Webster City freeman. [volume] (Webster City, Hamilton County, Iowa) 1884-1946, 1918-03-25
OUT OF THE MOUTH OF A
GERMAN.

is delivering some fine addresses
these days. He was born in Germany
and came to this country when a
boy. If anybody doubts his genuine
American patriotism let him read
the following, taken from an address
delivered at Charles City few days
ago:
AS a stranger and a boy so poor
that dare not tell you how poor, l
knocked at the gate of your country
and received admission nearly 30
years ago. Then l began life anew
in America and am not ashamed OF
it. l know what it means to be poor
and l sympathize with the poor be-
cause their lot is hard, but l would
rather be poor man in America than
a prince or duke or count in
Germany or any other part of the
world, because to live here means to
live in Gods country beneath that
flag, the emblem of justice and liber-
ty (Applause.)
l am not here to do as some Ger
man-Americans do, because / am in
America and I am an American 100
per cent. (Applause.) Neither am
ashamed of the fact that l was born
in Germany; that my mother was a
German woman who first taught me
faith in God, and l say today 1 will
never forget the memories of the
face of the God-like woman who gave
me life and taught me to recognize
the Christ of all men, a privilege
which l am proud of yet My mother
was plain peasant woman, a child
of God, and her memory is sacred to
me. (Applause.)
The American nation is not making
war upon the German name; the
American nation is not making war
upon Americans born in the father
land or whose parents lived in that
country, but the American nation is
making war upon system so cruel,
upon despot SO base, and upon a
tyrant so devilish that all the world
is uniting to dethrone him and drive
him forever from the face of Gods
earth. (Applause.)
l have letter from Judge Wade
in which he congratulates the state
and nation upon our government, and
he says it is the only movement
which will free the German race
from the awful strain which has been
fastened upon it by the German ar
mics, and in future generations it
will prove a blessing because the
German people in America can help
right that wrong by faithful service
to their country in this time of need.
My mission is not to come and
abuse men whose countenance or
speech betrays them, but l come to
tell you the facts which are now be-
fore us and to show you that the
principles for which we have con-
tended, the principles which brought
those men to this country, the rea-
sons which make them citizens of
America, are now at stake, and If
they love their American homes and
if they appreciate their American
blessings and comforts, then in the
name of God to stand with the flag
and give for it all that is sacred and
dear in their possession. And also l
have message for the Puritan man,
the man with Puritan ancestry, the
woman who dates back to the Pill
grim Fathers and who is proud OF
her ancestry and the record made by
her people in this country, and say
to them: SHOW that spirit OF fair
ness and tolerance which has ever
marked the great American republic;
| do not give way to passion; don't
give way to prejudice, but keep
clean and keep out of thy soul the
spirit which destroys the inner man
and makes thee poor indeed. So !
say to my hot headed American who
sometimes says more than he means:
Think of what German-Americans
have done and give them time to
think what they ought to do" Per-
haps some of the German people are
little slow. Open their eyes; start
their ears; show them what is needed
are they will come and stand with
| the true and the faithful and give
| to this beloved country their all, if
| need be.
| confess myself to be somewhat
| vexed at times when ! talk to men
and listen to one who never knew
what it meant to endure hardships,
who never knew what it was to face
| rails who never felt the heel