The record-union., 1891-06-13

|
to prevent the main object of the order
| from being discovered. While to a casual
observer thesapparatus used in the gym
nastlc exercises was absolutely harmless,
the underlying principles of his teach
| ing, the doctrine of German unity, was
also taught to the scholars, who yenerated
their noble teacher. His schools for in
struction on the parallel and horizontal
bars were held at any place he could
secure, and while the physical develop
ment of the people seemed to be the sole
end and aim of the order, the liberation
OF Prussia from the power of Napoleon
was the prime object.
AT this time Napoleon was in the Ze-
NTH Of his glory. His empire extended,
In ISL, from the borders of Denmark to
those of Naples. 1t included present
France, Belgium, Netherlands, Olden-
burg, Bremen, Hamburg, Lubbock, Ger
many west of the Rhine, Corsica, Italy,
vinces. Holland, Westphalia and Naples
were ruled by the kinsmen of Napoleon !;
| his brother Joseph was on the throne of
! Spain, though not securely, and Berna-
| dotte, one of his Generals, had been
| chosen Crown Prince of Sweden. He
held In subsection the German States, as
| protector of the Confederation of the
Rhine; and also the Helvetic Confedera-
ton, into which he had formed the Swiss
Cantons; Austria was subdued to his
bidding, and Russia seemed his firm ally.
JAHN's PATRIOTISM.
No wonder that, under such showing,
Mr.. jain should try to devise some
means to relieve Germany from this ter
| rible oppression. He conceived the idea
OF establishing schools for the physical
| culture of the young people Of Germany,
knowing that in a short time their serY-
Ices would be required in the army. His
followers increased from day to day, and
large and enthusiastic crowds followed
him wherever he established his schools.
BY this means he carried his doctrine to
every part of the empire, where he could
not, OF course, be present in person.
When the war with France was finally
settled, Jahn began his classes and teach
ing OF physical culture In Berlin, and the
man who had fought and bled for his
country was imprisoned in 1919 as
| teacher of revolutionary ideas, his great
est crime being, as before stated, his
bellef in the doctrine of German unity.
The harsh manner i'll which he was
treated is almost beyond description, but
IN spite of all which could be done the
SEED HAD TAKEN ROOT,
And as more sensible ideas were ad-
Vanced, here and there q turning-school
sprang into existence; yet for many years
the Government in Germany opposed and
annoyed the Turner's by every means in
their power. In spite of all the Turner's
maintained their existence and gained
headway in the native land Of the founder
Of the order, until at last the Government
| awoke to the fact that gymnastic exercise
was very important factor in the edu-
cation of child. 1t would be ridiculous
to assert that monarchical Government
would foster any society whose object
and purpose was to promulgate free ideas,
but fortunately it needed soldiers to up
hold the thrones, which they claimed to
hold by divine authority. This caused
the Government to pass an Act on June
q, 1S42, repeating all laws prohibiting
gymnastic schools throughout Prussia
On January Z, 1874, another Act was
passed to compel all boys in the public
schools of Prussia to take part in these
gymnastic exercises. This was followed
by similar law relating to girls in the
public schools of Prussia, on May 16, 1916.
How the old
FATHER OF THE TURNER'S"
Must have smiled when he realized that
The Government had been, by force of
circumstances, compelled to adopt the
ideas, plans and purposes for which he
had organized the order, and for which
he had been not only reviled and scotfed
at, but even imprisoned. It must have
been gratifying to him, even in his pow
erty, to see the country for which he had
worked so hard and faithfully, at last
| compelled to adopt the ideas which had
been the grand object of his life.
| Frederick Louis jain died at Altar, in
| Prussia, on the 25th of October, 1852, and
his death was the occasion of mourning
in every part Of the civilized globe. No
man in the history Of the world has done
| more to advance the physical culture of
the human race than Frederick Louis
jain, and a monument has been erected
| in Berlin, of material furnished from
/ o. oYfn Of fhn rlrhn 10
crate his services to mankind.
DRIVEN TO AMERICA.
In the year 1913, when the revolution
ary spirit was abroad, and the French
revolution became successful, uprisings
took place in many countries Of Europe.
The longing for political freedom broke
out among the Germans, but their efforts
in that direction were not successful.
The number who, for love of liberty,
were compelled to seek refuge where they
would be free to express their opinions
| found their way to the United States, as
the only country where they would be able
to escape from the wrath of the victorious
rulers, who, if they could lay hands on
| them, would have incarcerated them in
| dungeons for daring to express their po-
| litical opinions. Many thousands of peo-
pie OF all ranks in society were forced to
| become residents in this country, and the
| greatest number were members of the
| gymnastic or Turner schools of Germany
Some Of the prominent ones among the
number were Carl Schurz, General Franz
| Sigel, General Heinzelberger, Judge
Stallo. Carl Hecker, and hundreds more,
| whose names will be forever held dear to
| the people of the United States.
On September 5, 1885, the North Aaneri-
can Turner Gazette was prohibited from
circulation in Germany. The members
| of the Turner unions in Germany now
number about 100000 in over 4,50O YER
ems. They have in their schools over
| $4,000 children between the ages of Ii and
l6 years, whereas the children from to
| II, girls as well as boys, have to undergo
a compulsory course of gymnastics, and