Skaffaren. (St. Paul, Minn. ;) 1885-1895, 1892-06-08
sour Friend the Enemy


of Swedish origin. In addition to ats
other insults, it runs a column OF
''Norseland News" for no other purpose
seemingly, than to Indicate that the
very news items concerning these
foreigners" and their native land
must be kept apart from the rest, SO as
to preserve uncontaminated the news
concerning the favorites of the Pioneer
Press; and also to impart to those of its
readers who understand no language
but the English and whose sole source
of information is the PIP, wrong
idea of Sweden and it's people. For the
''news", besides being served by the T.
P. when three or four months old, is,
in ninety nine cases out Of hundred,
false or at least misleading.
Here is piece Of 'sNorseland News
for May 16. -.-
.sIn learned circles in Sweden the question
has been raised, and is eagerly being discus
sed, whether there is not u mode of spread
ing enlightenment and eleyatlng the
thoughts of the general populace of the
WV
cent. 1t is proposed that the students OF
the universities of Upsala and Lund num-
bering some 5000, during the long summer
vacation should give popular free lectures
to the farmers, mechanics and laborers IN
their various places of sOjourn. A vast deal
Of good may be looked for as result from
such great number Of young aGd enthusl-
astic teachers in their several branches.and
the promoters may be congratulated upon
striking happy medium, the eureka be-
tween the drivelings of fanatical cranks ano
Che rawlings of anarchical ditto. which al
present engross the attention OF the COM
paratively illiterate multi tude. 1t is already
nroposed to induce few of the wealthe1
students to visit their equally mentally OBJ
fuscated countrymen in America. which
would be a welcome antidote for many peo-
pie who do not yet understand enough En-
glish to benefit by lectures and instructions
SO literally supplied in this free and en-
lightened country"
It is indeed gratifying to find that the
enlightened fabricator of this extra
ordinary piece of news at least admits
that there are "learned circles in SWed-
en". A great admission, you know
But that those ''learned circles" should
not have been able before this time tC
discover''a a mode of spreading enlighten-
ment and elevating the thoughts OF
the general populace", is lamentably
unfortunate; and were it not for the
thorough Investigation OF the matter
and the acknowledged truthfulness ot
the P. P. we would hardly believe it.
knowing as we do that Sweden had q
civilization venerable with age even
before America was discovered by
Europeans and certainly long before
the enlightening influence of the St.
Paul Pioneer Press was felt in that
distant land.
But brighter days are coming.
Five thousand students, we are in
formed, are ready to engage the powers
of darkness in a grand struggle fol
light and liberty. The people of Swed.
en- will doubtless be somewhat sur.
prised when the information reaches
them las it no doubt willy that the at
tendance at their universities has in.
creased so enormously of late that in
stead of de usual number, about 800
(all postgraduates, however, who have
taken their A. B., no others are ad'
mitted), the ''students of the universi.
ties of Upsala and Lund number 5000"
And if the Swedes have hitherto beer
somewhat slow in recognizing the
superiority of the American intellect
they will now, certainly, hesitate nc
longer; for how can they in the face o.
the fact that they have to gather in
formation concerning their own insti
tutions of learning from a newspaper
published in St. Paul, Minnesota.
Cheapness seems to be the brigh test
feature of the new plan. 1t is not te
"cost the state a cent?. Does the p
P. know how much money is sperft fol
educational purposes in Sweden every
year? The Swedes are not content
with "cheap" education in any re-
spect.
But how is the state to employ aa6
control such vast number of teach
ers without rendering due compensa
tion for their services? The students
are certainly not obliged to undertake
the work for nothing. 1t is true, thai
the glorious results which, according
to "Norseland News of the P. p.
must be the necessary consequence O
the new departure, would naturally in
duce some of the more missionary spir
it's to engage in the work even in the
absence of any prospects of moro sub
stantial remuneration; but then con
slider, on the other hand, the draw
backs. The idea Of being placed as ''s
happy medium, as the "eureka", be
tween ''fanatical cranks" and "anarch
lists" with the duty of elevating al
''illiterate multitude" by means O
lectures, is certainly not very encourag
ing. Nothing is said as to who is K
furnish the s'cranks and anarchists"
but it's safe to say that it wont be The
PIP; can't spare them, you know.
"Illiterate!" The meaning conveyed
by that word in this connection would
have been considerably strengthened i
supported by some authority. How
would the comparative educational sta
tistics prepared by the o. S. Bureau Q
Education do, for instance? The truth
of their testimony could not be i'm
peached on the ground of partiality il
favor of Sweden. Wouldn't harmonic
whith your views, eh? No, that's true
Didn't think of that.
But it were a pity if such a grant