The Kenosha telegraph. [volume] (Kenosha, Wis.) 1860-1888, 1870-02-24
E:uropcaR Correspondence.
E5oCfGe Life fn dRerIMmRy.
FRANKFORT on TINE MAIN,
JANUARY 9Th, 1870

JANUARY ON, 1917,
RDIToE TELEGRAPH:
As I intimated in former letter, In
Germany theatres and places Of amuse
ment are more frequented than houses of
worship. By this do not mean to in
innate but what there are many devout
and christian people here /;
but that to a superficial
observer, at least, there appears to be g
wide difference between the outward OBJ
servance of christian usuages here from
that in America 1t is not for me to de-
eide which is the most acceptabIe to the
great and impartial judge Of human actions
and motives. Probably the philosophers
end writer's of each country would claim
to be right themselves while the Others
were in the wrong. Therefore, which is
right? AS the Spainard says, "queen
sable"
There is onething certain apd that is all
the stores and business places ere strictly
closed on the Sabbath here,
as much SO as in our
own country. With us in Anne RIGA
there is one exception-the apothecary's
shop is alwaysopen day and night through
the year-here the exception is that of
the beer and wine saloons, and the little
pipe and cigar stores that are ever in the
Dutchman's eye wherever he turns. These
are always open. AS for drugs, they have
no use for them except for mechanical
uses. Conversing with DR.. Bronze, an en-
inent American dentist here, he informed
me that he rarely ever was called npon to
operate upon young persons teeth. His
customers were all of the middle or past
the middle age. He further said, provid
ing the ordinary precautions were taken
of occasionally plugging tooth, there
would not be more than what one good
dentist could do here in the whole city
Will American mothers who feed their
little ones on poisoned candies and send
tens of thousands annually down to their
little grrves take note of this? In
rambling among the cemeteries here, it is
easily noticeable how disproportioned is
the number of small mounds to the "loved
and lost" compared with those in the
United States. The solution is contained
in just six words-fresh air, plain diet,
simple dress.
There is one argument always used in
our own country by the Germans there
against the passage of any law restrain
ing the people in" Sabbath amusements"
as they call them This is potent one
here but ought not to have SO much
weight there. There are very few of
what is known as middle class here The
people are devided into two great classes
the rich and the poor. AS to the lat
ter do not mean to be understood that
they are paupers or like the common low
working classes of England or America,
but that they are those who till the soil,
toll in the workshop, in the mines and
machine shops. They and their children
have to labor diligently for six days
of the week, early and late On the
Sabbath they must have rest and some
relaxation. It would be absurd to think
they could get this natural rest of mind
and body by attending church all the
Sabbath, and the next morning by day
light commence again the wee'-ly toll
with a light and willing heart. No, the
poor and honest toiler for others has a
human heart-he has children and wife
and loves them-he loves the songs OF
blrds-the green foliage of earth and
fowers-music and the representation of
human life upon the mimic >tage! Why
should he be deprived OF them Do so
and you rob him of all the charms and
objects of life.
Again, think the literature of coun.
try has very much to do with the wor-
ship of It's people. In the seventeenth
or eighteenth centuries there sprul g up
in Germany a school of freethinkers
whose philosophy had much to do in Civ
ing free scope to the religious veiws of
themasses The traditional lore such as
has prevailed among our honored New
England ancestry in the belief in wizards
and witches, spirits and hobgoblins, was
brought forward in. the form Of poetry
and in drama upon the stage. For in
stance, I will copy from q German play