San Antonio daily light. [volume] (San Antonio, Tex.) 1886-1907, 1889-02-18

.Iemmecc IN by the law that lie MAY lind it
impossible to leave the country, except by
stealth. And this often happens. For in
stance, in 1879, Of AZ, lO7 who left Prussia
only % 404 had legal right to do SO granted
by the authorities. The rest made themselves
liable, if caught, to years Imprisonment or
fine of $3.50.
HARSH LAW.
In 1884 the police of West Prussia forbade
the posting up of printed matter likely to
encourage emigration, and all railway sta
lions were guarded by special policemen to
intercept any that might be suspected of
leaving the country before having fulfilled
all their obligations under the law. This law
operates very harshly in many cases. Sup
pose, for instance family wishes to break
up its home In Germany, and begin anew in
the western country in America They can
all get permission, perhaps, except one lad of
Is, who is liable for the army. The family
feels that to stay is to meet with more agri-
cultural loss, perhaps ruin. To 60 without
the assistance of the strong arms of this lad
would be dangerous. The authorities claim
him for at least three years of barrack life,
perhaps for several years after that. In such
case need we be surprised if many an am
DiIiOuo ' OuLlSSIeI eSCdl)eS III QiSSulSef
And now we are told that there are many
ike him who take to the new world a hatred
OF Official control of all kind, such feeling
as lies at the bottom of much that passes for
Communism and Socialism. The German
emlgrants as a rule merge into the people
among whom they settle; they soon learn
the new language and speak it in preference
to their own. In America the children of
Germans feel aggrieved if you take them for
anything but Americans. nevery way they
seem bent upon forgetting their Fatherland,
its laws and, above all, its officialism. Should
a German return to visit his people within
five years of his emigration, even though in
that time had become naturalized as a citizen
of the United States, he would Immediately
be bounced upon by the military authorities,
punished, and sent to complete his years of
barrack life.
A GOVERNMENTAL REASON
The governmental reason for this harshness
is that the state claims right to the military
service of its whole population in return for
the education it has provided up to the time
of reaching military age. This reasoning is
logical, but one sided. If a man wishes to
emgrate it is because he can better himself
somewhere else. For the state to prevent
such a man from leaving is therefore to make
a discontinued subject who is not adding to
the national wealth, but, on the contrary,
likely to become public burden In Eng
land the government does not discourage
emigration. Consequently we see every
year ShiplOads of men returning with their
families, who have been TO seek their for
tunes in other countries and come back peri
odically to pay visits, spend money and
strengthen the trade and social relations be-
tween the mother country and her offshoots
Germany forces the best of her emigrants
to sneak away like thieves, and makes it a
crime for them to come back In 1881 the
number of Germans punished for attempting
to emigrate without the permission of the
government was l5,4l1. At the close of the
year 1882, l2,97S people were reported as be-
ing held on this charge alone Is it strange
then, that Germans the world over think
little of their fatherland-or when they do
think of it as of parent whose harshness has
led them to run away, and whose unforgiv-
ing nature makes a return home dangerousl
There are in the United States nearly 2,OOO,-
600 people of German birth Yet one NAV
travel from the Atlantic to the Pacific and
hardly suspect it, so completely have they
Incorporated with the Anglo-Saxon life
which they find there. They do not herd in
colonies in the desire to perpetuate their Gus
toms, religion or language. On the con-
trary, with the characteristics of a self re-
liant, hardy race, they strike out for them
selves, acquire land cultivate the habits most
likely TO make them successful in trade and,
as a rule, soon rise to positions of relative
Importance in the community.
-. Isl EES<1Gre thag lOo4SGso 1GGrmaGs left