the americanization of edward bok-第94部分

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of　each　of　the　political　parties　and　put　my　query。　I　was　regarded　with　puzzled　looks。

〃What　does　it　mean　to　vote？〃　asked　one　chairman。

〃Why；　on　Election　Day　you　go　up　to　the　ballot…box　and　put　your　ballot　in；　and　that's　all　there　is　to　it。〃

But　I　knew　very　well　that　that　was　not　all　there　was　to　it；　and　was　determined　to　find　out　the　significance　of　the　franchise。　I　met　with　dense　ignorance　on　every　hand。　I　went　to　the　Brooklyn　Library；　and　was　frankly　told　by　the　librarian　that　he　did　not　know　of　a　book　that　would　tell　me　what　I　wanted　to　know。　This　was　in　1884。

As　the　campaign　increased　in　intensity；　I　found　myself　a　desired　person　in　the　eyes　of　the　local　campaign　managers；　but　not　one　of　them　could　tell　me　the　significance　and　meaning　of　the　privilege　I　was　for　the　first　time　to　exercise。

Finally；　I　spent　an　evening　with　Seth　Low；　and；　of　course；　got　the　desired　information。

But　fancy　the　quest　I　had　been　compelled　to　make　to　acquire　the　simple　information　that　should　have　been　placed　in　my　hands　or　made　readily　accessible　to　me。　And　how　many　foreign…born　would　take　equal　pains　to　ascertain　what　I　was　determined　to　find　out？

Surely　America　fell　short　here　at　the　moment　most　sacred　to　me：　that　of　my　first　vote！

Is　it　any　easier　to…day　for　the　foreign　citizen　to　acquire　this　information　when　he　approaches　his　first　vote？　I　wonder！　Not　that　I　do　not　believe　there　are　agencies　for　this　purpose。　You　know　there　are；　and　so　do　I。　But　how　about　the　foreign…born？　Does　he　know　it？　Is　it　not　perhaps　like　the　owner　of　the　bulldog　who　assured　the　friend　calling　on　him　that　it　never　attacked　friends　of　the　family？　〃Yes；〃　said　the　friend；　〃that's　all　right。　You　know　and　I　know　that　I　am　a　friend　of　the　family；　but　does　the　dog　know？〃

Is　it　to…day　made　known　to　the　foreign…born；　about　to　exercise　his　privilege　of　suffrage　for　the　first　time；　where　he　can　be　told　what　that　privilege　means：　is　the　means　to　know　made　readily　accessible　to　him：　is　it；　in　fact；　as　it　should　be；　brought　to　him？

It　was　not　to　me；　is　it　to　him？

One　fundamental　trouble　with　the　present　desire　for　Americanization　is　that　the　American　is　anxious　to　Americanize　two　classesif　he　is　a　reformer；　the　foreign…born；　if　he　is　an　employer；　his　employees。　It　never　occurs　to　him　that　he　himself　may　be　in　need　of　Americanization。　He　seems　to　take　it　for　granted　that　because　he　is　American…born；　he　is　an　American　in　spirit　and　has　a　right　understanding　of　American　ideals。　But　that；　by　no　means；　always　follows。　There　are　thousands　of　the　American…born　who　need　Americanization　just　as　much　as　do　the　foreign…born。　There　are　hundreds　of　American　employers　who　know　far　less　of　American　ideals　than　do　some　of　their　employees。　In　fact；　there　are　those　actually　engaged　to…day　in　the　work　of　Americanization；　men　at　the　top　of　the　movement；　who　sadly　need　a　better　conception　of　true　Americanism。

An　excellent　illustration　of　this　came　to　my　knowledge　when　I　attended　a　large　Americanization　Conference　in　Washington。　One　of　the　principal　speakers　was　an　educator　of　high　standing　and　considerable　influence　in　one　of　the　most　important　sections　of　the　United　States。　In　a　speech　setting　forth　his　ideas　of　Americanization；　he　dwelt　with　much　emphasis　and　at　considerable　length　upon　instilling　into　the　mind　of　the　foreign…born　the　highest　respect　for　American　institutions。

