The Northman., May 27, 1920, Page 11, Image 11

THE NORTHMAN
PROHIBITING FOREIGN LANGUAGES.
more far-reaching results in the English lan­
guage than in any other.
I TNDER this caption the Kitsap County
(Washington) Herald publishes a two-
column tirade against the movement to
give the alien residents a better know­
ledge of the language of our country and
properly equip them for intelligent and
capable citizenship. The Herald builds
its entire article on a misstatement of
the facts and perversion of the entire sub­
ject into something utterly foreign to the
issue. It sets forth in the first two
paragraphs:
Possibly so, but the fact remains that
it is not done. The Herald knows why.
If it does not, it can find out by trying.
The Herald presents still another view:
The law enacted by the special session of the
legislature of Oregon, which took place last
winter, prohibiting anyone from publishing
newspapers and periodicals in any language ex­
cept English, is a piece of legislation unworthy
a free and intelligent citizenship.
It was rumord that a similar law for Washing­
ton would be attempted at its special session,
and it might have been if the lid on general
legislation had not been kept on so tight. There
are reports that something like it may come up
next session in this state.
Such a law is nothing more nor less than an
upshot of narrowminded bigotry and will result-
in disgust and contempt of the thinking men
and women. It is a legislative arrow shot out by
fanaticism and will revert like a boomerang to
the source whence it came.
The law in Oregon does not prohibit the
publication of newspapers in any language
except English. It requires the transla­
tion into English in parallel columns of the
matter contained in foreign language
publications. This serves a two fold pur­
pose. It is a great aid in learning the
American language, and it permits the
fellow American citizen who does not un­
derstand the foreign tongues, to know
what is being printed in the foreign lan­
guage press. The foreign language press
has been instrumental in preventing aliens
from becoming Americans in fact.
Through not learning the language they
remain foreigners with all the rights and
privileges of citizenship. The spirit of the
press is itself a foreign one so that the
subject is not given a glimpse of American
ideals.
This situation cannot be permitted to
continue. If this is bigotry the biggest,
best and broadest minds in the country
are bigoted.
The Herald continues:
We have many great thinkers and writers in
the English language; but what of the great
thoughts and expressions that have been con-
i veyed to the world in other languages, also. Take
some of the great French writers, the German
writers or the great writers from the Scandina­
vian peninsula, what harm could come to any
American ideals if extracts should be taken from
such writings and read in the original language?
That depends entirely on what is con­
strued to be great. The destructive doc­
trine of I. W. W.-ism and communism is
accepted by many to be great. They are
not American in any language.
The Herald proceeds:
The population of this nation is an amalgama­
tion of people coming from different European
countries. Their differences in language has
never been an obstacle to patriotism.
On the contrary we believe that it has
been the greatest obstacle. While not
necessarily so, its operation has proved
emphatically such to be the case. In
thousands of instances, men who have
been here twenty years or more years are
not as good Americans as the day they
landed-
The Herald further says:
As to. any seditious writing, it is utterly im­
possible to write anything in any language that
is commonly used in this country without it be-
ing immediately discovered. Seditious writings
can be carried on a great "deal easier and with
Endeavors to force certain languages on a
people has always resulted in failure and always
will, for the simple reason that language is only
the means, or channel, through which thoughts
are expressed.
The alien is not forced to come to this
country. If he comes he is not forced
to learn the language. But if he is to be­
come a citizen it is a requisite that he
learn the language. This we hold to be
right. There is no attempt at forcing the
language upon any one in the manner the
Herald infers.
It is not the object of this movement to
discourage the knowledge or repress the
use of any foreign language, but to elimi­
nate as far as possible the abuse of the
privilege, and to encourage,a good working
knowledge of the American language as
the first qualification for citiznship.
PROGRESSIVENESS AND CONSER­
VATISM.
DROGRESSIVENESS and conservatism
1 are two most excellent qualties and
are too often held to represent conflicting
and opposing sentiments, whereas the
function of conservatism is to keep what
progressiveness has gained—in fact, true
conservatism IS substantial progress, and
progress is the moral law of the universe.
