The Telegraph-courier. [volume] (Kenosha, Wis.) 1888-1946, 1889-12-19
Gov. Hoard and the Bennett Law


ing is the Governors reply to letter
of inquiry in respect to the matter.
The law in question provides that all
children between the ages of and
IA in this state shall attend at least
fourteen Veeks in each year a school
in which the English language is
taught. A competent penalty is i'm
posed on parents or guardians for
violation of the law. The managers
of certain sectarian schools are very
much opposed to the law and have
raised the cry that the Governor is
striving to crush out the German and
other foreign languages. The Gov
ernor speaks in terms that cannot be
misunderstood:
madison, Nov II, SONY DEAR
Mr.. LUCHSINGER: | am not seeking
to make the Bennett law an issue in
the next campaign. If it becomes
the issue it will be through the OPP
ponents of the law, portion of them
by manifesto having already declared
their hostility to any one who favored
the measure.
81 have, | believe, as friendly a
feeling toward our German-Ameri-
can population as any man in this
country; and if | did no. believe
that the Bennett law would assist in
the advancement of their youth. |
would certainly oppose it's continu-
ance on the statute books. | want
the little German boy and girl, the
little Norwegian, the little Bohemian
and little Pole, the children of all
foreign-born parents to have the
same chance in life as my children.
Without a knowledge of the English
language they cannot have this
chance. This is a very plain propo-
sition, with which | know you will
agree. l plead for these children of
foreign born parents for the reason
that [ personally know many who
were born in this country who are
handicapped by ignorance of the
language of the country. Should
not something be done to give these
bright young people an opportunity
to rise according to the ability God
has given them? Advancement in
life for them is out of the question
without knowledge Of the language
of the country.
81 am confident that when the
Lutheran people come to look at the
Bennett law in its right light and
study its provisions, they will fail to
see in it any menace to their rights
or tenets. It seeks to interfere with
no religion. 1t simply requires that
for certain number of weeks in
each year children must attend some
school where a certain amount of
English instruction is given. 1t does
not seek to abolish the parochial
school, or interfere with tho teaching
of German.
"Let the opponents of the Bennett
law take a case that recently came
under my observation. A short time
since Hon. R. M. La Toilette caused
competitive examination to be held
for a cadet at West Point. A num-
Der of candidates entered for the
place, some of whom had graduated
at the University of Wisconsin, An
impartial committee awarded the
prize, after a severe and critical ex-
animation. to a German lad in Grant
county, whose education had been
obtained in the common schools, if I
am not mistaken. The boy had an
equal chance with the American boy,
and he won. No one rejoices more
at his success than his American
friends. If he had been deprived of
the English language, this opportu-
nifty would have been lost to him.
81 cannot believe that it would be
doing justice to the little boy of the
present, born of foreign parents, to
deprive him of all opportunities to
become the peer of the native born
boy, by postponing this question for
a score of years; nor can / believe
his father or mother will think so
when they come to know just what
the Bennett law means. Of course
they love their children, and they
cannot wish to keep them down as
underlings by the side of the Yam
kee boy. acknowledge is power. p"
knowledge of the English language
will give the German boy and girl
the power of equality that nothing
else will. 1t cannot be that any
German father or mother can oppose
law which is enacted for the sake
of their children.
81 would not ask the good old
German to abandon the use of the
language of the fatherland, or to
cease to look upon that language as
the best in USE | would only ask
him one question: edo you want
your sons and daughters to have the
same opportunities for advancement
as the Yankee boy and girl?" If he
will reflect for a moment, and con-