Omaha daily bee., 1889-01-17
AN UNWARRANTED ATTACK.
John Rosicky's Reply TO Prof Rich
ards On Of the Il yh ScnOOl

JOnn RoSicky'S ISeply 10 Pr0F Rlch
ardson OF the High School.
The following communication has been re-
ceived from John Rosicky, editor of the Pok
rok Lapadu, of this city: | am reliably in
formed, tnat Prof. Richardson of the High
school, one day of last week, made some
statements to the students of his class. which
are apt to poison the youthful mind with
prejudice toward Il large class of people, and
| hope ! shall be granted some space in THr
BEE for a few comments. Prof Richardson.
| am Informed, lecturcd his class on hygiene
and by the way of illustration, invited his
pupils to cross the Sixteenth street viaduct,
into l'ohcmantown, where they would find
huts in which single, badly ventilated, filthy
rooms, many persons of Bohemian national
ity, yes, even several families would be
found living together, and often domestic
animals would be found quartered with them
If Such q statement was made in general
way of the poorest classes of our community,
Of course no fault could probably be found,
but when one nationality is singled out, and
without any more cause than any other is
held out for contempt as frightful example,
when youthful minds are being imbued with
erroneous IDEAS and prejudiceS, IL should not
pass unnOtCcd.
If Prof. Richardson had taken the trouble
to investigate before making his random
statements, he would have certainly found
that the poor among Bohemians do not live
differently, probably, from the poor of any
other nationality. lie would have been un-
able to find among them a solitary case
where domestic animals share the hablta-
tions of men, cats and pugS of course cX-
ceptcd. Though have lived with and among
my countrymcn all my days, | have never
seen nor heard Of any such case, ana if there
be such case anywhere they certainly are
not among our people. BY the most super
fetal investigation Professor Rich
ardson could have found that the greatly
despised Bohemians are an industrious aud
frugal class, who work and toni honestly and
support their families the best they can; ;
that they live within their means and pay
their bills honestly that they are not pre-
tentiOus, do not spend more than they earn
yes not even all that they earn, be it ever
50 little that they do not live beyond their
means at the expense of those who trust
them and do not seek other states or Can
ada, like a good many of those whose mode
of life the learned professor would hold out
to his students as eXampe5 worthy of fol
lowing; that they would rather live in huts
honestly earned than in palaces obtained in
sharp practice.
Yes, and they are law-ahiding and peace
ful, too. Search the court records and you
will find proporlionately less cases, less Of
fenses less crimes among them than you
will among any others, They are not all
poor, either. Though large ma
jorty of them came to these
shores poor, like a, majority
of all immigrants, and, probably, like the
iOIoiathci VI iOloeoOr hlChdTuSOb, lucJ w
not remain 50 for all time, but by their in
dustry, hugality and perseverance, they all
acquire, and large majority Of them have
already acquired a competence, sooner,
maybe, than any other class: and such, the
professor will find, live as well as any other
class of citizens.
True, there are no immensely rich people
among them, because tney know no sharp
practices, and. what they have, they have
earned Dy their own industry, aud they know
how 70 enjoy it, too ! know that if any OF
viaduct and see with their own eyes those
frightful sights of Bohemantown they must
have formed very queer idea of Prof
Richardson's veracity and knowledge.
Now, IN conclusion, allow me 10 venture an
opinion, that such teachings Of such profes-
sors and the preiudices created in youthful
minds against honest work and poor tOllers,
are the prime cause Of our very numerous
Canadian colony