With what holy seriousness, with what perseverance and activity the German Lutherans have fought against the atrocious compulsory school law, the object of which is the abolition of the German language! That mass meeting at the Second Regiment Armory, yesterday, showed that the fight for the cancellation of Edward's creation proceeds in earnest. Although the Germans had listened to this question, time and again, at the local ward clubs, had met there for weeks almost daily, yet they came more than 5,000 strong, after having heard the question thrashed over and over by speakers and local candidates. This huge participation in the movement shows the enthusiasm of the German people for this fight, which is to protect their most valued possession, the German language. Not only the huge crowd and the zeal of the leadership of that capable school leader, Heinrich Raab, but above all, the long sustained applause which greeted the speaker's words, the jubilant acclaim and exhilaration with which the multitude expressed its hurrah's for Raab, proved how the people coincide with his opinion on the German private schools. Therefore we can truly say, that the first shot has been fired to destroy the wall, which the native hypocrites and German haters have fashioned out of lies and calumny in order to entrench themselves behind it. 2The success of the meeting was far greater than its arrangers hoped for and all the malicious assertions of the English party press, that only a small, infinitesmal part of the ossified, dyed in the wool German immigrant element would appear in the fight against the compulsory school law, encountered disaster. Punctually at 8 o'clock the immense hall, festively decorated with the American flag and garlands, was crowded, even the standing room being filled in time by an enthusiastic assembly in which the younger generation was very much in evidence. The meeting opened with the national anthem, played by an orchestra located in the gallery, whereupon Mr. Diener gave a short prologue in which he declared, that the school question proved to be a greater magnet than the appearance of Tom Reed, who had spoken in the same hall recently. He introduced the first speaker of the evening, Francis A. Hoffman, Jr. His speech: "The English press accuses us of being opposed to the compulsory school law. I ask: Show me any one , in the upper strata or below, in urbane or bucolic districts, old or young, man or woman, who call themselves German, who does not favor a compulsory school law. Is there any race which has done as much for education, as we Germans? All those who are here, intending to achieve something, must go to the high schools of Germany in order to excel in medicine, juris-prudence, and the natural sciences. Abroad, in Germany, they find the basic sciences and the true ambition to acquire knowledge. 3The family I came from was poor. I know whereof I speak when I take up the school question. All the Germans in the Addison Colony were poor at that time; yet they starved in order to save enough to hire a pastor and a school teacher. The prosperous inhabitants of that district were all Americans; yet they had no school! But the poor Germans, mostly servants and servant girls, submitted to sacrifices and so obtained the necessary funds to found a small German school and church. Every man wore his coat another year, every woman economized in the household to secure a German Church, a German school and this method prevailed throughout the county and the entire nation. What are our intentions in this movement? We want our opponents to desist, to let us live in peace. We have not started this fight. The history of the past and present proclaims, that the German-Americans can assert their rights, that no enemy can subdue them when they awaken and comprehend the far flung importance of this great cause.

What crime have the German people of American committed, that they are treated with such contempt by the English press? In the statistics of the crime list, in government, state and city administration, the Germans show an almost disappearing percentage ratio. The German is a good citizen, who provides for himself honestly, lives peacefully, and works in the sweat of his brow. But if he fights, then he uses the cudgel in true German style! 4Thank God, the time has not yet come. When the German language must bow to the storm, and November 4th will show if we are the sons of Hermann, the Cheruscan!! Evidently his speech reached the heart of his listeners, since every emphatic utterance brought enthusiastic applause and at its close, a tumultuous roar from thousands.