Daily press. [volume] (Newport News, Va.) 1896-current, 1908-10-07
Ridder to the Germans

pncT SduT, VI neTillh'o"h, was 'o'
ued as thc standard work on the sub
ject and was used as such in large
parts of the country for more thar
half century.
!, Passing from the eighteent to the
ninetes nth century. names of German
ard German descendants Suggest
themselves. not only singly but by
scores, as standing our prominently
in the field OF literature and science
many of whom were your own penn
Isylvania countrymcn. VIII oniy
mention Frederick Valentine Mel
shicm.r. who was called the father
of entomology in America William
Reichenbach. professor of mathema''
les at Franklin and Marshall Coileg" :;
Samuel s. Haldeman, professor OF
natural science ami later OF com
parativ. philology at the University
of Pennsylvania DR.. Joseph Leidy. pro
fessor Of anatomy at the sam" insti-
Tuition. Ever growing with the pro
sress of Amf rican culture is the list
of Germans participating in and con
Irritating to its expansion. including In
our present generation celebrities like
the late Professor H. Won Hoist. o.
/ lut CHlStFSIN vi AIhSoSo'
Unconstitutional History Of the United
Estates" Is universally praised as the
most exhaustive and the uniy Impair
tial and fearlessiy written WORK or
that subject: and like those we'll
known Harvard professors. kunr
Francke, author OF German Ideals.
and the valiant Hugo Munsterbers
who has very recently brought upon
himself the wrath of the whole Pro
hihitionist party.
| In this connection it is fit to men
ton the name of Friedrich List.
native OF Reutlingen. Wurttemberg
and a Young professor of politicai
science at the University Of Tnbingen
who as political refugee. came to
Philadelphia in 1925 and remained in
this country a number OF years until
he returned to GERMANY e. consular
Agent of the United States Govern
ment. While in your State he discov-
cred the coal fields in the vicinity Oh
Tamaaua ard built a railroad to carry
the sproduct of the mines to the sea-
hoard. He devoted much study t.
tho Anne rican railroad system. and on
his return home he utilized MS en-
perience gained in America in work
ing OF a nlan for complete net oil
railroads in Germany. The nrst rail-
road built on this plan was the line
connecting the cities OF leipzig ana
Dresden in Saxonv. List was tine
author of the several works on poht'
cal economy which are considered OF
great scientific value.
| Your former governor. the HOE>r
able Samuel w. Pennypacker. has
said: "The dawn of our science OF
| pedagogy and the most extensive
literary production OF the American
colonies were 10th due to the efforts
of the Mennonites Of Pennsylvania.
and the able superintendent Of the
public schools OF your city. Pro
lessor Brumbaugh. in his Life anu
Works of Christopher Dock" adds:
ITO the sturdy German stock tha'
came to the colony of Pennsylvania
! in the first half of the eighteenth cen
turv we are indebted for more of the
initial influences that have made for
the progress ard prestige OF our
| American civilization than many his
torians record or know. BY strange
| rsryersity they have accepted one
from another the traditional miscon-
ception of these people. for which Tro-
| yost william Smith and Benjamin
| Franklin are largely responsive.
Is the exception and not the rule 10
find among historians and chronlciers
I a rare spirit imiued with insight ana
| sympathy who patiently investigates
the actual conditions OF the Pennsyi-
yania German civilization and records
its virtues as we'll as its failures.
| BENJAMIN Franklin was not only
great scholar and statesman. but a
thoroughgOing. practical business man.
In 1882. at the age Of twenty-SIx
I wears. he published the first German
| naoer in America. the "Philadeiuhfs-
che Zeitung oder Newspaper in High
Dutch" which shows tina; AT ina,
! time Franklin recognized the, va.ne
! and utility Of the German immigra-
ton. This paper did not enjoy q
Il long existence: a copy OF its second
issne can he found at the library OF
the Historical Society OF 'Pernsyt
1 yania Later on Franklin seems 10
Ihay. become alarmed at the mass ana
J influence Of the immigra:ed Germans
In 1881 he wrote: "Why should the
p2Iat1np 0OOts Nv SuttVt'u w
into our settlements and by herdins
together establish their language ana
1 manners to the exclusion OF ours
WHY should Pennsylvania. founded py
the English. become a COLONY Of Aliens
Who will shortly BE- 81 numerous as 70
icermanjze rs instead Of our Angler
living them and will never ADOPT our
Language and customs ary more IMAM
the can acquire our complexion
And mr.. william smith. provost Of the
iJrniversitv Of Pennsylvania. though'
tt ,css;ble -tha, the Provincial Leg
i ,e;s,nrp vould he forced to appoint an
ofar;al ,nserprcter that onehak OF the
lic,is,a,ors might be able 20 under
stand ,he other half Franklin was
soon mad to feel tina, no had com
: mi,ted a politicaI bluaGsr: h" tried to
- .a.t tho farm "hoor" was on