St. Paul daily globe. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn.) 1884-1896, 1886-05-15
VOICE OF THE PEOPLE.
Defense of the SLAVIC Race.

To the Editor Of the Globe:
In your issue Of May you adopt an article
from the Chicago Times, which makes the
Slavic race responsible for the riots of the
socialists in Chicago, and hence you desire to
''shut them out" of this country. Mr. Editor
love this my adopted country no less than
yourself and pray to God to avert from us
the storms of baneful socialism, destructive
of our peace. prosperity and liberty; and
were convinced that the people of nv own
race were the enemies of our cherished insti-
buttons, / would not hesitate moment tocrv
out together with you, ''Shut them out!''
Yet, in our zeal for the good of our country.
we must not forget to be just. Do we sen.
tence men in our courts of justice without
giving them hearing? Why, then, should a
race numbering nearly 100, 0O0, 900 be so sum-
marily dealt with for the crimes of a few in
dividuals, repudiated and abhorred by the
rest? Would it be just to designate the
whole Irish race as nation of assas-
sins and dynamiters, because there
are a few assassins and dynamiters
among them, or are the Germans all social
lists because nearly all the socialistic leaders
happen to be Germans? I do not doubt that
OCT of the $1,000 Bohemians and Poles living
in Chicago some Of them participated in the
riots; yet it seems to me a strange logic to
hold the Slavic race responsible for evil
brought about by German and English lead
ers. No less strange are the alleged '.facts
Gathering the testimony of standard his.
torians on the subject before us-Niebuhr,
Neumann, Gibbon, Schaffarik and Palacky-
find that the Scythisns and Huns were of
Mongol origin, neither in race, appearance,
language or customs like the Slavic, who be-
long to the Aryan race. The ancient writer's,
speaking of the Slavs, describe them as an
industrious race, fond Of agriculture and
pastoral life, hospitable and peaceful and
making war only In Defense and this ma
tional trait remains by the verdict of history
with the Slavic races to this day. Yet q
learned (0 writer in the Chicago Times,
whose statements, Mr.. Editor, you adopt,
rumaging the deep antiquities of Chicago, or
perhaps still deeper malice of his own heart
declares, according to your statement, ''the
Slavic race originates from the Scythians and
in some indefinite way also from the Huns
The bloody trail that they have left across
the paths of centuries proves that their man.
eating appetite has never been effaced, and
most probably never will be. They are an
uneasy, restless people, who are never so
happy as when engaged in instruction and
bedaubed with gore. These are facts demon
strated by the truths of (Chicago) history.
They are more dangerous and repulsive ele-
ment than the Chinese. They are incapable
of understanding our free Institutions
1 do not think, Mr.. Editor, that you would
Intentionally do us injustice, yet I am sur
prised that you should have been SO far mis-
the above untrue and unjust sentences. You
may not have had the opportunity to learn
the history of my race as 1 had. but you
might have looked around you little in your
own city. There are in st. Paul some 5000
or 6. 600 Bohemians and Poles. They may not
be rich, for only the poorer classes emigrate
TO this country, many of them may speak but
little English, yet are they "a vicious class?'
Are they not all Woodworking, industrious
and peaceable people? Nay, may assert it
80 ,frol ion hot
tion TO their numbers there are less crimes
and arrests among them than among others in
St. Paul. The police records prove this. You
will find among them large number of skill
full mechanics, speaking two or three Ian
ruages, but you will hardly find among them
man, woman or child who can not read or
write or family where one or more weekly
newspapers are not read. A Bohemian or a
Polish tramp is as rare as white crow. They
have their faults also for they are human,
and in particular they are no politicians.
Earning by honest labor living for them
selves, they are content to let others make
and administer the laws, which they are will
ing to obey. In time they will improve Free
institutions are nothing new to the Bohemi-
ans, who were for centuries free from feudal
dominion, having an elective constitutional
mouarchy-practically republic, with life
term president.
1.-THE Slavs," you say, 'left a bloody trail
across the path of centuries Study and
compare, Mr.. Editor, the history of the diff
ferent nations of Europe and America, and
you will find that the Slavic nations came in
to the possession of the countries they occupy
peacefully and waged hardly any wars of con-
quest. which you can say of very few other
nations either in Europe or America. Even
the peaceful shepherd uses force to repel the
wolves that attack his flock. Looking down
the stream of centuries until our sight is
dimmed by the darkness of prehistoric times,
we see the attacks upon the different divis-
ions of the large but not united Slavic flock
of Napoleon Bonaparte Frederick H., the
Germans repeatedly, the Swedes, the Turks,
the Magyars and the Tartars. The indepen-
dent kingdoms of Poland, Bohemia, Servia,
Bulgaria, Moravia, did not fall without brave,
desperate and prolonged struggle; but, Mr..
Editor, can you find fault with these Slavic
nations for mingling their own blood in tor
rents on the battlefield with that of their
enemies in the defense of their liberty, their
country and their religion?
There can be no doubt that the requisites
of free citizenship-virtue and intelligence
are not wanting to the Slavic people, and be-
ing fair minded you will be pleased to know,
Mr.. Editor, that they have not those faults
which you had been misled to attribute to
them. rely on your sense Of justice to give
the defense" the prominence you gave the
accusation" would have written sooner
but thought someone else would do so mora
ably. will, as sequence to this article,
point out in the future some prolific sourcef
of socialism and anarchy-dangers all meI
should shun. Yours respectfully,
F. j. PRIBYL.
MONTGOMERY, Mimi, May IL.