Milford chronicle., 1921-04-01
UNCLE TED'S
BEDTIME STORIES
A1IERICANIsM 11s YEARS AGO


bounded into the sitting room where
Uncle Ted was reading the evening
paper. She flew across the room and
put something in her uncle's hand.
what is it?" inquired Jack, from
his seat on the further side of the
room, where he was studying his les
sons for the next day.
TITS an old history" replied his un-
Gle, after glancing at the title page.
"A history printed one hundred and
thirteen years ago, for it has the date,
1903, on the title page. 1t was writ
ten by Samuel Whelpley, who was
considered a very able writer in his
day.
'And it has my great-grandfather's
name in it," exclaimed Ruth, with her
eyes sparkling as she danced around
her uncle's chair. "Just think, my
great-grandfathe read that book and
it has been in the family ever since. 1
found it in a trunk up in the attic"
I'D rather have a book just printed
than one more than hundred years
old" remarked Jack, with some show
of jealousy over the fact that Ruth
had made the discovery.
THAT depends upon what you
want it for" replied Uncle Ted. eff
you want a history for accurate in
formation, of course the latest books
are likely to be the best, for the au-
thOrs of today have the most extern
sive sources of information at their
command, but if you want a history
for the purpose of getting the ideas
of people who lived many years ago,
the old histories are best. Also,
think, if you want a history written
in stately; dignified language, with a
vigorous expression of the opinion
of the writers, you will find the old
histories most satisfactory. recol-
lect that when I, was in college 1 US
ed Whelpley's history sometimes for
reference reading, and was much inn
pressed with his style. Also, remem-
ber that he had some very strong
opinions on the subject of immigra-
tiOn. 1 have forgotten just what he
said, but 1 think can find it in this
book.
You see, this is not an American
history, but "a COmpend of History
from the Earliest Times It gives
just one chapter to American history.
and, of course, it does not undertake
to give detailed account OF the set
tlement of this continent and it's de-
velOpment. Yes, here is the place
where he wrote about immigration.
Now remember, this was written be-
fore 1903, for the book was printed
that year. When this book was writ
ten there were only about 6,OOO,OOO
people in the United States, and there
were only IL states in the Union.
Ihere had been only three president.
Washington, Adams and Jefferson.
I'm going to read you a few sentences
from this old book:
NO government was ever more
benevolent Or liberal to foreigners.
than that Of the United States, If
has hOlded out to them the greatest
encOuragementS; nor has il diSaD.
pointed their expectations. Il is
not unlikely, however, that the fu-
ture historian will be compelled TO
say that our government, in reIa.
tlOn TO foreigners, erred through
excess OF beneVOlenee and urbanitv.
''' ThOugh many worthy characters
are found in so great an emigration
as has been to this country, vet, for
the most part, they are Door. dis. !
treSsed, overwhelmed with caIami. |
ties, diScOntented, oppressed by the
tyranny OF their government some. |
times, but more commonly by their
own vices or imprudence. . Every |
foreigner, soon after his arrival in |
tnlS country, by course neither
clrculteus, expensive, nor long, be-
comes citizen in the fullest sense.
He Immediately becomes a pOliti-
cian-iS profound in the science of
gOVerRment-iS able to set all things
right. He declaimS against Cd.
preston, flames with zeal for lib
erty, and seldom fails to be at the
heal or tail of innovation and re.
form, perhaps of insurrectiOn.'
Now, children, those things written
in 1903 might very truthfully have
been written in 1918. There are now.
as there were then, lot of good char
acters among the immigrants. You
know Mr.. Nelson, the man whose farm
we visited out South of town last Sum
couldn't be a better citi-
zen. Then there is the Schultz fam
lly-one OF them owns the dairy farm
where we saw the fine Holstein cattle
and another of the family is president
Of the bank on Main street. Such
people as they are, and people like
Mr.. Reilly, who was chief of police
when your father was mayor. are
good sort of people to have come tn
ms country. But it is just as our old
Whelpley said more than a
lundred years ago, there are a lot of
orelgners who never enjoyed liberty
lr good government or prosperity in !
heir native lands but who want tn
'eform and run this government be-
ore they have learned to speak orr I
anguage l
mat kind of people organize poll I
lcal societies composed chiefly of I
orelgners and try to create dissatis- q
action and discomfort. One of them l
'ame here and tried to overturn our !
government, but finally went to Rms j
Ia and helped organize the Bolshevik 1
government there. I'm glad he went. 5
1Inma Goldman was another of the l
anne kind, and our government sent C
Ter back to Russia, but she soon adj
nitted that the United States is {
'etter place to live, even if she did t
urse the country all the time she was Il
ere. 10 c
Now here is what Whelpley said n
this old history. Ne person shouId b
GREATER become citizen but by be- e
lg porn within the United States. Let }
orelgners lind in this country an asv- Il
Inn OF rest-an escape from oppres- d
ION. Here let them buy and build C
nd pIant-let them spread and -four v
'h' pursuing interest and happiness "