The daily telegram. [volume] (Clarksburg, W. Va.) 1901-1926, 1915-04-27

himself. Ever since the invading
Magyar wrecked the brightest polite
al hopes or the Slovaks-the king
dom of Great Moravia OF the ninth
5century-on the field or PrPessburg
in GOT. there has been eepHill-willI
between the people"
Thus begins statement of the Ma
tional Geographic Society concerning
the Sloyaks Of Bungar, whose fate as
al people hangs in the balance today,
and of whom there are some 700.-
ment continues:
Through all the centuries that
have elapsed since the establishment
of the Magyar power in Europe, the
iSlovaks have held the position Of a
CONQUERED and subject people Their
iconuuerors, the Magyars.. have looked
upon them as an inferior race, and
have seldom spared their sensibili-
tiles. The Slovaks are a heavy. peace
tful, poverty dulled people, through,
true to their race Instincts. they have
resisted successfully all attempts Q Il
the ruling nation toward assimila-
stion, and they have remained for
IeiEn. despised and neglested element
Eon#the fringe and within the admins
Etration or the Magyar Kingdom.
THE bulk OF this folk. pushed
against the northern mountains, lies
behind a line drawn from Press burg
Eastward through zemplin to the
5Galician border. Practically all Of
this region Is composed Of wooded
mountains and broken hills, and Isl!
of such a nature that unremitting Ia
Dor within its confines brings a com-l
petence, but never the reward of
wealth Thus the Slovaks have had
little material aid with which to car
~ on their struggle with the Mag
vars. Their resistance has BEEN
made in poverty: has been largely
passive, but, nevertheless, has had Il
5stolid. ilnmobile quality which has
defied misfortune.
The Slovaks occupied the terri
tory where they are found today be-4
tween the sixth and seventh CEN
turtles. They we're one OF the most
Slav migration. In language, they
were most nearly related TO the
Czechs Of all the Slavs Czechishf
was. Tor long time. used as the lit.
erary language OF the Slovaks. Tenn
5permentally. however. the Czecr and |
the slovak contrast sharply: for the
Czech Is fiery. excitable and quick
where the Slovak is docile, stolid /
and SLOW. VI
q $E&l5 ne SlONakSs are "a peasant EpeO-f
pic. Their aristocracS long ago SUI b. |
3mitted to8the power. the wealth and
the higher culture OF the Magyar
and became thoroughly Magyarized.
The neasants. Indifferent in their
want. confined in a close corporations
Of S1aEisn in their M ountain villages
Despite the development in recent
generations OF determination on
the part OF the ruling Ma gyars tot
force the Slovaks TO merge into the
Magyar race at any cost. these peas
ants have retained their Slavonict
tongue. Slavonic names. and even,
have gained a keener racial integri-j
ity.
The Magyars have forbidden the
use of Slovak in the schools. They
have denied these people the right OIL
organization a native press and all
native pnlpit-but in vain. For. at3
the beginning Of the 10Th century,
ienthused by a like movement among4
Austria's subjects Czechs. the Slovak
leaders Wrough a literary language
tout#of the iumble#of Informative dia-E
1ects. and began the work or more
than 90 years OF awakening and in-i
ttensifvinE in their people racial
patriotism. This work has accom-
Splished wonders in the face Of ac UNI
5relentinE opposition. Sloyak num-
hers are too fnW to encourage dreams 4
ar independents. and, so. OF all the
Slavonic people without the fold OF
Russia. the Sloyaks are perhaps the
most heartily In favor or the Pan
.Slavisni program. '' s5 a \,