The Miller press. [volume] (Miller, S.D.) 190?-current, 1918-08-29
MENONITES MOVE
TO CANADIAN HOME
Peculiar Sect Leaves Beadle County
to Avoid War Service

One colony of the South Dakota
Russian Mennonites, have departed
from Beadle county to make their
home in Canada There were two
large colonies originally in this state,
one in Hutchinson county, and N
near Ipswich. From these w loca-
lions some of them scattered over the
state, a few locating in Hand county.
The Daily Huronite, of Huron, gives
this interesting description of them:
Members of the Lake Byron colony
of M|ennonites, north OF here, said
farewell to Huron yesterday when
they left on a Great Northern train
for Bernard, Manitoba, Canada, where
they will make their future home.
The train consisted of a passenger
| coach bearing the members of the
colony and II emigranI cars contain
ing their household goods.
The members go to Canada with
/ TIC uIllCIDidluih6 thdi liCS ~ w
be exempt from military service of
any kind. Their removal from South
Dakota is caused by the drafting of
several of their members for military
! service. Their creed, which opposes
nearly every form of organized law,
forbids their men folk to engage in
amy kind of war duties. Their law
places the law of the church above
the law of the land.
Originally From Germany
The Russian coionists originally
| came from Germany, leaving the
kaiser's domain to escape compulsory
military service. They went to Rus
STA first, and upon the passage of a
universal military service law in that
country came to the United States at
the time General Grant was president.
On reaching here they tried to get
| the United States government to sign
a treaty with them exempting their
men from service in time OF war.
President Grant at that time told them
that in his opinion the civil war was
the last war that the civilized world
would ever witness.
Apparently satisfied with this opin-
ion the ~colonists came to the western
country and located on the plains of
/ South Dakota Here they resided in
peace until 1898 when the war with
! Spain broke out. They then prepared
to leave the country fearing conscrip-
ton of their men. The trouble, how:
ever, soon blew over and they con-
tinued to live here.
opposed to War
When America entered the present.
war and the CONSUMPTION law was
passed the colonists Immediately took
steps to secure exemption from milf
tacy service for the young men Of
the colonies. The government was
very lenient with them, granting them
partial exemption and giving their
men positions in the non-combotant
service only. This did not appear to
satisfy them, however, and they caus-
cd such a disturbance with their re-
peated apparent pro-German tenden-
cies that they were given a hearing
by the officials of the state council Of
defense. At this hearing every detail
of their hermit-like lives, was barred
to the public, which was almost stun
ned when it learned of the laws under
which the Mennonites lived-laws
which placed the laws of the land in q
position secondary to the laws of the
church. which they obeyed explicitly
whether Or not they conhicted with
the laws set down by the government
of the United States.
After this investigation the Mennon-
ties announced their intention OF re-
moving to Canada to reside. They
sold their holdings in this county,
thousands of acres of land, at a good
price and purchased new land in the
dominion states.
1t has been stated that Canada Is
duty bound by treaties to give Men
nonites shelter and to provide them
with full exemption from military
service,
The band leaving yesterday was the
first to depart from here. There are
several other colonies near Huron
J who have announced their intention