Sacramento daily record-union. [volume] (Sacramento [Calif.]) 1875-1891, 1886-04-13
EALF-BREED AMERrCANIsM.


EALF-BREED AMERICANISM.
Over and again the REcoRD-U UNION has
entered Its protest against the clannishness
that is manifested by many naturalized
citizens in maintaining, as such, distinctive
political semi-organizations, calculated to
distinguish them from the mass of Ameri-
can citizens pure and simple. Thus, it has
been common for the voters of several ma
tionalities to herd together, either in open
organization, or by system equally as eff
tectIve, to claim recognition in political
oounsels as foreigners. There is nothing
but wrong and error and i'll in all such acts
and movements. When the demagogues
begin to bid for popular favor, they invari-
ably trim their sails to catch the favoring
freezes of the Irish vote, or the German
vote, or the Italian vote, etc Where these
and other nationalities afford the politi-
Clans the excuse for such hypocrisy, they
really offer their political freedom for sale.
They expose the birth-right of citizenship
by public vendue, to be taken by the high
est bidder. This whole detestabIe business
Of conducting political affairs with view
OF gaining the support of this body of
fcreiSn-born citizens, the countenance and
votes Of that or the other class of Ameri-
can citizens who once acknowledged allie
glance to foreign potentate, is base and
vulgar and mean. If there is one reason
weightier than another that should an
tagonize high-spirited foreign-born voter
against party, ring or candidate, it is to
be found in the pap thrown to him as
foreigner to =" catch his vote" or any con-
cession made to tickle the vanity of the
spirit of his nationality. We happen to
know that the foreign-born are rapidly
coming to this way of thinking-to their
honor be it said. 1t is refreshing, in these
days of hypocrisy and deceit and chicane,
TO find many evidences of this among the
Intelligent naturalized 1t does seem to
Us that any Irishman, German. Italian.
Slavonian or Frenchman who has spark
OF manly sentiment in his composition.
must feel insulted when a political party
bats hook for his gills, with candidate
or resolution put to the fore for the
simple and only reason that the support of
the nationality thus fshed for will the
more likely be secured. With the coming
campaign we shall probably find the old
game played again, and hobs to political
kites twisted out of the vanity of the for
elgn-born. If the naturalized citizen has
anything TO be prouder of than his adopted
country, it would be an interesting reveIa-
ton for him to make it known If there
Is any flag that is dearer to him than the
flag OF the United States of America that
protects him, he is unfit to be an Ameri-
can citizen. If he claims Office or de-
mands recognition for any other reason
than his fitness as an enfranchised free
man, he deserves to be expelled from the
country. The naturalized voters Of this
country either are American citizens in
good faith, or else they sought the bene-
fits of free government under false pre-
tence, and use American citizenship as a
disguise. To charge them with the latter
motive would be to insult every man
among them. We like the spirit of the
Slayonic lllyric Society Of San Francisco
that adopted resolutions on Saturday con-
demning the act of few who at recent
celebration raised over the American
flag that of Austria. These Slavonians
have resolved that the only flag we now
acknowledge - the flag of our adoption
the star-spangled banner. That the action
OF the committee of the Society in covering
the American flag with the eagle of the
Hapsburg and Bourbons is an insult to our
citizenship. The Stars and
Stripes need no covering and protection
from any foreign flag, and that, in our
opinion, the American flag alone should
be carried IN procession and paraded
through our streets"
We do not care about the local issue in the
society that evolved these resolutions, nor
do We take into account the antipathy of
these Slayonians TO Austrian rule; We con-
slider only the vigorous truth and patriot
ism crystallized in the quotations we have
made. It is altogether too refreshing to
find an organization of foreigners declaring
that the stars and stripes alone should be
paraded in our streets, to enter into any
consideration of the causes that broupht
cut such expression. 1t may be that the
latter words OF the quotation go too far as
words, but not in spirit. For, of course
the reference Is not to the display of ban
ners on proper occasions. And of course
there can be no objection to fondly cherish
ing the memories of fatherland. or to the
association for charitable, social and purely
non-political purposes of people of a COM
mon nationality. But the clannish spirit
that demands political favor for clans
sake, is at enmity with the whole purpose
and scheme of the American system.
There was no right-thinking American
who did not feel Inundated, if, indeed. he
was not insulted, in the last Presidential
campaign, to find in political professions
of both parties bodies of uniformed men
who were classed by nationality. 1t was
a mean appeal, and foreigners ought to
feel it to be an insult TO them. There
is no excuse whatever for political clubs
II. III