The evening times., 1900-06-28

Our esteemed contemporary, the "Phila-
delphia Telegraph" published in tne
stronghold CT Repubiicanism and being at
all times a visilant defender of the faith.
reads a severe and scOrching lecture 10
the venerable Oswald Ottendorfer. on the
subject of the German-American vote. Dir.
Ottendorfer. who supported Mr.. Mckinley
in 1896. declares that the platform Of the
Philadelphia Convention is unsatisfactory
and viii be repudiated by a large per cent
of that element Of German-Americans who
heretofore have voted the Republican
ticket
Commenting upon this, the Telegraph"
is moved to say:
TT IS an unspoaka1Ie national misfortune that
the ballet which controls our destinies cannot De
in the hands exclusively OF American citizens who
viii vote according 10 the dictates Of COMMON
asnse. Common sense hss no sway however. whea
people frightened and NJ. Ottendorscr tells
US the German Americans are under the dsuioicn
Of fear. Like fock Of frightened sheep they are
flying from imagined pCTiS. ThsJ dread cry %
imperialism hsS started them IN a panic. and
they are running peilreI iaso the BryanIJe
fold. So much for permitting Foreigners 10 come
here and exercise the full rights Of citizenship
before they are half AmeFicsnized.''
So here we have the law with the bark
on it. Hannaism means that immigration
should be limited to those foreigners o-ly
who are Intelligent enough not to be
"frightened'' into the Democratic fold
Also that the suffrage laws must be 50
amended that the ballot which controls
our destintieS" shall be placed 'in the
hands exclusively Of American citizens who
know what they are about in politics and
who will vote according to the dictates OF
common sense" This is a spirit OF pro-
scription which accords exactly with the
Hanna Mckinley economic and fiscal sys-
tens. The South is TO be punished for irs
Democracy by having its representation in
Congress and the Electoral College cut
down to a basis never contemplated by the
trainers Of the Constitution and which has
never yet been sanctioned by the courts:
citizens OF foreign birth or extraction are
20 be deprived OF the right TO participate
in government unless they accept uncoun-
plainngly the platforms and candidates
made by the Republican bosses; aad the
ballot is to 90 into the hands exclusively
Of Americans veritable Boxer" party
Mr Hanna will make OF the Republican
organization after a while. if we are to be-
lieve the forecasts Of such party organs as
the philadelphia Telegraph"
The GerTnan-AmeTiCans as a class have
done nothing 10 warrant the characterize
tion bestowed upon them by this organ Of
HannaiSm. They are industrious. frugal.
and patriotic citizens. For the most part
those Of the first generation sought the
-
actions and injustices Of the Fatherland
Men who are brave enough and Intelligent
enough TO fee from oppression do not In
fict ''uDspeak2ble national misfortune
upon the country Of their adoption Their
descendants are apt to be even more pa
triOtic because they learned from the lips
of their ancestors the story OF cruel class
distinctions. of the arrogance OF class rule.
of the narrowness of opportunity. and the
sitting of liberty in the Old World By
the same token German Americans are
frightened by the imperialist tendencies Of
Hannaism. It was from imperialism that
they fed to America. They know the full
meaning of huge standing armies. with
their heavy burdens of taxation. their con-
slant menace to the freedom Of the masses.
and their demoraIizing influences socially
and industrially. They have been taught
20 hate and dread imperialism By lessons
written in blood and illumined by fire. They
know what IL is TO be drafted and to s-o
their sons drafted into the army. possibly
to shoot down [. cir friends and relatives.
They know what it is to be taxed down
to destitution N order to support great
war engines to keep themselves and their
neighboIs in subjection.