The daily Gate City and constitution-Democrat. (Keokuk, Iowa) 1916-1922, 1918-03-04

tIo Son6TdlOQ following 1870 Lul6ia
ton took place from Germany to
America such as has been witnessed
but few times In history. Literally
millions Of the best Of the German
race left and became our fellow citi-
Dens.
Leave HohenzoIIern Autocraoy.
"They left because they knew that
under that autocratic rule OF the
house of Hohenzollern. no such thing
as popular liberty could exist. The
most enlightened came and the most
loyal to good government came. IL
was not the riff-raff of Germany that
came to America. 1t was the really
noble men and women OF that coun-
try that determined to come to the
land of the free and home OF the
brave, and enjoy here that liberty
that they could not find there. It
was the real riff-rafY that was left In
Germany. A benighted king with the
superstition handed down from tho
middle ages that he held a commits
sion from the Almighty which author
lied him to act more like he held q
commission from satan himself; and
around him were the mobiles and
princes and 80 called high-born with
their legacy of special privileges and
their claim OF right to rule over the
people Of Germany. according to their
own will and not the will of the peo-
pie who were governed. There was
also left that numerous class in any
country who are without spirit or
intelligence and are willing to be LED
and deem 1t an honor to throw up
their greasy caps and yell "Hoch der
1ro 4 ,nf Hn o. r
that there were not many good and
noble people left in Germany, but
they were not in sufficient numbers
to be dominant. They were not only
in great minority but the fact that
they stayed under such a rule show
ed certain element Of inferiority.
have no doubt In the world but that
the best blood of Germany does noc
today live in Germany. 1t came here
and has helped us build our nation.
It is no sham political phrase to
speak Of the liberty loving Germans
in this country They are here be-
cause they are liberty loving and for,
sock that country that knew no lib
erty. That country where all things
are 'verboten' That they were ripe
for the institutions Of liberty is
known to all men who have read the
annals Of the bloodiest years in our
nations life. Within dozen years
from the time this mighty migration
started, this country was in the
throes of civil war. These men OF
Germany, ere they had scarcely mas
tered the language Of their adopted
country, were on every battlefield
and always on the side of liberty and
patriotism. The roster Of the union
armies attest these facts and these
men of '48 and their sons of today
are among the honored patriots OF
this nation in our own city and IN
our own country are scores OF the
men of '4S and their sons
"When we speak Of German pro2a-
ganda and the treachery of those
Germans who are disloyal In this
hour of their country's need, l am
sure you will find that you are not
referring to the class OF which
speak. Where you find a treacherous
German. you find recent importa-
ton who came hero for commercial
opportuntty rather than In quest OF
political liberty.
IT bold no brief for tho German
people except that we must be just
to our fellow citizens and we must
not allow the odiu1n cast around the
present generation in Germany to
reflect dtscredit upon splendid class
Of our citizenship.
Account Only to God.
when Frederick William ~ pass
ed into obscurity and his brother, who
subsequently became Emperor Will
liam I, took the regency he declared
that he would only be accountable to
God for his regency.
He had, from young manhood,
been opposed to popular rights.
"He had been instrumental In
creating a severe press censorship
and in sitting in every way free
expression of thought. He found al.
ready made, and suited to his hand
an instrument OF tyranny and chican-
ery in a young farmer and politician
named Bismarck, who had ability Of
brutal coarse kind, MIXED with an
INSCRIPTIONS cunning that made him
a ready instrument for the exalta-
ton of this divinely commissioned
ruler. Tragic events followed fast A
larger army was organized; war was
provoked with Denmark; a pledged
faith again broken with Austria and
series of wars eliminating in the
FrancO1IruSSldn Wal elSuSO. hC
Franco-Prussian war was deliberate
" provoked and precipitated by a
forgery of Bismarck for the purpose
of setting a stage upon which could
be enacted the unification Of Germany
and the despotling OF France.
with every circumstance of brut-
ality and tyranny, the Prus sian hordes
trampled under foot everything that
the French held dear, and on French
soil was enacted the final drama Of
the crowning Of Hohenzollern as
emperor Of Germany. A Hohenzol-
lern was now in the saddle in united
Germany.
Dedicated to Conquest.
From 1870 to the present time,
Germany has been an armed camp
dedicated to the cause OF world con-
quest. All but universal military
service has been in vogue. The
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