Sacramento daily record-union. [volume] (Sacramento [Calif.]) 1875-1891, 1889-05-28
" HYPHENEDv AMERIcANIsM.

1t was with regret that we read the
misunderstanding him to have been
correctly reported-that President Har-
rison has said to representative of Ger
man-Americans' that they would not
have cause oregret his action in appointing
officials, and that if they would be patient
they would be satisfied with his appoint
ments. This was in response to the ex-
preston of newspaper that it thought
the Administration was forgetting the
German Americans in the distribution
of the offices. If the reply of the Presi-
| dent was intended to be evasive then it
was not courageous. If it was intended to
| convey the idea that men would be
selected for important positions because
they were of German nationality, then it
was un-American and dangerous doctrine
1t makes no difference that former Admin
istrations have acknowledged feaity to the
Americanism that parts its hair in the
middle; from this one we hope for re-
pudiation of any clan or class distinctions.
1t is humiliating to the true American to
know that there is maintained by any
class of citizens distinctive organization
that relates to foreign nationality, nor
should it be any less humlliating to the
foreigner who has sincerely forsworn al
legiance to princes and potentates, and
become in good faith an American citizen.
No President can afford to acknowledge
that there are any class distinctions among
citizens by reason of the accident of birth.
1t should make no sort of difference where
a citizen is born so long as he is
a good citizen and is fit for the place to
which he has the right to aspire. The
"Irish-American," the German Ameri-
can," the "French-American," and all
such classifcations are foreign to our
scheme, offensive to the patriotic sense
and imply divided allegiance, as well as
give warrant to the suspicion that such
distinctions are the surface indications Of
clannish spirit that may not scruple to
sacrifice the best interests of the country
to a pride of nativity, Or, worse, yield to
seductive influences of promise and reward
for votes delivered. 1t never was an en-
couraging sign, but the reverse, that any
of our citizens of foreign birth have
claimed preferment because of nativity
1t does not speak of that lofty comprehen-
sion of the blessings of free government
and the majesty of the sovereignty of the
American citizen, that should give assur-
anee that naturalization has been well
bestowed. The proudest boast of the for
eign born who becomes one of us should be
that he is an American citizen in every
and all respects, as fully and completely as
his neighbor who happened to be born to
the soil. All distinctions in party nation
alities should be completely dropped out
of sight. The foreign-born citizen should
deem it an imputation Of insincerity to be
addressed with a " hyphened title of cit
izenship, and Presidents, and all other dis
pensers Of patronage should make it rule
that applications for place on the ground
that the candidate was born across the
water, or on this side, should be deemed
prima facie evidence of unftness, because
of lack of due appreciation of the dignity
and majesty of citizenship.