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ARMENIANS IN NEBRASKA

Proposition to Bring the Victims of the Turks to This State.

They Are an Industrious, Sober, Frugal, Moral People Devoted to the Domestic Virtnes.

Text of a Letter Written to Governor Holcomb on the Subject-Nebraska Club Will Act.

Nebraska wants more farmers The Armenians want to become Americans. Shall the Armenians be'brought to Nebraska? That is a question which is being asked by certain persons interested in the development of our state, and by other persons interested in the amelloration of the Armenians.

Would they make deirable citizens, is the first question to be asked by the patriotic citizen The chairmain of the Aemenian committee at Chicago, Mr. Edward E. Cragin, says there is no doubt of it He writes:

My Dear Sir: You are familiar with the sad tales which come to us form Armenia of the persecution and attempted extermination of a race of hardy, industrious people, whose greatest crime in their determination to hold to the relifion of their fathers

The great mass of the Armenians are agriculturists. They have cultivated, since the dawn of history, the table lands of Eastern Asia Minor, whose varying altitudes have accustomed them to climate ranging from that of Dakota to that of Texas They are hardy, industrious, sober, frugal, moral and devoted to domestic virtues

The dryness of their lands has compelled them to study irragation with the most admirable results With primitive tools and great discouragement from the oppression of the Turkish government, and the robbery of the kurds who sweep down upon them, they have yet made a living and lived in contentment. Within a few years, however, a systematic effort has been made by the Turkish government to exterminate this people The remark attributed ot the sultan seems to express the awfulness of the situation; 'If I choose to destroy a certain race among my subjects whose business is it but mine? They are my property."

Some time ago they head men of a group of villages came to an American and asked if there were not some means by which the Armenians of these villages could go to America. The answer was of course that the Armenians could not undertake such a work work, and that it would require a large amount of money to carry it out The men replied with sadness, 'We are not rick," and pointing to their stalwart arms and broad breasts," but if the Americans would only transport us and see taht we got safely away from this hell we would be content ot live and die their slaves, and work for them for our bread until we die, if so be that our wives might live without dishonor, and our children be citizens of the great republic,"

A committee of Chicago citizens is arranging for a mass meeting to ecpress sympathy with the Armentans We find from creful investigation that they would make an excellent class of citizens. There are about 20000 of them in this country and their record is equally as good as that of any other nationall in all that constitutes good citizenship We think if an asylum could be found for them in this country. We estistmae that somewhere in the neighborhood of a million of these people could be transported to this country They would readily assimilate with our peopel [? this line is cut off] customed to the cultivation of weat, barley millet and flax.

Would you not htink it would be very desirable if means could be brought about to bring 1,000,000 or 500,000 of these people to America and place some of them on the lands of your state, provided of course, they have sufficient funds in their hands to carry them over one season's crop and build houses fro themselves?

The above letter was written to Governor Holcomb, who forwarded it to Mr. Charles E. Williamson, secretary of the Nebraska club. Now the club, in its articles of incorporation, procides that nothing shall be done toward inducing emigration till the treasury contains a certain sum The club is busy, at present, trying to raise that sum. When it does raise it, official action will be taken concerning the Armenians.

This state has had colonization schemes before. Mr Max Meyer and the elder Mr. Eigutter, members of the Hebrew colonization society, once, years ago, provided means for the bringing into this country of a number of Russian Jews They were wretched, small siezed, broken sprited men from the clities, used to pedding small wares, and when put out on our strenuous soil and told to farm, they sank under the burden. They were sent back to some city, and allowed to make their way after their own fashion But there are a number of excellent Russian colonies in the state, made up of natural agriculturalist, persons of much self-respect and worth They came here with capital and their household goods, and have become part and parcel of the state. There are also Scandinavian settlements, and German colonies which form a prt of the state's best strength.

Miss Melron, the Preshbyterian missionary who was in the city the otherday and who lived years amid the Armenians, spoke of them with great resepct. She presented them as brave, industrious, truthful, of une physuque, and with an unconquerable desire for liberty To be free, to live under a fair government, to enjoy land and houses without ruinous taxation, and to know that the lives of those they love are safe from outrage, is their amblition. They would probably make faithful and grateful citizens of this republic. It would be [a?act] of humanity as well as of polical wisdom, to bring them to this state. They would have the patience to deal with the problems which confront the Nebraska farmers, and like the Russians, would probably be found to be promters of immigration.

The problem really is to secure permission form the Turkish government to let them leave. To arrange for their transportation would be a secondary matter. There is danger of coming in conflict with the immigration laws of this country, but attorneys can be employed to provide against trouble in that direction.

Arizona is at present considering the feasibility of granting some of her lands to this oppressed people, and making them of her citizenship.

We have problems enough in America, and shames and treacheries enough but it is still a land where the oppressed can find refuge; it is still a haven for those looking for personal liberty; it is still a place where the industrious may win form poverty to comfort, where the hopeless may acquire happiness, where women are held sacred, and little children blessed If the Nebraska club does find itself in a position to help these hapless ones, it will do credit to this state in perfroming that service. And the missionary societies, the humane societies, and all organizations which claim to have an altrusitc purpose, may well combine with that club, to resuce form unspeakable misery this bitterly oppressed people. For there is hardly an upward-looking cause which would be be aided by this emigration. Religion, education, humanity, state development-all have their part as factors.

ELIA W. PEATTIE.