The Manitowoc pilot. [volume] (Manitowoc, Wis.) 1859-1932, 1886-05-13

THE late troubles in Chicago and Nil
waukee have revived little OF the spirit
of Knownothingism which has lain dor
mant for years. There is certainly oeca-
sion for some manifestation of that spirit.
People from abroad with peculiar notions
ofgovernmentopposed to tranquility and
order, avail themselves of all the advan-
tages America offers, and set about to
overthrow the existing order OF things
50 that their own revolutionary and an
archie ideas might be put in practice.
Everything American is snesred at
These classes do not come to be assimi-
lated and to become American citizens
yielding obedience to the laws and con-
forming as far as may be to the customs
of the country. They are agitators and
the mountain must como to Mahomet.
They are propagandists and set to work
at once to destroy so that they may build
on the ruins.
We need just enough Of Americanism
to make a native born citizen as good as
q naturaized ono. Just enough to make
II fully as proper for Americans to I'd
here to their customs as it is for foreign
ers to persist in theirs. If it is too much
to expect a foreign born citizen to change
habits which have become second
nature through indulgence, the habit Of
the American born should not be made
to change complexion to meet the re-
quirements Of uniformity. The Know
nothingism which looks upon the for
eigner as essentially vicious and an unde-
sirable acquisition is dangerous form
of national bigotry. 1t is not nativism
which is wanted. But American citizen.
ship should have some potency in mold
ing people differing in origin, into a
common purpose to elevate American
citizenship above all considerations OF
conflicting national sentiment. Ameri-
ca should not be an aggregation of for
| sign colonies, but people united by the
| bonds of citizenship working in harmony
| aud known not as Germans, Norwegians,
| Irish, or Bohemians; but Americans.
| Politics keeps the people apart and
| preserves the distinctions of nationality.
| In Chicago and New York question to
be considered among others of expedi-
ency is, show will the Irish take it p
IN Milwaukee nothing can be attempted
which might give the Germans offense
Tho state managers labor to make the
| Norwegians clannish by giving them 6
place on the state ticket with the avowei
purpose of attracting their votes. 1t is &
distribution among nationalities. The
olannish spirit is carried right into oul
schools by demagogue legislatures. Ma
tional questions are invited, encouraged
in the hope it will benefit one or the othel
political party. If any man has the in
dependence to stand out against these
demagogue proceedings which produce
division of citizens on national lines
he is bounded by the opposition pres.
as person inimical to this or that ma
tionality. 1t won't do to lose partisan
advantage though to secure it might be
to encourage national intolerance.
| Let little common sense take the
place of Knownothingism. Let the pc
! litical parties have no "annex" of nation
atty and let fitness, and if need be, the
party utilization of candidates be the tes
| to the exclusion of considerations of ma
tionality. Aud lie. the press not stultify
itself in avenging insults to any particu
lar nationality and we will cease to be 6
| nation of tribes and become in fact al
| we'll as in name, Americans.