former years, indeed, almost every parish priest was also a big farmer. He tilled his extensive acres largely by the gratuitous labors of his flock and went to the fairs and markets with the pro duce or with his cattle, sheep, pigs or horses and wrangled and haggled with the dealers over 5 shillings in the price. But priests are not now allowed by the bishops to hold more than twenty acres ot land. Out of his in come from his parish the parish priest has not only to pay the stipends of his curates but has also to contribute a certain percentage of the amount to the bishop, for It is from such contri butions by the parish priests of his diocese that most of the income of the bishop is derived. Daily Xews, June IS, 1896. Thinks They Wfre First. Cuba, Mo., June 8. Editor Ameri can: I see in the issue oi juneotnoi The American an article on the first page at the bottom of the last column claiming that Sandusky, O., has the honor of floating from the Congrega tional church the Stars and Stripes for the first time in the United States. We cannot allow this honor to go to Sandusky, O. In The Anurican, pub lished at Pittsburg, Pa., in the lasue of July 1st, 1895, we announced that on the 22d day of June, 1895, we floated from the spire of the Methodist Epis copal church at Neelysville, O., the Stars and Stripes for the first time. Please allow correction in American. Neelysville first, Sandusky next. Let other churches fall in line. Yours truly, G. G. Maf-LE. southern mwm. He Writes Another Very Able and Logical Letter. Shows Some of the Jesuit Sehemes to Win Public Favor Conscience Money. Savannah. Ga., June 23rd, 1890. Editor The American: That "the end justifies the means;" that "frauds are pious and lies are holy, when done for the good of the church," con sidered from the priestly point of view, are axiomatic of self-evident truths that have been laid down by leading Jesuit authorities. Their real meaning of the "good of the church" is to persistently strive to attain for it absolute political power in any coun try where It gains a strong foothold, as it has done In our own. The second clause quoted above explains the first that "frauds and lies" are honorable (?) "means" to reach their political "end;" to which means we may safely add treachery, treason. civil wars, mas sacres, and open and secret atsassica tions, as centuries of history proves. This city has had within a year two specimens of what appears to thou sands of intelligent citizens "pious frauds." I do not mean to assert that, in every instance where a Romish priest returns money or valuables to their owners that he has discovered through the confessional they have been robbed off, that it was done with fraudulent intent to create favor and political capital for the Catholic church. But the first instance I bring to notice is surrounded with much sus picion. It occurred here as soon as the excitement had subsided, caused by the papist riot that took place on the occasion of the visit of Mr. and Mrs. Slattery about a year ago. The Morn ing Xacs, a Rome-controlled sheet, in its issue of April 8, 1895, under the caption of "Paid Back Ill-Gotten Gain, an Insurance Company $7,000 Better off by a Smitten Conscience," says in part: "An insurance company, with an agency in this city, Is $7,000 better off, which it can credit to its conscience fund. When the conscience- stricken party Is a Roman Catholic, ho usually makes restitution through the priest to whom he confesses his mis deed. This was the case in this in stance. The sum mentioned was re turned through Vicar-General Cafferty to an Insurance company, doing business In this city, one day last week, it Is aid. A number of parties seemed ac quainted with the fact, though they would not say how they came by their information. It i supposed that the story was told by the agent of the lucky company. As the story goes the now consolence-strlcken offender set fire to his property, said to be a storehouse, several years ago. By the advice of his priest he determined to make resti tution. In order to save exposure the restitution was made by Father Caf ferty. Those who have heard the story are cudgelling their brains to fix upon the party who thus- satisfied his con science," but up to the present time he has not been found. The same paper says: "A similar instance to the above occurred in Savannah several years ago in much the same manner." Sir, it is the opinion of many of our best and most intelligent citizens that that 17,000 trick was a priestly fraud, gotten up to offset the odium brought upon the church by the rowdy element of its lay members who turned out to mob, and murder it they could, Mr. and Mrs. Slattery. Another instance of the kind occurred in this city about a week ago. A priest entered a wholesale- drug house, and Inquiring for the proprietor, handed him five dollars and asked for a receipt. Upon interrogation, all he could get out of the priest was, "that it was his. and that it was. conscience money." The proprietor gave the priest a re ceipt, and he quickly departed. The proprietor having several Roman Cath olics, male and female, in his employ, called them together and related the circumstances of the priest's visit. They, one and all, expressed the great est indignation that the priest should come there and attempt to throw sus picion upon them of robbing their em ployer. Many uncomplimentary epi thets were cast upon this priest by the Catholic employes of the firm. This instance, like the first one mentioned, occurred at a time when public feel ings were strained to their utmost ten