The evening light. [volume] (San Antonio, Tex.) 1881-1883, 1882-06-05
Synopsis of r. marks Ia Judge Siemering's
Speech at the VOlksfcst, June 2.

| Translated From the Freie Presse
WHAT is A VOLKSFEST?
What is Volksfest? The speaker sought
to interpret the meaning of Sunday as day
of recreation and rest for the working classes
after six days of hard work, mostly in damp
and musty shops they ought to be allowed
one day under the dome OF heaven and in free
nature.
But there are people who do not favor al
lowing the workman this day of unrestricted
freedom and keep HMM ignominious letters,
who will tell him what he must eat and drink
and how he shall spend his idle hours!
These worst enemies of human society, these
night owls that would like to darken the sun
light these fana tics of the black army whose
very presence is necessary to shttle any Joy,
we throw the gauntlet of battle IN
their face and proclaim opposition to
,heir dogmas to the bitter end.
They should not make Sunday for US day
of penance and hypocricy.
Now, what Sunday is in the days of the
week, and what holiday is among the Sun
The speaker dwet on the different religious
and civil festivals, and showed that they all
possessed the character of exclusiveness.
a festival for all of US, for the "whole people"
for big and little, rich and poor, all nationali-
ties, regardless of religious, social or political
condition or position.
THE GREEKS AND ROMANS
had their Volksfests, in Rome, they degener-
ated into the glori6caton of the Caesars. The
German Volkstest is
OF HEATHEN ORIGIN.
From the celebrations of returning Spring
among the ancient "Indo," Germanic nations,
the old Germanic nations celebrated the Mai
Fest as a symbolic contest between the winter
and summer gods, but these supposed pow
erful and imaginary predominating rulers OF
he universe had, like all other creations Of
human fancy, to make room for other gods.
The clergy and priesthood declared the Mai
fest as goddess.
Nothing is so hard to eradicate as the Gus
toms and usages of people; the political
status Of a state makes room for new order
of things, the conquered assume the language
f the conqueror, the people shatter the old
gods and build temples and affairs to the new
ones, but one thing remains, the national
customs of a people. The Germans sacri-
iced the heather character of the Mai-test,
hat it might live for all time in changed
form.
When we brought the Volktest from the
German meadows into the plains, hills and
mountains of West Texas, we, as in the
times of old, thought of a sovereign whose
glorihcation we proposed to celebrate but
this sovereign's name is not Napoleon nor
William;..nay, not even o. M. Roberts, but
THE SOVEREIGN PEOPLE
Of America and in this special case the free
and sovereign people of Texas, in the honor
Of that sovereignty, we celebrate to-day and
dedicate the gories that surround u.s. to the
peoples glory we have concentrated and
Drawn to our aid sire water" and the sciences,
in combination with the lightning of the air
and the liquids of the deep, we have gathered
the products of the land, and like the ancient
Greeks, in their contests with chariots and
songs, though in different manner, we cele-
brate to-day.
ANOTHER ACQUISITION
and one of the most powerful levers Of indus
try and agriculture, an invaluable friend to
sociabity and torerunner to a higher civiliza-
tion-berr and wine. When the people
gather to sacrifice to the
DEITY OF JOY.
Then it is necessary to have something that
| shakes up the nerves out Of their every day
monotony and to animate the soul. AS long
as the human family have existed so long have
they sought to find and make a drink that
| would animate and stimulate the intellect, and
have found it everywhere at all times and in
all countries on the face of the earth, for
mother nature grows the ingredient, for it
everywhere, the vine, barley, hops, dates, rice
and many more plants of like order containing
the nerve Strengthening liquids. What nature
offers we may partake of with such modera-
| ton as is necessary for ones well-being. The
prohibitionists tell us nature grows poisons
also, but of these we also partake more or
less, ask your physician, for nature grows
hem for our benefit. The very best can
become injurious by injudCious use and APP
plication. Water has
KILLED MORE PEOPLE
| than all beer and wine together, yet we do not
| hate it, we use it with temperate moderation
| and keep away from it when it threatens dan
ger, the same as we partake of beer and wine
! in moderate manner, every well balanced
and nationally minded man knows when to
stop.
The speaker enlarged on the benefits that
beer brewries had bestowed on mil
lions of mankind and on agriculture,
and like the culture of the wine which is a
source OF profit to millions in whole countries
and their furtherance OF many industries direct
and indirect Everything in existence in this
world has its dark and bright sides, and drink
ing no more than any other; let us look
around and seq.
THOUSANDS OF PEACRAbiE MEN AND WOMEN
are gathered together here in sociable enjoy