Decorah-posten og ved arnen., 1920-09-03
Language and Patriotism,

1On james 1lloIIlPoOH, La
Crosse. in a recent speech in his
campaign for United States Sena-
tor in Wisconsin, voiced the fol-
lowing sentiments:
"The time has come to restore
real Americanism at home. During
the war we had some of those
wonderful 200 percenters who
were holier than the rest of us.
] could name a committee COM
posed OF such 200 ]percenters to
arrange for a Fourth of July cele-
bration and they would not per-
NIT us to read the Declaration of
independence. That is not Amer
icanism.
"Some of them took the posi-
ton and said they wanted a law
to forbid the use OF any other
language than English in church,
school and in the newspapers.
That is ridiculous and absurd.
Can't a man fight equally we'll
regardless of what language he
uses? When the boys went over
there, they didn't go to a tongue
lashing contest, and if they did, l
suppose they could call each other
names equally well in German
and Norwegian as in English. /
happen to know the Norwegian
language, and know we have
some mighty strong swear words
in Norwegian, and | suppose you
have in German and French.
"But there is a serious side to
this question. Who was it that
felled the forests, cleared the
fields and made this country
blossom like a rose? Who was
it that built the homes, the
churches and the school houses,
if you please? 1t was father and
mother, grandfather and grand
mother, the pioneers who led the
way and took the heavy brunt OF
ths battle in the sweat of their
brows. Now they are old, their
hair is gray; some OF them have
gone beyond. Those who are still
with us have few pleasures left.
They like to go to their church
and hear the gospel preached in
the language they best under
stand; they like to read the news
in the papers they have been in
the habit Of reading, and they like
to see their little grandchildren
toddle up to their knees in the
evening to lisp a few words that
please them best in the language
they love so we'll. Does Ameri-
canism demand that we turn our
hearts into stone and say to father
and mother and to our grand
parents: we are smarter than
you now; we want a law to for
bid you to use the language you
like to usev 1t is not American
ism. 1t is savagery!
England has given us many
good things, and for all she has
given us We r grateful, indeed.
But let us not be silly! England
alone is not the mother of
America. All the nations OF
Europe are the mother Of America.
England, France, Germany, Nor
way, Sweden, Denmark, each and
all, sent us the best they had in
brain and Drawn and in spirit, in
literature, in music, in song and
in poetry, in religion, in ideals
and in home life - all that our
forefathers had struggled for in
generations and brought it over
here and placed it on the sacred
altar of American citizenship il
order that here there should arise
a citizen who should combine the
wisdom and the virtues of all the
nationalities of Europe. And her,
we should live together in peac,
and in friendship and solve on.
problems under the doctrine O
brotherhood. This is the Amer
canism / preach, not the doctrin,
OF hatred, but the gospel OF low,
amongst us all.
I'VE need it in this period o
reconstruction. 1t will make
better and nobler America. Ever,
American should be able to speal