sion, both upon the Catholic and Prot estant side the political caldron even now "like a hell-broth boils and bubbles," a bitter feeling exists, caused principally by the slanders and false hoods heaped upon the Protestant American element by the Romans, and leaves a grave suspicion that this five dollar trick is a "fraud," pure and simple, to gain favor for Romanism in this city. A base Jesuit, who upholds the doctrine that "the end justifies the means," and swears to "disobey all magistrates, superior or inferior, in any country called Protestant, and de clares all such to be illegal without the sanction and confirmation of the pope, and that all such may safely be destroyed," will bend himself to any act of baseness, treachery, or even as sassination, If he can accomplish his crime without fear of detection and punishment The much chagrined Tammany tigers, who have been run out of their cosy lain, by this time fully realize that the A. P. A. has settled down in the Empire state of the south with the full intention of running the common wealth, instead of themselves; and in their frenzy they will doubtless have recourse to any means, base or heroic, to try and recover some of their lost ground. This view of affairs may, per haps, account for the fact that during the past two months a considerable number of strange priests have arrived in Savannah, and probably may throw light upon another fact, that these sneaking priests are going round dis tributing some of their church funds among Protestant employers and call ing it "conscience money." This re- calls to mind the full exposure of this base, Roman fraud, made by that famous ex-priest and patriot, William Hogan, over fifty years ago, (1845), at the time Dan O'Connell was in New York stirring up his countrymen to clamor for the repeal of the union bo tween Great Britain and Ireland, and upon that occasion they marched through the cities of New York with banners bearing the seditious legend "Americans shall not rule us," and for which distinguished service in the United States Pope Gregory XVI. re warded the famous Dan with the title of "the greatest layman living." With reference to the base and knavish tricks of Romish prle6ts and Jesuits, resorted to for the purpose of gaining Protestant favor and political strength, Hogan says: "The modus operandi of Romish priests is as follows: When a popish of Jesuit priest settles in a city or town, he looks about him and ascer tains what the character, clrcum stances, politics and religion of the different families are. If he discovers that any particular Protestant family is wealthy, entirely unacquainted with popery, and liberally disposed, he takes a note of the fact, and determines, by some means or other, to form an ac quaintance with the head of the family. This is sometimes not easily done. It is not often that men of wealth are de sirous of the personal acquaintance of clergymen of any denomination. They know thatr pretty generally speaking, there is little to be gained, so far as worldly goods are concerned, from a personal intimacy with them. Of this Romibh priests are well aware, and act accordingly. When one of them de sires an acquaintance with the head of a family, he unceremoniously calls upon him, hands him some money more or teas according to circumstances and without any explanation, tells him it Is his, and seems no way desirous of fur ther conversation. The gentleman or lady who receives the money, of course, detains tho priest or Jesuit, and asks what he wishes him or her to do with the money; whether he deposited it for safe keeping, or whether he wished it paid to some on. The answer of tne Jesuit is: "Sir, or Madam, the money is yours. I received it in the discharge of my duty as a priest," and he departs. The result of this piece of Jesuit act ing is obvious. The gentleman men tions the circumstance to his family, the merchant to his neighboring mer chants, the mother mentions it to her children, and bo- every mother on her list of visitors, and finally conclude that the money has been received in the confessional; that some poor Re man Catholic In their employ had stolen it, and that the priest in the con fessional caused restitution to be made; that after all, this "going to confession was a good thing, it kept the Catholic servants honest, and if it were not for lit, there would be no safety in giving them employment." The husband tells his wife to throw no obstacles in the way of her domestics going to confes sion, as he believes it is a check upon their dishonesty, and makes up his mind that it is at least good policy to sustain popery and popish priests. He calls upon the Jesuit bishop or priest, touches his hat to him should he meet him on the streets, tells him he would be happy to see him at his house; and thus, by this tedious, though sure pro cess, does a reverend Jesuit priest gain his end. The family is now at his mercy; and the best recommendation a domestic can bring to this family, or any of their acquaintances, Is that of a scheming, deceitful, popish priest or bishop, with whom, if properly known, no respectable man would be seen walk ing the streets. Often have I done this while a Romish priest. "Thisprooess.by which popish priests and Jesuits often insinuate themselves into the confidence of some of our most respectable Protestant families, has In It something ineffably mean, contempti ble and wicked. There is something worm-like and vampire-like in the whole process. The robber runs some risk In gaining possession of his booty; he has, at least, the redeeming quality of