The Oskaloosa herald., 1916-03-09
Mr.. Roaebrook's Views

Oskaloosa, Ia, March 4, 1916.-Edi-
tor Herald: In the light of present
events, wherein a people are on trial
with the whole world as well as our
! United States, little of impartial
history might be printed which might
tend to throw some oil on the trOu-
bled waters.
The writer is not a German nor
the son of a German. Old English
stock was our forefathers, but at this
distance we want fair play, and we
don't want war and all its horrors to
be caused by the silly people who
persist in going to foreign countries
now at war, in vessels carrying arms
either for offense or defence.
/ If the state has the right to isolate
a person or family to prevent spread
! of contagiOn, so the government
ought to restrict travel that by its
very act carries its people into war.
Particularly horrible because of our
being made up largely of foreign peo-
piles, the German nationality pre-
dominating.
In the year 1865 the town of Ian
caster, New Hampshire, was located.
1t was there the writer was born. In
1865 there was held a centennial to
which many of the boys that had
gone west" returned to their native
town to celebrate. OF this plumber
was Mr. e. d. Holton OF Milwaukee,
! Wis. He made a speech which |
give in full it will interest some, it
may please others:
The President: Some years ago |
happened to be travelling in the west
ern country, and came to the city of
I Milwaukee. 1t presented New
England appearance. always find
that ! can trace New England people
by the houses and scenes around
them. On inquiry | found in that
city a New England man whom they
told me was one OF the fathers of the
place; had lived there its entire his
tory And friends, l will show you
the man who contributed to it large
ly. He was one of my old school
mates. the Hon. E. D. Holton, and
now that he is here will ask him to
tell what he thinks about Wisconsin,"
Speech Of Hon. {. D. HoIton.
Il heard the name of Milwaukee,
the city where | have the honor TO
live, mentioned by our excellent and
esteemed president. 1t has been
my fortune to see what, perhaps, falls
to the lot of but few persons of my
| age to see. ! have witnessed every
brick raised IN that city of now sixty
thousand inhabitants. When | went
4 to Milwaukee it was a hamlet. There
was but a single brick house-a one
story building. " 1t has been my
privilege to see that city grow.
have seen the people come trooping
in until the state has reached a pop
ulation of million. Many of these
people are Germans. | have seen a
great deal of the Germans, and | have
come to love them very much. At
least twenty-five thousand of the in
habitauts of Milwaukee are Germans.
They are a noble people. They have
some peculiarites. They are fond
of lager beer, and deal in it almost
everywhere; but now and then Yau
kee likes a little lager. But still they
are a most Industrious people; law
abiding and a people Of great pro
duCtiye power.
ITO illustrate the stability of the
| Germans | will mention that | took
a lad twelve years Old from the
streets, who was indentured to me in
the old-fashiOned way for six or sew
en- years. That was in lS42,-25
years ago, and that boy has remained
with me from that time till this, thai
is in the different stations | have OC-
culied. He is now a bOOkkeeper in
one of the banks, to which | intro
duCed him, having brought him up to
that business. This stcadiness and
tenacity in business is what we need
and we shall borrow them from the
German character.
Another characteristic is the Ger
mans love for his home. Any Yam.
kee will go to work and fix up his
, farm and then. sell it right out with
out even asking permission of his
wife If he can get the price. Not so
J the German. | can take you to
many Germans who would not sell
Lis farm if you covered it with gold
I hey will say: NO, will not sell; il
is my house, my home
~ hat boy to whom | have referred
| is now a young man and is worth
! $25 100000 which he has accumulated
| by little savings. | want to call the
attention of young American men to
this element of the German character
I-SteadlneSS, perseverance, and econ
omy. 1t is an element we need to
incorporate into the American char
acter. I" *By applying all these in
5trumertalities, we hope finally to
prepare a population that shall be-
with you here, sheet anchor, that
shall hold the nation against any
force that may be brought agains
it,"
Events of Past Two Years.
1t seems, Mr.. Editor, in looking
back over the events of the past two
years that concerted movement has
been carried on in this couEetry to
see that Germany shall suffer defeat
Influences most powerful have bee
brought to bear on the president
Keep that country in the limelight to
prejudice, to humiliate and to pro.
hibit what to other contending coun.
tries are offered in spontaneous cor.
dial outpourings
Almost contemporaneous with the
English Embargo came the subma-
zine incident, one incident after an.
other has been opened and closed