The Bennington banner. [volume] (Bennington, Vt.) 1858-1894, 1890-04-24
THE ISSUE IN WISCONSIN.

We spoke last week, says theSt. Johns
bury Republicans, of the trouble in Wis
consin growing out of the enactment of
a law requiring the use of the English
language in the schools-a law bitterly
opposed by the Roman Catholic and
Lutheran churches. ItnOw appears that
the Wisconsin Democrats are by no
means unanimous in favor of making OPP
position to the law the chief issue of the
approaching State compaign, as it was in
the recent municipal campaign in Mil
waukee. Mr.. DOyou, the Democratic
Mayor of Madison, and Mr.. Raymer, edi-
tor of the Democratic organ at the State
capital, are OutspOken against this idea,
both of them declaring that they will
never vote for any man who stands on a
platform of opposition to the general
principles of the law, and expressing the
belief that their party will be overwhelm-
ingly beaten if it takes such a position.
Everything at present indicates, how
ever, that the political managers who
have just won in Milwaukee will succeed
in their plan to make the fight in the
State on the same lines. Indeed, the
Milwaukee Sentinel, the leader on the
Republican side, insists that ''it will
make little difference whether the parties
allude to the Bennett law or not in their
platforms, so far as the issue is con
cerned. 1t is bound to be made whether
the political managers desire it or not.
The two church organizations that OPP
pose the law have already served notice
that it will be an issue. They will de-
mand from every candidate for office a
specific statement of his attitude upon
the law, and they will fight any candi-
date who does not declare for repeal"
Fortunately, there cannot be much
doubt as to the result. The State can
and must require children to learn in
school the language in which its laws are
framed. Under the old system thousands
of young men were beginning to be voters
every year who, though they were born
in Wisconsin and had attended school
there, could not read the Constitution of
the State. There can be no question that
the State has the right to put stop to
this state of things; and when it comes
to be generally understood that what is
aimed at by the law is only the use in
all schools of the language of the land,
there can be little doubt as to what will
be the popular verdict. In the mean.
time it would be well to call to
mind the ideal attitude that should be
| Jdhel ny OuT IelIOW-ClUlZenS OF foreign
birth given in the words of representa-.
tive American born in Germany, the
Hon. Richard Guenther of Wisconsin, IN
a speech spoken at the time of the Sa
moan trouble:
1--WE know as well as any other class Of
Americans where our duties belong. We
will work for our country in time Of
peace and fight for it in time of war, if !
ftVrNn Of 81,
say our country, l mean, of course, our
adopted country. After passing through
the crucible of naturalization we are nc
longer Germans; we are American. Oul
attachment to America can not be meas
ured by the length of our residence here
We are Americans from the moment We
touch American shore until we are laiC
in American graves. We will fight fol
America whenever necessary. Americ;
first, last, and all the time. Americ;
against Germany, America against thu
world, America right or wrong, Away
America We are Americans"