The Ashland union. [volume] (Ashland, Ashland County, Ohio) 1854-1868, 1854-06-14
THE GERmAN moYEmRNT.

es of citizens of this Union, have the UNI
doubted right to organize themselves in
to party for the accomplishment of any
laudable object; but that any good can
come from the present movement, smack
ing, as. it does, of European Socialism,
is, to say the least, doubtful. If the for
eign-born citizens of this country are de-
prived of any of their just rights, their
remedy is with or the other of the
great political parties of the day for it
cannot be denied that their vote, cast in
favor of either, turns the scale. If, as
they claim, the Democratic party will
not afford them the protection they de-
sire, as an American we would far rather
see them go over, body and soul, to Ell
ther of the other parties. The Demo
cratic party has always been their
friend it has protected them Through
evil as well as good report" and now
to desert that party whose whole weight,
as a party, has been thrown against the
Native American organization, which,
at one time, needed but little encourage
ment to have become almost formidable,
is in bad taste, to say the least of it.
| The defeat of the Native American par
ty, whose principles are so entirely OPP
posed to, and subversive of, the rights of
foreigners, vas mainly attributable to
the Democratic party; and yet our Ger
man friends charge upon us corrupt re-
l~ations, and open violations of right, ex-
isting in the religious, political and So
cial life, of the North American Repub-
lic." To the end that they may get rid
of these alledged evils, they have formed
! State associations in Wisconsin, Indiana
and Ohio, and have adopted a platform
for the reforms they demand. The fol-
lowing are some of the reforms asked for:
al. Slavery is to be prohibited in all
the new Territories, by Congress.
"2. Entire religious freedom, and as
a means of promoting it, the abolish
ment of the Sabbath and thanksgiving
days, prayers in Congress and State
Legislatures, the oath upon the Bible,
the introduction of Bibles into schools,
and the exclusion of Atheists as wit
nesses in courts of justice, all of which
are called 'open violations of human
rights and of the Constitution of the
! United States -,
"3 The right of every man to a free
farm upon the public lands who will go
there and settle.
"a. To facilitate the right of becom-
ing a citizen as much as possible.
as. Free schools, with laws compell-
ing children to attend that are within
certain ages.
"6. The administration of justic gra-
tuitously.
az. The following amendments are
demanded to the Constitution of the
United States:
"Al civil officers to be elected direct
ly by the people.
"Any eligible citizen of n State
may be elected to represent in Congress
the citizens of a district in another
State, and any eligible citizen of one
county may be elected a member of the
State Legislature by the citizens of
another country of the same State.
"Any member of any Legislative body
may at any time be recalled by a ma
jority of the citizens of the district or
county, which he may represent, and an
officer may be removed from Office, if a
majority of the citizens desire his re-
moval.
"s. Free trade, when it is reciproeated
by other Governments.
"9. The National Government should
make river and harbor improvements,
and construct a railroad to the Pacific
Ocean.
go. Neutrality should cease to be
an article in our political creed wheney-
er it is averse to the interests of the
United States
GIL. A system of progressive taxation
is declared to be the only just and equit-
able one. The n1OduS 0perand of this
progressive taxation is thus defined
"a progressive income tax increases
with the increase ofproperty, SO that if,
for instance, $500 pay l per cent, 5000
pay 8 per cent.
No property to be exempt, except,
what belongs to the State and schools.
Every citizen to be allowed to deduct
three hundred dollars from the total
amount of his taxable property. !
3" IL. All laws peculiar to the military
are to be abolished.
"15. Hostility to all temperance laws
as an Infringement of individual rights
is the last article in the creed of the
: progressive German party"
1t is astonishing that any set of intel
ligent men, should thus place themselves
before the American people-in a coun-
try in which they have hardly gained
their citizenships. What do the MAORI
ty of them know about our government ?
If we are wrong in our political and So
cial life !" what has produced such an in
fux of immigration? It lily becomes
those who have just placed foot upon our
soil, toodietate to this great people what
their social and political life - shall be.
1t has always been a cardinal principle
of the American people, and more partic-
ularly with the Democratic party, that
every native and fo~reign-born citizen
should enjoy the same rights and privi-
leges. No moreno less. They talk
of effecting an entire change in our Gen
eral Government | If it does not suit
them, why do they seek its protection ?
The practical effect of this organization
will be to strengthen the Native Ameri-