The tendency of the times is over-
strenousness—in politics, in business, and
in the pursuit of happiness. The life of
keen activity and ceaseless strife to
achieve is always to be respected so long
as it attains its ends by just and honorable
means, and with due consideration for the
rights and privileges of others, but the
tendency of the strenuous spirit is to in­
vade the bounds of abuse and ride rough­
shod on a single-track over obstacles in-
volving the welfare and happiness of
others, if necessary, in order to gain the
desired object.
The man who keeps conservatism in
sight while pursuing the path of progress
may well be said to be our highest type
of citizen. To achieve purely for the sake
of achievement commands little honor. To
accomplish, but to do so with dignity and
self-respect, with honesty and with due
consideration for others, should be, and is,
the shibboleth of the true American.
Prominent characteristics of the early
Scandinavian civilization were dignified
simplicity and rugged integrity, combined
with benignant hospitality that honored
the guest as it honored the host. A great
truth was uttered by Odin when he said,
“Half a loaf and a tilted vessel begets
gratitude, and gratitude is more precious
than mountains of gold.” To genius is
given the privilege to lead, to travel un­
explored ways and to present untried
means, but genius may be fairly described
as progressiveness without attendant
balance-wheel of conservatism. It has
been charged that the lack of moral train­
ing in the educational system constitutes
the greatest deficiency in American
character. Accepting this to be true, we
find one of the causes for the strenuous
tendencies. Moral training begets a sense
of obligation and accountability which is
reflected in careful and conservative
action in all things. Intelligence must be
stamped with character to exert its proper
influence.
11
THE CHARM OF LIFE.
Dr. Frank Crane.
After all there is only one thing in
which we are all interested; it is—life.
All our various forms of activity are ex­
periments in life. Whether we eat, drink
or sleep, go to the play or to the church,
gratify or deny ourselves, laugh or weep,
it is all to get another flavor of life. The
sinners are overcurious. Children are
profligates with life. Old age will cling to
it through any pain.
Gnaw my withers, rack my bones!
Life, mere life, for all atones.
That is why we love love. It is because
love is the very essence and pure sub­
stance of life. All else is diluted. The
activities of business, the musings of
philosophy, the ecstasies of religion, the
thrill of adventure, the stir of exercise,
the gratification of the senses, all of these
are but brilliant beads strung on the one
scarlet sting of love. Without it they
would fall from us. All about us, in the
sea and on the land, nature pours her
abundance of living things, every crevice
has its habitant, and green things grow­
ing crowd the earth. We get a glimpse of
what it all means when we love, for then
nothing but a universe drenched with life
can express us. “There is one word,”
wrote Maurice de Guerin, “which is the
God of my imagination, the tyrant, I
ought rather to say, that fascinates it,
lures it onward, and will finally carry it
I know not where; the word—life.”
RANDOM SHOTS.
In the last analysis the “comrade” and
“brother” talk does not assay any where
near early expectations.
Christianity has not in two thousand
years been able to do for humanity what
any of the tints or shades of Socialism
boldly acclaim the ability to accomplish
over night.
The man who does not rebel occasionally
is not possessed of much spirit, but there
is such a thing as overdoing it. Life
should be something more than one con­
tinuous round of rebellion.
The latest thing in strikes is the strike
of the public against strikes, which will
mean what three strikes signify in base­
ball.
Some people haven’t time to be Amer­
icans—or even human.
Politics is a good thing to keep out of
the public schools, says a state exchange
Possibly so, but it is also a good place to
study the animal.
New makes in automobiles are coming
along rapidly but there appears to be a
strong demand for a make that will climb
telegraph poles.
If a man has chronic dyspepsia it is a
difficult matter to convince him that the
world is growing better.
A former minister of Eugene, Oregon is
in the toils of the law for endeavoring to
find the sunshine of prosperity through
the “moonshine” route. A man with a
spiritual education should know better.
More Manual training and less Greek
and Latin is what the boy needs who has
his own way to make in the world with
only his good right arm to supplement his
brain in making it.
THE SMALL SERVICE
(Wordsworth)
Small service is true service while it lasts;
Of friends, however humble, scorn not one;
The daisy, by the shadow that it casts,
Protects the lingering dewdrop from the sun.