The Wilmingtonian. (Wilmington, Del.) 1882-188?, 1884-09-06
THE yonKsFEsT "CHAKGEs. "


The specific statements made in THE
WLMINoToNIAN last week respecting the
drunkenness and immortality observed at
tho recent Volksiest certainly bear moro Of
the stamp of honesty about them than the
mnueudoes which few other journals, less
frank aud outspokcn, have conveyed against
the management of the Fest and Germans
generally. The N0rning NeUs after sneer-
mgly speaking of the Germans Americans
of this city as mot half as good as the peo-
pie of "Kent aud Sussex, characteristics our
simple statcmcnt IF fIcts as sweeping brutal
and emincnily unlair!'
There are but twn inlercnc:s u be drawn
from the course adopted by our esteemed
contemporary. Onc is thai, fearing it had
gone too far in comparing the Teutons un-
boys of Kent and the sands of Sussex,
something of an dmende hOhOrdbiG was nc
y,
iently made by defending the Germaus from
the assaults Of other journals. The sec
sond is that il furnished republican news
paper with the opportunity of distributing
IL little campaign tally at a season when it
is sorely needed.
The anxiety Of the N0rniag Ners to cham
pion the cause of ''those dear Germans
and ''thoso suffering sons of Erin" is of
course based ON the usual principles Of ur-
ban and national policy. But we fail to see
why we should be made the scapegoat OF
journalistic indiscretions, or why the NeiCs
sh ould seek to devOlve on our shoulders
exclusively the burden of which it is entit-
led TO so liberal a share. Colonel Ford him
sell must smile as he reads in the columns
Of our contemporary that We have insinuated
some very ugly things concerning his con-
duct, especially when he recalls the fact
that Tie Ne,cs meaningly remarked of his
nomination that he might as easily have
voted 1000 as 3OOO
We do not seek for moment to excuse
ourselves for anything we have published
either in regard to the recent Volksfest or
the eanddature of Colonel Ford. But, turn
ing to the former and addressing ourselves
to our German fellow citizens, we beg leave
to make here the comments which we stud
iously withheld in our last issue.
First of all we will say that we have
never, by insinuation or direct implication,
reflection on our German population. In
special article appearing in our issue of July 10
the following passage occupied, which could,
II i.cg.ss...y '; !, us. risasSs;. h ,..A.y st..szs
in our flles:-
''Reading has won prosperity bydeserving
it; by increasing existing accommodations
and facilities to meet the contingencies of
progress 1t is a standing example Of the
vigor aud gOrd citizenship of the thrifty
and indomtable Tcutonic race
AS the NJrning NcDs very correctly re-
marks, THE WILMINGToNIAN is accustomed
to ''speak out i'll meeting" 1t docs not give
consent by silence. BY an overwhelming
volume Of testimony, the late Nolksfest
evoked display Of drunkenness and inmor-
ality, which numbers of our most respected
German citizens acknowledge with shame
told in the brief statement we felt COM
PEELED to publish. IL but one case was a
reference made duplicating German in the
scenes of this most dsgraceful orge.
In conversation with two of the leading
members Of the management of the Volks-
fest, representative of this journal failed to
discover that they looked ON the statements
made in our columns as inherently false and
calling for retraction. To one of these
gentlemen the offer was voluntarily made to
substautate them in every particular. The
reply was an expression of regret that our
informants did not lay their information
directly will the committee ON the ground
at the time, in order that the offenders might
be summarily dealt with. The other gen
tleman pointed ont the fact, familiar to every
man Of the world, that public rejoicings,
ATTENDED by all classes and from which it is
practically impossible to exclude disreputa-
bic persons, are prone to be marked by ex-
hibitions Of the lower passions Of men and
and women.
Both gentlemen vehemcntly urged that
the ofenscs complained of were not com.
mitted by Germans but by native Amer
lean citizans, many of them holding respect
able positions in society. We are quite
willing to accept and publish this statement
the more so bcca-Se tho records of Oul
courts prove that our German townsmel
are particularly law biding and orderly n
all times. There is no campaign taily il
this: we have no political axe to grind,
:, voters to entlap, Let MS be Just. If tin
offenders were largely composed of person
born in this city and state, then the onl,
q matter for regret is that no oppOrtunit
Q arose Tor their exposure and punishment.
. Any rejecting person will see that it wa
impossible for an Independent uutspOke