Audubon Republican. [volume] (Audubon, Iowa) 1894-1925, 1921-03-31

command, but III you want history
for the purpose of getting the ideas
of people who lived many years ago,
the old histories are best. Also, l
think, if you want a history written
in stately, dignified language, with
a vigorous expression of the opinion
of the writer's, you will find the old
histories most satisfactory. recol-
lect that when l was in college I US
ed Whelpleys history sometimes for
reference reading, and was much
impressed with his style Also,
remember that he had some very
strong opinions on the subject of
immigration. I have forgotten Just
what he said, but I think can find
it in this book
you see, this is not an American
history, but "A Compend of History
from the Earliest Times 1t gives
Just one chapter to American history
and, of course, it Goes not under
take TO give a detailed account of the
settlement of this continent and its
development. Yes, here is the place
where he wrote about immigration.
Now, remember, this was written be-
fore 1908, for the book was printed
that year. When this book was
written there were only about g.
100000 people in the United States
and there were only seventeen states
in the Union. There had been only
three presidents, Washington, Ad-
ans 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. 1t
has holden out to them the greatest
| encouragements; nor has ii disap-
pointed their expectations.
1t is not unlikely, however, that the
future historian will be compelled
to say that our government, in rela-
ton to foreigners, erred through ex-
cess of benevolence and urbahity.
Though many worthy char
acters are found in so great an en-
| igration as has been to this country,
yet, for the most part, they are poor,
antilles, discontented. oppressed by
the tyranny of their government
sometimes but more commonly by
their own vices or imprudence.
Every foreigner, soon after
his arrival in this country, by
course neither circuitous, expensive
Nnor long, becomes a citizen in the
fullest sense. He Immediately be-
comes a politicians profound in
the science of government--is able
to set all things right. He declaims
against oppression, flames with zeal
for liberty, and seldom fails to be
at the head or tail of innovation and
reform, perhaps OF Instruction
'Now, children. those things writ
ten in 1903 might very truthfully
have been written in 1918. There
are now, as there were then, a lot
of good characters among the immi-
grants. You know Mr.. Nelson, the
man whose farm we visited out
south of town last Sunday-there
couldn't be a better citizen. Then
there is the Shultz family-one OF
them owns the dairy farm where we
saw the fine Holstein cattle, and an
other of the family is president of
! the bank on Mani street Such peo-
pie as they are, and people like Mr..
Reilly, who was chief of police when
your father was mayor, are a good
sort of people to have come to this
| country. But it was Just as our
historian Whelpley said more than
hundred years ago, there are
lot of foreigners who never enjoyed
liberty or good judgment or pros
perity in their native lands but who
want to reform and run this govern
ment before they have learned to
speak our language.
THAT kind of people organize po-
litical societies composed chiefly of
foreigners and try to create dissat-
isfaction and discomfort. One of
them came here and tried to over
turn our government, but finally
went to Russia and helped organize
the bolshevik government there. I'm
glad he went. Emma Goldman was
another of the same kind, and our
| government sent her back to Russia
but she soon admitted that the Unit
ed States is a better place to live,
even If she did curse the country all
the time she was here.
| "Now, here is what Whelpley said
in this old history: No person
should hereafter become citizen
but by being born within the United
States. Let foreigners find in this
country an asylum of rest-an es-
cape from oppression. Here let
them buy and build and plant--let
them spread and flourish, pursuing
interest and happiness in every
mode of life which enterprise can
suggest or reason justify, and let
them be exonerated from the tolls
| of government. II we make good
laws, they will share the benefits
if bad ones, the blame will not be
theirs. Let their children born
among us become citizens by birth
right
81 hardly think would go as far
as Whelpley advised, but he was
nearer right than our present sys-
TEN. A foreigner should at least be
here long enough to learn our Ian
| guage and customs before becom-
| ing a citizen, and II he does not care
enough to learn our language with
in a reasonable time, he should be
sent back home. The best remedy,
however, is to make the laws strict
enough so that the trouble-makers
will never get into this country.
81 think I remember some other
| interesting things in that old his
| tory, Ruth, and IL you will keep it
down here in the bookshelves, will
tell you some more about II some
other time"
| FOR SALE
Have for Sale Buff Orpington