After　the　Conference　he　asked　me　whether　he　could　see　me　that　afternoon　at　my　hotel；　he　wanted　to　talk　about　contributing　to　the　magazine。　When　he　came；　before　approaching　the　object　of　his　talk；　he　launched　out　on　a　tirade　against　the　President　of　the　United　States；　the　weakness　of　the　Cabinet；　the　inefficiency　of　the　Congress；　and　the　stupidity　of　the　Senate。　If　words　could　have　killed；　there　would　have　not　remained　a　single　living　member　of　the　Administration　at　Washington。

After　fifteen　minutes　of　this；　I　reminded　him　of　his　speech　and　the　emphasis　which　he　had　placed　upon　the　necessity　of　inculcating　in　the　foreign…born　respect　for　American　institutions。

Yet　this　man　was　a　power　in　his　community；　a　strong　influence　upon　others；　he　believed　he　could　Americanize　others；　when　he　himself；　according　to　his　own　statements；　lacked　the　fundamental　principle　of　Americanization。　What　is　true　of　this　man　is；　in　lesser　or　greater　degree；　true　of　hundreds　of　others。　Their　Americanization　consists　of　lip…service；　the　real　spirit；　the　only　factor　which　counts　in　the　successful　teaching　of　any　doctrine；　is　absolutely　missing。　We　certainly　cannot　teach　anything　approaching　a　true　Americanism　until　we　ourselves　feel　and　believe　and　practise　in　our　own　lives　what　we　are　teaching　to　others。　No　law；　no　lip…service；　no　effort；　however　well…intentioned；　will　amount　to　anything　worth　while　in　inculcating　the　true　American　spirit　in　our　foreign…born　citizens　until　we　are　sure　that　the　American　spirit　is　understood　by　ourselves　and　is　warp　and　woof　of　our　own　being。

To　the　American；　part　and　parcel　of　his　country；　these　particulars　in　which　his　country　falls　short　with　the　foreign…born　are；　perhaps；　not　so　evident；　they　may　even　seem　not　so　very　important。　But　to　the　foreign…born　they　seem　distinct　lacks；　they　loom　large；　they　form　serious　handicaps　which；　in　many　cases；　are　never　surmounted；　they　are　a　menace　to　that　Americanization　which　is；　to…day；　more　than　ever　our　fondest　dream；　and　which　we　now　realize　more　keenly　than　before　is　our　most　vital　need。

It　is　for　this　reason　that　I　have　put　them　down　here　as　a　concrete　instance　of　where　and　how　America　fell　short　in　my　own　Americanization；　and；　what　is　far　more　serious　to　me；　where　she　is　falling　short　in　her　Americanization　of　thousands　of　other　foreign…born。

〃Yet　you　succeeded；〃　it　will　be　argued。

That　may　be；　but　you；　on　the　other　hand；　must　admit　that　I　did　not　succeed　by　reason　of　these　shortcomings：　it　was　in　spite　of　them；　by　overcoming　thema　result　that　all　might　not　achieve。



XXXIX。　What　I　Owe　to　America

Whatever　shortcomings　I　may　have　found　during　my　fifty…year　period　of　Americanization；　however　America　may　have　failed　to　help　my　transition　from　a　foreigner　into　an　American；　I　owe　to　her　the　most　priceless　gift　that　any　nation　can　offer；　and　that　is　opportunity。

As　the　world　stands　to…day；　no　nation　offers　opportunity　in　the　degree　that　America　does　to　the　foreign…born。　Russia　may；　in　the　future；　as　I　like　to　believe　she　will；　prove　a　second　United　States　of　America　in　this　respect。　She　has　the　same　limitless　area；　her　people　the　same　potentialities。　But；　as　things　are　to…day；　the　United　States　offers；　as　does　no　other　nation；　a　limitless　opportunity：　here　a　man　can　go　as　far　as　his　abilities　will　carry　him。　It　may　be　that　the　foreign…born；　as　in　my　own　case；　must　hold　on　to　some　of　the　ideals　and　ideas　of　the　land　of　his　birth；　it　may　be　that　he　must　develop　and　mould　his　character　by　overcoming　the　habits　resulting　from　national　shortcomings。　But　into　the　best　that　the　foreign…born　can　retain；　America　can　graft　such　a　wealth　of　inspiration；　so　high　a　national　idealism；　so　great　an　opportunity　for　the　highest　endeavor；　as　to　make　him　the　fortunate　man　of　the　earth　to…day。

He　can　go　where　he　will：　no　traditions　hamper