The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1883-09-17
AFFAIRS IN V~ATERLAND.
Mr.. AdOlph Seidensticker's Observations
on Certain Matters of Interest to
German-American Citizens.


Adolph Seidensticker editor of the German
Telegraph, returned the other day from a four
months tour in Europe, his travels being
chiefly in Germany and Austria, though he was
for some time in France. Mr.. SeideDsticker
made his visit accompanied by his sister, Mrs.
Thudium, OF Philadelphia. The point OF chief
est interest 20 Mr.. SeiGensticker was the uni
yerslty town of Gottingen, Hanover, his birth
place, which he left tnirty-seven years agoSwhen
d boy less than fifteen years Old. As he went
there merely as a r aveler he said, in answer to
a question of the Journal interviewer, that he
had not had any opportunity to investigate the
labor question. Of course as a German-Ameri-
can and as an editor he was not wholly unac-
quainted with the question of food and
labor, but his information was not
special. and therefore could be of no great inn
portance. He remarked, however, a great diff
ference in the condition of the common people.
Their condition is vastly improved and is still
improving. The cause OF this lies in the unifca-
ton of Germany, which has broken down all
trade barriers and gwen an intercommunIcation
unknown before. There is more money aud the
common people have a larger share of it.
"The military burden which Germany. as all
Europe, bears, is not an unmixed evil" said Mr..
seidensticker; "rich and poor alike have to do
military service, and the contact of the common
and ignorant with the wealthy and better edn-
Gated classes is valuable as an educator to them.
Besides it, in some measure, is toning down the
rigid class restrictions that prevailed, and the
common man feels that he, as we'll as the rich
man, is a human being, invested with human
rights. 1 noticed that among men prominent in
all businesses ami industries are self-made men,
men who have risen from the romnion classes to
prominence In greai pursuits. CT course they
opn ~ n oG ~ TTpnn "a - 90 AGr. hnF van Il I'd fha>,
everywhere,and that fact gives nope to the poor
and struggling masScE.'
How do Germans regard emigration, Do
they not think that the country has a great and
irreparable loss in the emigration of hundreds
OF thousands who not only take away large
amounts of money, bur, as the tmigTants are
nearly all young, deprive the country of
money-making muscle and a fecundity that i'm
pairs increase in pOpulation?'
Theoretically, they may consider that the
country loses by this emigration, but practically
it shonld not he considered a loss, In Germany
the increase in population is greater than In any
country, l believe. in Europe, and the successive
eensuses show this Increase Notwithstanding
emigration. The loss in money is considerable,
for the German emiErant comes TO ;he United
States usually on money of his own Raving. and
not, as we are told Of the Irish. on money sent
from America. Money is mucn more plen-
tiful there now than ever before. The amnesty
paid 10y the French marked the beginning
or the financial Improvement which has
increased since. During my stay in Germany
! remarked that it WAS not, as of old. the upper
classes alone that INDUCED IN midsummer aunts
b ti'E "a aNhh Alhi tAb lllAAAllF ltN y alats
lower-tuidile classes were TO he found travelling
upon the railroads and stopping at summer re-
sorts and places OF interest. They have money
to spend, and they spend it. Amusements, how
ever. DO not cost there as here. What would
cost, in the way of sightseeing ana
amusement, $15 or 800 here, would
not cost more than as many marks there
or a third as much. AS an American l was not
disposed to look fIvOrably upon the system of
fares on the railroads., fOnr different fares for
different ciasses being used on the same train.
But | now think there is q deal 0f good SENSE in
it. All the fares are lower than il this country,
and the cheapest-that paid by the country peo-
! ple-is a great benefit 10 trade, as going to and
with Them
"Whar nuout American port9"
al did not talk on that subject particularly. 1
have afriend in Vienna who used to live in this
country. Some zine ago, he said, he had intro
duced his friends 10 American ham. lie insisted
that the hams from this country were better
than the Bohemian hams, which are the crack
hams in Vienna. They ate the American ham IN
his COMPANY. and agreed with him, and IA he
had a friend over here who is Il packer, they iu-
duced him TO import some Tor them The
upon being favored in the same way, and he
soon mad a business upou his hands he did not
desire. A provision trader came TO his relief.
Offering TO attend to the sale of the hams if he
woIld import them, aud the business
the cry of trichIna was raised
by some medical Journal, ard II run wild in the
newspapers, ana my friend dropped out of the
business. 1 am inclined TO believe there was
reason for the government there taking the
action il did in regard to American meats. A
14apn 80 El.N 1EHI xusna nat Ea1~n- .mFF IA AKaF h,.v