The Columbian. [volume] (Bloomsburg, Pa.) 1866-1910, 1908-01-09
OUR SLAVIC FELLOW CITIZENS.
Attitude Of the Dohemians and Poles
In American Politics.


American politics are for the most
part quite as much matter of purely
local interest as Polish or Croatian
pontics could possibly be. Since the
days of the anti-slayery movement,
which enlisted the generous sympa-
thies Of the old generation, OF liberal
immigrants, our politics have involv-
ed few questions of general interest
apart from some of our present So
cial economic issues. The educated
European remains on the outside Of
American life quite as mucn because
1t Ia provincial as because he is Con-
sequently, unless he Is made over
into a complete American, the for
eigner Is likely to take part in our
politics only as a matter of business,
which is to say corruptly. Among
the simple minded yet shrewd fellows
at the bottom this is often quite
naively and innocently the case. A
librarian who is good friend of the
various nationalities who work In her
town asked the Poles who were COM
Ing In and out of the library on one
election day what they were voting
for. They replied cheerfully, pleas
ed that she took an interest in their
affairs and that they had so good
market to report, For ST. The
whole situation is one which natur-
ally lends itself to logrolIng and
political trading. When there are
groups Of men with their full numer-
ical share of political power with no
use to which they want to put II
and full Of clannish feeling II is very
easy for n leader of their own kind
to vote them as a unit. If he Is bid
for by the offer of some petty sce
1t gratifies not only him but his whole
group who feel themselves vicariously
honored in his person.
While the conviction that Ameri-
can politics are corrupt draws in
some men it keeps Others out As a
Slavic minister said to me: Ny peo-
pic are not interested in politics they
say 'Das ist mehr Geldsache."
AS to political affiliations both par
ties count Slavs as members. In the
antehellum days the slavery issue
tended to draw Bollemans and roles
both of whom supplied gallant SOL
dicrs to the Union, into the Republi-
can ranks Il is interesting to find
that the Poles voted for Grant in
1872. the first election In which they
were notably interested. not only be-
cause of his war record out because
he recognized the French republic
dring the Prussian war, while his
or1onont, Greeley, was supposed to
have favored Austria in italy and Ger
many in Alsace-L Lorraine. Another
reason for Republicanism has been
tho simple and ineligible ono that
tho irish were Democrats. On the
other hand in Chicago both BoAem-
ians and Poles are said to be nor
rally Democrats" and the explana-
ticn in the case of the Bohem ms
IS that Republicanism meant the I'd
miristration and that Bohemians we're
readily led by then past experience
to Join the opposition. How far Slavs
IN this country are naturalized 1t Is
impossible to say, the census figures
on the subject being unusable in this
case. In Hadley, Mass. where forty
seven Poles own property and 1923
more pay poll tax, only two are
naturalized, and l judgeL that tho
Americans were far from desiring to
have more become voters. The policy
Of the more enlightened Slavic lead
ers, on the contrary, is to urge citi-
zenship, and one at least Of the ma
tional societies requires it.
In many places their vote Is an i'm
pOrtant consideration. In the Illinois
state campaign in 1906 both Republi-
cans and Democrats nominated q Pole
for the Office of State Treasurer. One
CT these nominees had already serv-
cd in Chicago as Alderman and as
City attorney. A number of Poles
have sat in State Legislatures, both
as Representatives, ard In one r.
stance at least in the Senate, and
Wisconsin Bohemian's desk IA the
House was reserved for him on his
election as sort Of family perc"is-
lite, or rather as courteous reCog-
milton of the service of his father and
brother, who had preceded him in
oiEce.-Charities.