The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1896-05-08
THE SCANDINAVIAN IN AMERICA.
Study Of Their Race Peculiarities on
American Character.
American Character.


K. G. Babcock, in Atlantic Monthly.
The great adaptability Of the Scandina-
vianS to the circumstances and customs OF
their adopted country is Acknowledged on
all sides. Whenever and wherever they
have transplanted themselves, whether in
England in the ninth century, in Normandy
In the tenth, in Sicily In the eleventh. or IN
America in the nineteenth the same pro-
cess of transformation has taken place. No
other people in all history has such record.
learned English. and have quickly done so
because of its similarity to their own Ian
guage in structure and vocabulary. Oh
always prefer the old speech, and in some
districts in the country and in Scandina-
Wan quarters Of the cities it will be heard
almost exclusively. because OF the large
numbers Of the foreign born. But the sec
ond generation quite invariably choose En-
glish, and many of them have forgotten
the language of their fathers At town
convention which attended In 1884. in Chi
sage county, large Swedish community,
the proceedings went on smoothly in En-
glish for some time, until elderly Swede
became somewhat puzzled and asked TIE
chairman, a young Swede. 10 explain the
matter in Swedish first From nn snaf poln d ,m a
mediately after in Swedish. Remarks were
addressed to the chair in both languages
In matters of religion Scandinavians have
shown a peculiar facility in conforming 10
the bad American custom of multiplying
denominations. In the home countries.
though there is now practically complete
liberation the existence Of a state church
and an episcopal organization has main
tanned a good degree of uniformity. Neither
of these restraining influences has ever OPP
Grated in this country There have been no
bishops to check the tendency TO diversity
Liberty to adopt any creed and TO change
church relations at Will is freely used. The
zeal of the Norwegian in controversy has
found even a better field in the church than
In politics. Before $780, when three divisions
united, there were five bodies or Norwegian
Lutherans, while the Danes were comfort
able with two and the Swedes Jagged be-
hind with only one. What the Swedes lack
In Lutheranism they make up in dissenting
sects," though none of them are large. The
Mormon Church has a very large number
OF Scandinavians. principally Danes. though
few Of them have been converted in this
country.
The statistics of intemperance and illegiti-
macy which are sometimes alarming In
parts of the Scandinavian countries do not
dinavians in America. But all Auch statis-
tics are unsatisfactory. and frequently I'M
trustworthy. Generalization is therefore,
unsafe. There are drunkenness and illegiti-
macy among them here, but have not OBJ
served that 1t Is more difficult to maintain
order and decency In a city like Minneapolis
with its Norwegians and Swedes. than in
st. Paul, with its Irish and Germans OF
the Dauper and criminal classes the Scam
dinavans have a smaller proportion than
any other alien element except the British,
while OF the insane, judging from Minnesota
they seem TO have larger percentage than
the Germans or British. Unfortunately, in
ordinary statistics of this nature. the second
generation is usually put down as native
born, with no hint as TO parentage beyond
some popularity OF name.