The Birmingham age-herald., 1908-01-19
HERMAN BIDDER
 MAKES ADDRESS Before the German Friendly Society At Charleston
THE GERMAN. AMERICAN
Reviews the Progress That Has Been Made In the United States By immigrants From the
 FatherIand.

immigrants From the FatherIand.
 Herman Ridder made a notable address before the German Friendly society at | Charleston. $. C.. on the evening of Jan uary b. The occasion was the 1l2d anni- versary dinner of the society.
 Following is Mir Riders address in part:
 Of the many Germans whose prominent public services will not be forgotten in the south, I will only mention William Langenheim of Texas; his associate, Gus tav Schleicner. born in Darmstadt in 1893, the first German member of Congress, and your own townsman, J. A. Wagener, who came from bremerhaven and started in 1S44 the Deutsche Zeitung, which af- terwards went into the hands of r. Mel chers, and is now ably edited by Mir Albert orth. Colonel Wagener was elected Mayor of Charleston the same year that Wade Hampton was elected governor of South Carolina. When Melchers came to Charleston in 1S4s there were scarcely 50 of the old German families left. but he found quite a numerous German pop ulation which had emigrated during the 10 or b years previous.
 Average American.
 While the average American readily comedies to the German immigrants and their descendants their very large eontri- buttons to the material and intellectual growth of this country, retaining it from it's primeval condition developing it's re- sources, promoting industries and arts, and while he also acknowledges their loyal allegiance to their adopted country and their valorous deeds in the defense of it's freedom and independence, there are, out side the limited circle of students of his- tory and political scince, not many peo- pie cognizant of, and still fewer willing to admt, the important part the German element has had in shaping the character of the American nation. An American writer has said: ''rhe germs of parlla- mentary constitutions are to be found in the forests of ancient Germany. The Roman lawmakers found in Germany a new theory of the state. The Teuton does not derive law direcly from the will of the nation: he claims for himself an inborn right which the state must protect but which it does not create, and for which he is ready to fight against the world Here we have indeed the fundamentals thought of American independence, which took tangible form in demonstrative res olutions such as the 'Mecklenburg Decla- ration of Independence" (the authenticity of which has lately been questioned), or in practical actions such as the organiza- ton, as early as 1772 of "The Patriotic Society of the City and County of Phila- delphia," and above all in the united sup port of the revolution by the Germans, which was essential to the ultimate suc- cess of the cause of American freedom. To the same theory-that the citizen is the protector of the state instead of its protege-may be traced the attitude taken | by the GermanAmerican citizens on all 1 questions of personal liberty, their inde- pendence in politics, as also their dis inclination to take public office. This signifies by no means want of in
 terest in public affairs; on the contrary questions of public policy are at all times largely discussed in the leading German newspapers and at public and private German gatherings, with the result, trace- able also to the same source, that on every political issue of paramount im- portance German sentiment is singularly united. This being a recognized fact has made the Germans a political factor in the United States, as it has also elevated them in the esteem of their mother coun- try, which has at all times and on every
 
 will to the United States of America.
 German Americans.
 The German Americans constitute a very large body of independent voters throughout this country. As a rule on election day you will always find the Germans supporting the candidates whose announced principles they believe in, re- gardless of the party to which these can didates are allied. The Germans are not officeseekers. Their time and their energy are devoted to developing whatever busi- mss they may be engaged in. But this does not signify that they are indifferent to their duties as citizens. It does mean, though, that in political matters they are not dumb followers of any one party. They are absolutely and in every sense independent citizens, and as such we are safe in saying that the German element holds the balance of political power in this country.
 Comparatively few Americans realize | how large place numerically the German element holds among the American people. | But when it is recalled that the United l States census shows that more than 50 | per cent of the inhabitants of the United ] States have German blood in their veins | it is easy to see how much reason we have to be proud of America's achieve | ments for we have had a conspicuous I | tention to some of the things Germans | have done for this country, from its very. 1 earliest days. The sturdy German imm- | grant fought nobly for liberty in the revolutionary war. He helped lay the | foundation for our great country of to- day. It is regrettable fact though that | very few Americans are aware of these | things. l am sure that the historical facts have incorporated in this address will | be new to most Americans. Why is this? l Simply because American historians have | failed to give the German element the | credit that is their due for esta ablishing and developing this country. If we are to | have an honest and thorough record of | American achievement from the early | days to the present time the history of | the United States must be rewritten. so that credit shall be given to the German l element for their part. In this connec- ton l want to emphasize the fact that it is absolutely necessary that our school | books should be revised so that the youth l of the land, so many of whom are of our | own blood, may not grow up wholly .g- | norant of what German Americans have 1 done to upbuild this nation.
 Thorough Americans.
 First last and all the time oi1r C.ertooa