personal bravery. The eagle, which takes its prey to the very pinnacle of the loftiest rock, though that prey should be the infant of the fondest mother, and there devours it before the agonized parent, must claim more or less admiration for its boldness. There is a majesty in its flight which diminishes the atrocity of the act; by one bound the noble bird gains h'.t point But the Jesuit, like the worm, like the loathsome reptile, gains his by beginning at the root, at the base of domestic happiness and virtue, and creeps and gnaw his way until ha reaches Its summit, and then laugh at he see it mouldering under his feet. "But this is not all. The Protestant family with whom he forms an acqaint ance by these dishonorable means, are not the only sufferers. Injustice is done to the Catholic domestics In Prot estant families. A palpable Imputa tion of dishonesty Is thrown upon the whole body of them. An Implied im pression Is left upon the minds ot Prot estants that they are all dishonest that they would all rob, pilfer and steal, if they were not forbidden and compelled to make restitution in the confessional. But what signifies it to a Jesuit priest, what Protestants think of poor Roman Catholics? ilf they only believe that priests and Jesuits are saints, that is all they care. It Jesuits can only manage to cause Protestants to attribute the honesty of papists to themselves, and can cause tho Catho lics to hate and despise Protestants for suspecting them of dishonesty, their point is gained, though at the expense of justice both to Protestants and Cath olics. It is peculiarly unjust towards Cathollo domestics, who are really as honest as other people, if their priests would let them be, and who might be as good citizens as others, were it not for priests and Jesuits. Do away with the supremacy of the pope and auricu lar confession, and the foreigners who come among us from Ireland and other Catholic countries would be as peacea ble, as industrious and worthy citizens as any we have; but never can these poor people enjoy the blessings of free dom, here or elsewhere, while they have any connection with priests, con fessionals or popes. Americans are not inimical to foreigners who conduct themselves with propriety, and pay a due respect to the laws of their coun try; but tbey are inimical and it is their duty to be so to all who traitor ously interfere with their civil rights; and it ii not a little singular, that among the millions of foreigners who have fled to this land ofnfreedom, none but papists have interfered with its laws, its Institutions, or its customs. "I have resided," continues Hogan, "in the United States forHhlrty years or thereabouts, and never have I heard a Protestant say that he has been Ill- treated or unkindly dealt with by Americans on account of his foreign birth; and I declare, with equal sin cerity, that I have never known a Ro man Catholic satisfied with our Repub lican form of government, and who did not avow when he could do so without being heard by Protestants that he wished a Roman Catholic government established in its place. It is a strange circumstance, but nevertheless true, that Americans have no difficulties with any foreigners amongst them ex cept the Roman Catholics. There are various denominations of foreigners in the United States, but all others enjoy the blessings of liberty, quietly and thankfully. Papists alone are db satis fied; they alone refuse to hear reason, and seem Inclined to govern by force. No Protestant priest in the United States has ever been known to be con trolled in the discharge of his duty by a foreign potentate. None of them were ever known to harangue their flocks and march them through American cities, with banners bearing tho treasonable motto, written In, conspicu ous letters, 'AMERICANS. SHAN'T RULE US.' Popish bishop and papists alone, have dared to do this.' " Follow Americans, the facts related in the latter part of this article, quoted from Hogan, happened over fifty years ago, and are capable ofjlnoontroverta ble proof. The Americans of that tlmo who resisted Romish treachery were termed by papists, "Knaw-nothlngs," but they made a sturdy resistance to papists and they crawled shack into their holes, but not to sleep,' as the Protestants did, and have done until within the last few years; our experi ence of Rome is the same as theirs, and that Rome's favorite motto Is as truo to-day as it was then "Semper Eadem," "always the same" and always will remain the mortal foe of free intellect and free government. But our freedom loving citizens, thank God, are at la9t wide awake to the danger that con fronts us, and Rome will find this time that she has to face a mighty and in vincible know-something party that will hold her in the traces. Rome has shaken her fist in our face, threatened and menaced us, and to be fore-warned is to be fore-armed. Her cause is foul towards us, as it is ungrateful and un just, and conscienceless; our cause is a just one, we call upon high heaven to witness that we desire no more than the free exercise of reasoning or in tellectual powers In our own affairs, with which God has endowed us all, and if we do not exercise these gifts aright, we insult the Almighty Giver of them. These precious gifts the A. P. A. will never allow a pope or his emissaries to tear from us. Stand man fully for the right and fear not, for, as the great Bard of Avon said: "Thrico is he armed who hath his quarrel just than he but naked, though locked up in steel, whose conscience with injus tice is corrupted." Yours in F. P. p Southern Watchman. ''