North Park union., 1900-08-03

races on Il larger scale and moro thoroughly
than has ever boon attempted by any other na-
ton We seem to possess the power OF absorb
ing other races to a greater degree thnn even
tho English. Our entire history is full of ex-
amples illustrating tho wonderful strength OF
this peculiar power Some may call to mind
| the history of tho Mennonites, a religious scot,
which, after being driven away from different
nations of Europe, camo to this country. This
sect, which maintained its customs absolutely
| unchanged during three hundred years of per-
secution in Europe, is fast giving way to our
influence now retaining little except tho name.
In our own state have probably the most
striking example that could be found. In Rock
Springs that little town OF hardly five Thousand
souls, are more than two Thousand foreigners,
representing thirty.on diiforcut nationalities;
| yet these different races-Iaccs which have al.
| ways had an inborn hatred ior each other-that
have been at war since the beginning of his
| tory, live hero in perfect peace. They arc
| Americans now and feel themselves as such.
| This power OF Ang!o-SaSons is no. exorsed in
districts only, but is felt all over the United
States. Thousand. o. emisIants, representing
almost every nationality on the globe come to
| this country every year, yet almost i'll n gem
| Grafton their old customs havo been discarded !;
they become Americans, part of tho general
I
mained unchanged for centuries, is feeling tho
influence of this power, and losing its old Gus
| toms and old laws Here is mighty power, n
| wonderful power, ono which may we'll astonish
the world, for it is destined to influence future
| history.
| Where do wo get it! What is it that makes
| this nation all ll.powc?ful in this absorption
OF other races7 We shall have to look 10 many
things to find the answer to that question We
| shall find tho answer to it indirectly by study.
| ing tho general characteristics of tho Anglo
| Saxons. Tho qualities which have produced
| this power have made US great. Let US look mt
somo OF those qualities. II would bc hard, in
deed. to givo in few words the reason for
| Anglo-Saxon superiority. We might say that
wilLenergy n feeling of individual Independence
have been the chief forces. Those have grown
| up out OF tho environment produced by his.
tory and by nature" We have always been
an aggressive race; ono that has bocn ready nj
any timo to launch itself impc,uously upon n
now course, Here is displayed u quality which
arises out of our home life, Probably in no
ether country in the world do people display
such an independence of parent, home and
friends as they do in tho United States. Some
consider the lack of dependence OF tho child up
on the parent as an evil. but il is this very char
acterisllc that has allowed us to progress so
rapidly. This freedom from restraint in home
life nioulds character that is abc to fight for
itself II moulds character that is fitted to
impress itsclf upon other people-a character
that will conquer, In this characteristic OF in
dependence, coupled with the influence OF our
laws an influence productive Of individual
strength and sclf-s ssortion, We sec chat which
makes it possible for US to assiuilatc other
people.
This question OF race assimilation however,
has another side-the effect upon our future.
While. as have said, in tho past the Anglo
Saxons seem to have bcon abie to defend them.
selves against all foreign Influence, have not
the conditions so changed, especially In the
United States, that this Is no longer truci Are
there not many signs which .end to prove that
we in the United States arc beginning to feel the
effects OF this foreign influenced We have Ger
tainly lost some of those qualities which char
ac,erizo the Anslo-Saxon of England. We are
ne Longer a race which is slow to move, no
longer u race which does not give way to the
excesses Of emotion. We arc becoming restless
excitable we are not tho conservative people
of former times. To a certain degree this Is
probably benefit. but there is another influ-
enco which is not so beneficial.
In the carly life OF this republic tho emgrants
10 this country were rcpresentati ves OF tho best
classes of their countries. We received from
England the Puritan, from France the Husue-
not, from Germany the sturdy laboror--the mo-
tive power OF their countries. The influence Of
all these was for tho very best To-day, how
ever, we must absorb people who, 10 large
extent, represent the drcgs of EuroN. The iu-
fuoncc OF these people is necessarily OWL. They
are introducing coarseness, spirit of discon-
tunt which is cropping out in many ways.
Their influence tends to disintegratiop and de.
cline. As yet tho influence Of these people has
not crippled us to any great extent There has
not been time and our power OF resistance is
very great, but arc there not agencies at work
which arc tending TO woaEcn this power1 For
some reason wo have become more subject to
influence than our brcthcrn of England. Why
is it2
believe tho answer 10 that question can
again be found in our homo life. The home
training Of our children is such that the child
is not made to love old customs and old forms.
He is given perfect liberty to acquire the new
that new which is so allu-ing to the American
people. Hc is made to feel that these foreigners