CHICAGO.

Te Aroha News, Volume VIII, Issue 489, 16 July 1890, Page 4

CHICAGO.

By J. C. Firth. No. 11. Chicago contains to-day 1,200,000 inhabitants. It is the second city in the United States, und, in no long time, will be the first. In 1893 the World’s Fair will be held here. Already some of the effects of that great enterprise are beginning to be apparent. Real estate—city lots —are rapidly rising in value, tho indications of a great “boom.” Four-storied houses will give place to ten or twelve-etoried buildings, and the city will be more gloomy than now.

Four years ago, seventeen policemen were killed by a small dynamite bomb, thrown by Anarchists. Four of these were tried and hung, and the destructive element in the population was supposed to have been crushed. It was not so, however, for yesterday an attempt was made to destroy tho Haymarkec Monument (erected to commemorate the death of the policemen and the downfall of anarchy). It is said if a heavy thunderstorm had not in some way extinguished the fuse, that a railway depot, several large blocks of buildings, and hundreds of lives would have been destroyed. The Labour contest is active in this city. Three days ago all the waiters—mostly coloured people —at the hotels struck, One hotel only—the Grand Pacific—by a conciliatory spirit kept its waiters. Yesterday 150 pointsmen or switchmen struck because of the alleged wrongful dismissal of one of their number. The railway authorities promptly met the strikers fairly, appointed a joint committee to ascertain whether the man was rightly or wrongly dismissed. The strikers at once resumed work. By this wise proceeding, the vast Chicago railway system was kept in motion, and great suffering, and probable loss of life averted. As I have often written, the great question between Labour and Capital cm yet is capable of pe.ac<xxbUadjustment, by conciliation, common fairness and common sense. If thesettlement be deferred and allowed to drift into the realms of unreason and passion, then the settlement will be made by force, to the

loss of all parties. Sunday in Chicago is a day of business and amusement. Drinking shops and theatres are kept open. The other day, in the smoking - room of a Puhnan car, a discussion arose between

Colonel D., of Denver, and an American of German extraction, who, though he said he had passed nearly his whole life in America and was an American citizen, yet tvas thoroughly German in feeling and ideas. The question had drifted from temperance to Sunday observance.

By virtue of denying all the Colonel’s premises, tho German silenced his opponent. I had been quietly listening to the discussion, and now came to the Colonel’s help by asking the German “If the Sunday were made a day of amusement only, whether it might nob soon become a day of work, as it seemed to me that nothing but the religious sanction attached to the Sabbath bad kept the seventh day from having being made a working day, like the other six days.” The German-American at once replied : “In Germany the Sunday was a day of amusement and not a day of labour.” I said that in Germany, out of about 1,000,000 manufactories, more than 500,000 of them worked on Sundays. As he had treated tho Colonel, so he replied to me by promptly saying : "Ideny it.” I said, “lam quoting from tho Report of the American Consul at Berlin, made to the United States Government.”

“ I have not seen it,” he replied, “and I don’t believe it.”

I quietly said, “ Surely, as an American citizen, you will not refuse to believe the reports of your own officials. However, I will call into Court a witness which, if you know anything of German affairs, you will, with your strong German sympathies, probably accept as competent. You have heard of the recent Berlin Conference, convened by tho Emperor to discuss the labour question. One of the subjects was the abolition of Sunday labour. Now, will you explain to us, it thero were no Sunday labour in Germany, why did tho Emperor bring the abolition of Sunday labour so prominently before the Conference ?”

The positive gentleman wag silent, the colonel and the rest cheered loudly, and sp it ended.

When in the United States some years ago, I observed a strong desire on the part of some districts, more or less German, to make the teaching of the German language a part of the American Common School course. I then endeavoured to impress upon many Americans whom I met, the folly of such a course. I pointed out that amongst all other influences a common language was the strongest to bind together into one strong homogeneous nation, the varied adventurous hosts which Europe sends to America.

Since then the movement ha 9 extended, and I have again and again pointed out to many Americans the importance of teaching only the English language in the Common Schools. Let Germans keep alive the memory of their Fatherland in their families if they wish ; but let them not be permitted to do anything to prevent their children from becoming Americans in the truest sense. They have escaped from the militarism and despotism of their native land, and have come to free America, a very real Canaan of refuge to them. Let them there become real citizens of the grand free country which has given them shelter and prosperity. American laws they must obey ; let them not be permitted to do anything to enable their children to learn any other than the common language of the American nation—the noble English language—inthecommonschoolsof thecountry. The policy, the laws, the literature of America, can only be properly known by those who hold the key of knowledge—tho master key of a common language.