The Mankato free press. [volume] (Mankato, Blue Earth County, Minn.) 1879-1924, 1907-11-15

member that Minnesota has had three
/ Scandinavian governors.
We are told that not since the En-
lish immigration of the seventeenth
century, has there come to us such
complete representation of all classes
of a civilized community.
To quote from close student OF
these northern people Ok. c. b. The
physical features of the countries-the
mountains, the fjords, the extensive
coast line of Norway, the level street
ches, the lakes, and regular coast OF
Sweden, and the fiat sandy plains and
islands of Denmark seem to be a
spiritual counterpart in the people
themselves.
The typical Swede is aristocratic
assertive and fond of dignities. He
is polite, vivacious, bound to have a
good time without any far look into
the future, yet he is persistent, and
capable of great energy and endurance
He is fond of music of the lyric and
epic sort.
The typical Norwegian is above all
democratic, he is simple severe, in
tense, radical and visionary. He has
a capacity for high, even turbulent en-
deavor, but he rarely has the quail
! ties of great leader He, too is fond
of music but it must have dra-
matte element.
The Dane is the southerner of the
Scandinavians, though still the conser-
vative, gay, but not to excess. He is
pre- eminently small farmer or trades
man, ready and easy going, not given
to great risks, but quick to see a
bargain and shrewd in taking it. His
interests have led him out of his small
kingdom, so that he more than his
northern brothers has been affected by
foreign influence"
Judged by our standards they are
slow, often exceedingly slow.
Their fastest express trains rarely
run thirty miles an hour and in winter
do not run at all.
In their own country all three peo-
pies, down to the most stupid laborer,
mountaineer or fisherman, are indus
trious and frugal. Conditions are too
hard to make any thing else possible
and those Unborn qualities they have
brought with them and never lost.
The Scandinavian countries, belong
to a group of five or six European
states, that are set down in ordinary
statistical works, as practically without
illiteracy, that is, less than one per-
cent are unable to read or write
An educational requirement would
debar a large part of the immigrants
from Austro Hungary, Italy, and Rus
sia, but however rigidly we might
enforce it, the Scandinavians would
be very slightly effected.
A close observer who has lived in
Minnesota and neighboring states (K.
&c. b. says he has never met a
single adult who was unable to read
and write, his own language at least.
In matters of religion, all Scandina-
VANS are most uncompromisingly Pro-
testants, and it has been said that
there barely enough catholic excep
tions, in Europe and America, to-
the Roman Catholic faith is possible.
Distaste of Catholicism is rather
an instinct, coming down from, refor
nation times, than the result of
knowledge or close observation, but
it is so strong, that consciously or UNI
consciously, it colors their relations
in politics and society. Few of them
come to this country without some
political knowledge and experience, for
freedom republican institutions, con-
stitutional governments, and elections,
are not unfamiliar to them.
The Norwegian lives under an es-
pecially democratic constitution. and
the Swede since the reforms of 1866
and the Dane since those of lS49 and
1866 have lived under much the same
conditions as the Norwegian.
Honorable Thomas F. Bayerd wrote
in 1888: 81 make bold to saw. that
no better stock has been contributed
towards giving social basis to So
ciety under republican forms of gov
eminent than these hardy, honest,
industrious. abiding, God fearing
Swedish settlers"
No other class of immigrants, and