The Mankato free press. [volume] (Mankato, Blue Earth County, Minn.) 1879-1924, 1916-03-31
LECTURE BY STEINER
PLEASED THE PEOPLE
His Address On The Immigrant
Was Instructive
TALK IN NORMAL Hall
Discussed Various Phases OF
The Question; the Problem
Has Human Points
rom Mondays Daily.

from Mondays Daily -
"The immigrant is a tremendous
economic liability, and a tremendous
economic asset" stated DR.. Edward
A. Steiner Saturday night during a
spirited address on the immigrant
problem before large and interest
ed audience at the normal hall With
uuizzical humor and we'll grounded
reasoning the speaker showed up
some of the absurdities of which
some of the foreign horn citizens are
accused by careless public. Ameri-
ca attracts the immigrants because
of its freedom, and the democratic
shirt which allows the rich man to
rub shoulders familiarity with his
workmen in the belief that all men
are born free and equal, and that
blue blood does not count, he held.
This country may not be loved by
foreign countries, but it never was
loved by monarchies and aristocrats.
The inflow Of the seven or eight
thousands of immigrants annually in
time forms the bottom upon which
American society rests itself, and
when this bottom becomes congested
and in trouble, problems arise. Hard
times come, no one knows how or
from where. Then the question OF
the immigrant will rise up for dis
cussion. Few people realize that the
problem has its human points" he
said "The immigrants come to our
shores ready to do our hardest tasks.
they come to do our hardest and
dirtiest work What If they were
all educated? There are too many in
America now living by their wits.
am a college professor, and have u
proper respect for my calling, but
when l go into the mines and fac
tories and see the men who are
working twelve hours day on
some dangerous occupation at which
their chances Of survival are from
five to ten years, my own job seems
small, and I have said to myself, If
all the college professors were to
strike at once it would not make
much difference to creation, but il
all the workers struck there would
be nothing doing for some time to
come. >"
The Wonderful Transformation.
Briefly stating that he himself had
come to America from Austria TWEEN
ty-eight Years ago, Professor Stein.
err told of the wonderful tranSforma-
ton which this free country works
in its foreign born citizens, and won
enthusiastic applause by stating that
his blood was now all American, and
he was willing to give every drop of
it for the country. He told how it
was possible for man to come in
from the outside and sense the sit
uatiOn and he carried away by 10y
atty to the country, when others,
born and bred here might not realize
the spirit OF their country as fully
as its foreign born son. With In
teresting anecdotes. and cold facts
the speaker showed the marvellous
assimilation of tho different ma
tionalities in America, and how an
American child was mixture of all
the races. Describing visit through
the different grades of the American
schools Of New York from the first
grade up to the high school, he
showed the wonderful Transformation
'ics Willis huiiAIS TIE tNoluJlCu VI Il
foreign child through the grades un
til he finally energies a full fedged
American
Mr.. Steiner touched upon the war
situation, saying that the greatest
danger to American life came from
within, dissatisfaction that drove
the people apart, and advised calm
ness in dealing with oil nation al
problems. He stated that he was an
American for better or worse, the
same as thousands of other foreign
born people in America who were
welded to this country by the spirit
OF its freedom. He described visits
of himself and wife to his native civ
Vienna. and how, although thew
wore the native garb, the people
easily recognized them as Ameri-
cans, showing the wonderful trans
formation that takes place in the
people who adopt America as their
home. With graceful words OF
commentator for the teachers who
were instilling into the Immigrants
the right idea of America, the land
Oh the free and the brave, Professor
Steiner closed his splendid address
amid a round of enthusiastic an
plause.
From Mondays Daily.
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