Editorial: At the end of a year and the beginning of a new year one likes to know what the nation has accomplished during the past year. Have we gone backward or forward? And what has taken place among us Swedish-Americans in this respect?

It would be interesting to know how they try to make their living now compared, lets us say, to twenty years ago.

If we believe the newspapers in Sweden in regard to the Swedes in America, and their work, there is nothing pleasant to talk about at all but, fortunately, these papers are not hostile to the Swedish-Americans, or no authority on these matters. They look at us through their prejudiced glasses, but that doesn't matter. We know that we are all right, that we have nothing to regret but much to be thankful for.

Let us go back to 1863, twenty years, since that time of hard work, sacrifice and suffering!. Every year in spite of hardships has been a year of victory. It has been a slow but steadfast walk from poverty to prosperity.

The Swedish pioneers consisted of poor people almost without any means, who settled themselves on the prairies far away from civilized places. They had to put up a hard struggle to make a living.

The Nordic strength did not fail, because it was a fight for life or death, where every nerve and muscle were strained.

If we recall how things looked among the colonists in Illinois, Iowa and Minnesoat twenty years ago, if we had the opportunity to visit them now we would be surprised, and would gladly admit that these pioneers of the West have not lived in vain. They have been faithful to the high mission of sowing the seeds of civilization in places where the Indians and the buffaloes had been

making their abode. In short, the Swedish-American settlements, which now are spread out in a dozen large states and territories, show pictures of cultivation and prosperity, bearing witness to hard honest work.

We do not say this to flatter anybody. We present it to show that the fate of the Swedes in this country doesn't call for tears or lamentations, but a glad hymn to Him who leadeth the destines of the people. The same statement can be applied to cities where the Swedes are making their living. It is true that workers, merchants, and the wage earners have to work hard and diligent to keep what they have or to get a stronger foothold,but,generally their lives are running in an undisturbed pattern.

Sweden ought therefore to be proud of these facts. When they at home are rejoicing that Sweden is growing in peace, that Providence is giving them abundance, they ought not to forget, that the New Sweden on this side of the ocean is growing just as fast in peace and that the same Providence is giving to us, also.