The Democratic advocate. [volume] (Westminster, Md.) 1865-1972, 1898-06-18
Correspondence of the New York sun.

Correspondence of the New York sun.
The Mennonites of western Kansas are
subjects of a good deal of public interest
in these days because of their intention to
do everything possible to escape military
duty for the United States. For month
they have been holding meetings in their
churches to discuss what their rights are,
and for the first time in their % years
in Kansas they have let farm work go foI
a few days to find out what the chances were
of their being forced to fight against Spain.
The County Clerks in dozen counties in
western Kansas have reported that for
days they have been kept busy in taking
and filing the following affidavits from
Mennonites
II do solemnly, sincerely, and truly
declare and affirm that [ am resident OF
-- county, State ofKansas, and mem
ber of the religious society or Church known
and called by the name of Mennonites, and
that, according to the creed and discipline
of said society, the bearing of arms is for
bidden, and this | do under the pains and
penalty of forgery. >
The Russian Mennonites are as strange
a set of people as may be found anywhere
in the United States. Between 1872 and
1873 they came in colonies Of hundreds
from Russia Now they number in Kan
sas and Nebraska about 30, 900. Practi-
cally they are Germans and not Russians,
Their religious teachings of resistance
and therefore their adherence of anything
warlike have caused them to make three
migrations in the last 160 years. The
sect is descended from the great band of
Pietists OF Separatists of Bavaria and
Wurtemberg at the beginning of the eigh
teenth century. When the Pietists with
drew from communion with their less spir-
itual and puritanical brothers they were
subjected to petty prosecutions. In l7lO
the persecution of the more radical Pietists
became so general that they accepted Of
fers of refuge in the province of Count
Cassimer of Wittgenstein. That province
became involved in warfare in 1865. The
sect, by that time known as the Mennon-
ties ESQ called after Simon Menno,) } emf
grated to Russia, under treaty with
Catherine H. She wished to have certain
tracts of her domain settled upon and i'm
proved by the thrifty and peaceful Ger
mans. Moreover, she was led to believe
that the emigration of thousands of Men
monte farmers from Germany would Grip
pie the agricultural production Of the lat
ter country at time when farmers were
needed to sustain the armies in the field.
The treaty made by Catherine granted the
German Mennonites and their descendants
exemption from military duty for l 90 years
from 1870. The terms of the treaty were
faithfully kept and when it expired the
sect exerted all its endeavors to have it
renewed for at least twenty-five years.
Alexander II. declined to renew it and the
Mennonites looked about for a new coun-
try in which they might dwell with least
chance for military service. They sent
agents to the United States and found that
immense tracts of land in Kansas and Ne
braska, on the great American desert,
were to be had for mere song. So the
migration began in 1872. In 1876 alone
1000 Mennonites came West The lar
gest colonies of Russians are in Ellis coun-
ty; other colonies are scattered through
Marion, Mcpherson, Ford, Harvey and
other counties in central and western
Kansas.
OF course, the filing of the afidavits
does not exempt them from military ser
vice. Many of them believe that because
their ancestors escaped draft into the Ger
man and Russian armies by similar state
ments, they may avoid a soldiers life in
the same way now. The Newton Kan
sas) Republican recently said
''The United States has never waived
the right to call every able-bo citizen
to the defence of the common country,
and man cannot escape military duty on
the plea that he does not believe military
duty to be right A number of the States
have exempted those who have religious
scruples from service in the militia, but
State laws are of no effect in the case of a
national war. Pennsylvania led off with
this kind of legislation in behalf of her
Quakers, and Connecticut and other States
followed her example. Early in the his
tory of Kansas law was passed exempt
ing all from military service who had re-
ligious scruples against it, but it was after
ward repealed Still later the Mennonites
petitioned the Legislature to re-enact the
law, and it was done and still stands 1t
provides that on or before June / each
year every person having religious scruples
against bearing arms may exempt himself
from service by appearing before the
County Clerk and making the required
affirmation. 1t is under this law that the
Kansas Mennonites are now proceeding. "
The Russians of Kansas have demon
strated more than any one else how an arid
region may be made productive of wealth.
Nowhere in the United States will you find
farmers who have learned how to make
wheat and corn grow with so little of ma
ture' s encouragement as these Russians.
Generations of struggle with intractable
soil and battling climatic conditions have
taught them marvellous patience and ex-
traordinary frugality, and given them con-
stitutions of iron and habits of indefatiga-
BILE industry. Work, work, and work,
and ceaseless vigilance on every penny
taken have been the rules of conduct of
every Russian in this region. More than
|, 200, 900 acres of arid land in western
Kansas and Nebraska have been converted
from dreary waste into productive farms.
Where there was nothing but vast cattle
and buffalo ranges quarter of century
ago, the Russians have made fields of
wheat and grain unsurpassed anywhere.
While some 200, 000 Americans have been
starved out by seven continuous years of
drought in Kansas and Nebraska, the
Russians of this region have not only stayed
by their farms, but have made and saved
enough to buy acres all about them.