The Goldfield news and weekly tribune. [volume] (Goldfield, Nev.) 1911-1947, 1917-03-31
MADE IN AMERICA

MADE IN ANlETlNN
The Tribune discussed On Thursday a certain type of German
born citizen, living in America, voting i'll America, claiming and en-
joying the freedom, the rights, the privileges and immunt1es that he
found not in the country of his birth; claiming them all under false pre-
tense. But the American-born could do no greater violence to Ameri-
can ideals than to hold others of German birth but OF genuine Aneri-
canism Ito responsibility for the acts and the declarations OF the
spurious brand who committed perjury when they swore allegiance to
the United States because they did not mean it
Now. here is a n example of the other type, and the individual
specimen OF this type was so intimately known to the writer that the
genuneness of his character was not open to doubt
Nearly sixty years ago there was born in Germany, in the town
of Zweibrucken, in the kingdom OF Bavaria, a boy whose ancestors, as
far back as he could trace them, had known no other land. This boy,
while still a boy, come to America, found employment-or made it
and fke thousands of Others from Bavaria and from all other German
states, he grew o the soil of free America. When we say that he
grew, we have not in mind his physical development. He grew in
character and in manhood quite Is rapidly as he grew in business, and
the intense patriotism 50 characteristic OF the German marked him
at all times. 1t was IS much a part of his nature as his normal appetite
for food. This patriotism had the ring OF enthusiasm at all times ana
war was not needed to stir 1t.
This love of country which we call patriotism was devoted not
to the land he had left, but to the land he had found. The Fatherland
neal much to him. for it was still the home of his parents and of
brothers, and it was the home of his childhood. And he still loved
Germany enough to express the hope that some day her people might
enjoy in their own land some measure of the freedom and the pr1v1-
leg. that he had found in the land of his adoption. And he loved Ger
many and her people ST much that during his maturer years he made
frequent visits to them. And being a student OF politics and OF his
tory, he often expressed the wish that Germany might, not only for
her internal but her colonial policy, take to herself some OF the lessons
that England and France and America had learned.
And one day, just after a visit to the home OF his boyhood, he
remarked to the writer that there had come to him that day, as if by
inspiration, a new awakening, a new measure of devotion to this great
country. 81 have driven forty miles today" said he, land have not
seen a uniform not an officer. Yes" he added in reflection, every
man saw was IN officer, Just Is much interested in keeping the peace
as the sheriff"
That is self-government, government BY the people in their own
right, as against government of the people by the king o the emperor,
wearing a crown by accident of birth. "Over there said he, mean
ing the Fatherland, would have seen scores of men, gendarmes, in
uniform, and the people relying on them, rather than upon themselves
TO keep the peace"
Here was a man, born in Germany, whose manhood and citizen
ship were made in America When he took the oath of allegiance
to the republic he meant it, every syllable of it. When he looked
on the American flag he knew its meaning. 1t was his flag and his
only flag. He knew no other. And America has no better CITIZEN
born in America, than this type of American born in Germany. lie
left Germany for something better to his mind than Germany hd' and
he priced more highly than his life his certificate OF American citizen
ship, made possible by those who had given their lives and their treas
me to prove that nc man, emperor, king or plebeian, has a right to gov
en through being born a prince.
The citizenship of this German-b born was not obtained through
false pretense. Nor was he alone he was typical of thousands, The
writer has known many of them; so have you, dear reader. And one
of the things that this flag of yours stands for is protection and JUS
tice to the man who honestly renowned the sovereign under whose
flag he was born and honestly pledged his life and his fortune to the
flag that stands for a government "Of the people for the people by the
people" The loyalty and the patriotism, as well as the certificate OF
naturalization of these German-born Americans, was Made in Amer
ica"