Mr. Carter H. Harrison has developed quite an affection for the German element of Chicago. He wants to let us know that it is his desire to please the German citizens, the potential German women voters, so that they may obtain a good impression of him. They like that all right, and frequently one can hear them say: He seems to be a nice rellow after all, and quite pro-German, too.

People who are inclined to be sarcastic, who always look for an ulterior motive behind every action of an honest old politicion, who see in every instance of a candidate's courtesy and affability nothing but vote-catching tactics, are quick to proclaim that Mr. Harrison was just "play acting," but the average German-American is receptive to any courtesy, no matter how insignificant of 2short-lived, and is as willing to accept a good intention as an actual deed. And we cannot and must not doubt that Mr. Harrison, now that his wife has granted him permission to run for his seventh term as Mayor, really is intent upon capturing the good will of the Chicago German citizens, male and female. That is only natural because without good will there'll be no vote, and without the German-American vote there'll be no election of Mr. Harrison. But we are always flattered if somebody values our good will, even if it is for the purpose of getting votes.

Mr. Harrison strives to appear pro-German and we like it. He attends German club affairs and occasionally makes a speech, and we can hardly object to that. We could say that he lacks tact, but on the other hand he shows that he wants to gain the good will of the German-Americans even if he has to resort to flattery. Of late Mr. Harrison also speaks German, and quite a lot of it. People who have often had occasion to hear him talk, professionally or otherwise, have noticed recently that for the first time in years he uses some German words now and then, which has not happened in "ages" (meaning since his 3last campaign for Mayor four years ago). We don't think that's especially creditable, but as a token of good will we'll let it pass. It is just another indication that Mr. Carter H. Harrison likes to pose as a friend of the Germans.

Up to that point we do not object to Mr. Harrison's campaign tactics and efforts to show himself off as a pro-German candidate, but if he goes so far as to put a little German flag on his coat lapel, as he did the other day, and to grant some of his friends an interview in German and then to joke about his German linguistic talents, all we can say is that he displays extremely bad taste. Nor do we think it is nice of him to assert that one of our group is not being a true German-American just because the "ch," which according to Harrison should be included, is missing from his German name. We don't have to stand for that. [Translator's note: The article does not identify the "ch"-less German-American.] Many a good German in this country has to consent to the lopping off of a "ch" from his name and other anglicising cures, whether he wants to or not.

In 1899 the writer visited Montauk Point, Long Island, where troops just returned from Cuba were camped. After he had asked permission of the officer in charge to visit the camp, he was introduced to Sergeant Bagley, who was to act as his guide, as a newspaper man from Chicago. He hadn't walked fifty steps when his guide asked him in the best authentic Swabian [German] dialect:

"Well, how are things in Chicago? Is that Swabian Picnic still as noisy and wet [beer] as it used to be?"

"What's your name, Sergeant?"

"Bagley."

"How do you spell that?"

"Well, B-a-g-1-e-y, gee, now I know what you're driving at! You see, Bachli is 5my real name. Hundreds or times I have objected to Bagley, but it didn't do me any good. On the official record the name is Bagley, and I'll have to put up with it for the rest of my life. On account of the pension, too, if for nothing else."

On account of a pension, a good old German sailor, who had served as a mate on a Federal frigate during the Civil War, was up against the same thing. The writer met him in South Evanston during the nineties. His original name was Scott, but his buddies eliminated the "ch" and a "t" and called him Scot, because that was more convenient.

The best of Germans can lose the German way of spelling his name without any fault of his own, and certainly without losing his Deutschtum [love of country, patriotism]. Or a man can be a real German-American without being capable of speaking German fluently. We old-time German-Americans know how difficult 6and often impossible it is to teach the younger [German-American] generation to speak German, but all of us have found out during these days how truly German many people are, who claim German extraction, without being able to speak the language.

German heritage and sentiments make the German-American, and where the blood is German and the right attitude is expressed by the frank declaration: "I am a German-American and want to be looked upon as such," it makes no difference whether the "ch" is missing in the name or not.