The Leon reporter. (Leon, Iowa) 1887-1930, 1915-02-04
THE PEOPLE WILL APPROVE.

THE PEOPLE WILL APPROVE.
The heart of the American people
is with President Wilson in his veto
of the immigration bill. And the
brain of the American people will,
we are sure, approve his firm yet
modest summary of his reasons. In
cidentally, the Republic is glad that
tie PRESIDENTS veto is founded on
the principles which have animated
the comment upon the measure
which has been offered in these col
umns from time to time.
.lliteracy in the United States and
illiteracy in many countries OF EUR
ope are two very different things.
Now the thing that admission into
the United States ought to turn upon
is character. Here, in our own land
illiteracy is an index OF character.
Schools are everywhere; all sorts and
conditions are admitted to them;
and they are free. But in many
lands in Europe children of good
natural parts and eager desire Tor
better things come to manhood llllt-
crate because of lack Of opportunity
to learn.
To bar such a man from the Unit
ed States on account of his illiteracy
is to say that because his opportunity
has been cruelty restricted in one d.
rection it shall therefore be restrict
ed in another. Our natural and
healthy fear of the illiterate is not
mere fear of the man who cannot
read. 1t is the fear of those quail
ties which, in land of free and uni
versal schooling, have permitted him
to come UP without knowing how to
read. The man who longed for an
opportunity to learn which the OPP
preston of government denied him
is a very different person and IS good
raw material for American citizen
ship
So with the provision excluding
political offenders. OF all the DOGGY
men of modern life, the anarchist
agitator'' carries the largest percent
age of mere PHOSPHORUS paint and
saWdust Explosions are only pos
sible when explosive gases are con-
fined In the free air of American
institutions the real anarchist be-
comes harmless. All that these peo-
pie need to extract their sting is un-
limited opportunity for free speech
and definite assurance that NOBODY
shall interfere with them. Harmful
doctrines, when permitted free ex-
preston, carry their own absurdlty
on their face. Only when they are
dignified by opposition do they be-
gin to grow dangerous.
But here it is easy to commit
serious error. Many a European
revolutionist is only an American
born on the wrong side of the world.
Many a European agitator we have
found to be but a patriot seeking an
opportunity.
st. Louis received one of these
anarchist agitators" from Germany
a few decades ago. He was very
dangerous man and had actually
broken into prison and released a
man legally sentenced for an offeIse
against the laws Of Germany. He
Joined the American army, and his
commanding abilities made him a
Major General. He came to St. Louis
and this community made him the
editor of great paper. Missouri
took note of him and sent him to the
United States senate. President
Hayes made him Secretary of the In
terror. His name was Carl Schurz.
Here in the home city-the adopt
ed home-of Carl Schurz, Emil Pree-
torius and Carl Daerzer, what need
is there of raising the voice of pro-
test against taking at their face
value the labels affixed to men by
the oppressive governments, of Eur
ope in determining their places in
the free society of true republic?
Have we forgotten the old enthus-
iasm with which we hailed the Unit
ed States as "a home for the Cypress
ed of all lands?" Have we forgotten
the old heroism of the fathers of the
nation? lave we forgotten the price
less contributions made to our citi-
zenship in the past by those who were
hunted out of the lands of their
birth, prosecuted, disinherited, OF
whom the world was not worthy? Is
there danger that our government
will, in it's fears and its prejudices,
grow like the very governments
whose prejudices and fears made low
ers of freedom face the wilds of a
new land to establish it?-St. Louis
Republic.