From: Krasna, Bessarabia
26 January 1914

Dear Editor!

If one gets tangled in something, then it is difficult to get out of it, or one never gets out. When I first wrote an article to the Staats-Anzeiger, I had the intention to empty my heart only once. But, as I see it, the Staats-Anzeiger is like a large ocean – when you wade into it a little then the water begins to pull you in farther. If you do not want to drown, then you have to learn how to swim. Once you know how to swim, you become enthused in the nice big water, and you swim farther and farther until you act like waterfowl. This is how it occurs to me with the Staats-Anzeiger. When you get this paper in front of your eyes and read the articles from so many friends and acquaintances, then you cannot hold back and you have to write again and again. I was already thinking that with my scribbling I would only block space in the paper. But I have found out from letters that have been sent here that my fellow countrymen there in the New World like to read my articles. When they receive the latest edition, then before anything else, they look to see if there is an article from me. Therefore I will always write news items from here for my countrymen as long as there is space available in the paper for my article.

In Edition #24, Mr. L. Löb requests that when I write the next correspondence I should mention the names of the boys who were shot. I did not write about the boys who were shot. The “Also A Farmer” wrote that article. I think that you have already read in the paper that the “Also A Farmer” cannot write in High German, or in the Krasna dialect.

The “Also A Farmer” recently sneaked into the paper like a stray horse and perused my articles like they were something to eat. But I think that I lead the “Also A Farmer” around my items like around a pile of dung, and then he still doesn’t know what it is. If you were only allowed to write the truth openly here like you do in America, then I would have the knack to write the truth like Mr. Peter Vetsch from Brazil, N. D. wrote about the injustice in North Dakota. But here, if you come too close to the truth and if it pertains to someone in office, then they will have you in jail in no time.

You seem to think that among us here they are not as stupid as they are over where you are when it comes to the elections of officials. