Omaha daily bee., 1896-09-06
FACTORS In AMERICAN LIFE
Hollands Contribution to the Institutions
of the Republic,
THE LIGHT OF LIBERTY IN EUROPE
Historic Evidence Of Hollands Nd-
Nnuccd Civilization ana Its In
ducncc ut the Uirth of the
United states.
The LIGHT OF LIBERTY IN EUROPE

In common with a great many OF my
! countrymcn, writes Rev. G. D. Hcuner in
/ the Journal and Messenger. once regarded
! America as 4 sort of new England an evo-
! luton of that wonderful isle across the
! Atlantic. This. notwithstanding the fact
! there are more Germans than English on
| this continent that there are nearly as many
| Irish, and that, compared with the total
| sum of the various nationalitios repre-
scented here, the number of Englishmcn is
very small. l was exceedingly surprised,
on careful inquiry. to discover how few of
our prominent men at the foundation OF
! our commonwealth were English or Of Eng
| lish origin, and how largely our states were
| settled by representatives OF other nations,
| Washington was of English descent. but
| Hamilton was Scotch and French; Jcfer-
SON. Welsh; Jay, French; Schuyler, Dutch;
| Clinton. Irish; Hoffman of swedish origin.
Most Of our distinctively American iustitu-
tions were not possessed by England until
| this century-such as a free press, public
schools, secret ballot and fun religious
liberty; and some, such as universal suf-
frage. an elected upper house, church cstab
| lishment and republican form of govern
ment, England has not even now.
Every nation represented here has con
tributed toward our formation, and the con
tributons made by England are, no doubt
very large, but unless my authorities mislcd
| me, the contribution made by Holland Is
far larger. and IS altogether out of propor-
tion to the size Of the country or the num-
her of Holanders that have settled among
us.
Most readers are familiar with the re
markable civilization which the Dutch pos
sossed during the fifteenth, sixteenth and
seventeenth centuries. This civilization had
been inherited by them from Italy. Ever
81, h., 10, % I,,1s hoe
bodyguard was composed Of Dutchmen, there
existed close relations between italy and
Holland Large numbers Of italians settled
i'm the seaCoast towns Of Holland, and
brought the culture Of the worlds capital
along The swampy nature of the soil left
the Hollanders comparatively free in their
development when fcudalism anu civil war
prevented development in other European
countries. The civilization Of the ancient
world reached the western world by sort
of underground passage, and that passage
was Holland.
We must pass over. for lack Of space. the
incidents in the Dutch revolution by which
Holland shook off the power of Spain and
the yoke of Rome. and established n Prot
estant republic. From this revolution she
emerged the foremost power in Europe: fore
most in wealth. in liberty, enliChtenment
and privileges. At a time when education
and industry and freedom languished in Eng
land. when the ruler Of France could say
with truth "Letat c. est moi"--I am the
state when Germany lay devastated as re-
suit Of the thirty years war: when the hopes
OF Scandinavia had departed in the death Of
Gustavus AdOlphus-the Dutch red. white
and blue" waved over people happy.
prosperous and free as the most civilized
union Of today.
l. They had full religious liberty Catho-
lies and ProtestantS and Jews wOrshipped
side by side. Their constitution had the
hat sspo tppr inn hn mn do
into any mans belief and conscience, nor
should any. because thereof, suffer any in
jury or hindrance."
q They had excellent reformatory and
charitable institutions. English travellers
at that time speak not only in terms OF
praise, but of astonishment. at the provi
sions made for such unfOrtunates.
3. They had very wide system of suf-
frage. In the agricultural districts in the
north every citizen who owned a house no
matter how small, could cast his vote
4. They had secret ballot. 1t was first
used In a church election in the city of
Alkmaar in 1873. Its use spread shortly
through all the provinces.
5. They had a representative government
Their upper and lower house Of chambers
we're most like to our house of representa-
tives and senate. Their constitution seems
to have been the model of our own. 1t
had two or three fatal weaknesses-weak
nesses which Butler Randolph, Madison,
Morris. Franklin and Hamilton pointed out.
end which thus avoided. But for these
weaknesses the Dutch republic might exist
today.
G. They had an independent judiciary.
The senate could appoint the judges and
after their confirmation by the stakeholder
they could not beremoved except by impeach-
ment
7. They had a just penal system. The
accused was always confronted with the wit
ness against him and had full liberty to
cross-eXamine; If too poor was provided
with lawyer. and when accused unjustly
his accuscr had to pay the costs.
s. The prison government had many fea
lures in common with oms. The inmates
had to labor, saw wood, sew and spin, etc.
Their treatment was very humane.
8. They had common schools free for all,
Education was insisted on because they
said at is tho foundation of the common
wealth" AS early as 1909 the schools had
become the property of the people and
were paid for by the municipal authirities.
TO- They had free press. So long as
an author did not offend public morals or
attack private character he was not mo-
Tested. The government did not concern
itself with opinions on philosophy, religion
or politics.
II. They had excellent opportunities for
higher education. A full college education
could be secured at a very low cost The
country supported six great universities, the
most famous of which was Leiden. More than
1000 students from England studied there
the first century after its establishment.
The reader will notice the great similarity
between these institutions and privileges
and those which possess. II 1t can be
shown that the connection between America |
and Holland sufficiently close to allow |
for their transmission, the probability is |
that we are indebted for them to Holland. |
Let us see. In 1914 colony OF Hollanders |
planted itself in New York. They brought |
OF course, the institutions OF the father |
land along. This state was the first one |
that had free schools open to all was the |
first to do away with church establishment |
the first to assert by constitutional prOvi- |
sion the principle OF perfect religious free |
dom, and ever mainta inaed the freedom of |
the press. This certainly is significant.
In 1921 the pilgrim fathers landed at Ply |
mouth They had for twelve years lived |
in the heart of Holland in Leiden They |
had enjoyed the freedom Of the Dutch re-
public and seen its working. Coming here. |
they were more liberal and enlightened than |
either OF the other English colonists, They
banished no Baptists, hung no Quakers.
burned no witches delusion which at that
time was ridiculed In Holland.
In 1926 the Puritans settled I'm Salem
According to Fiske two-thirds OF them came
from the east coast of England from a sec
tion OF country where a century and half
ago thousands of Hollanders had settled. and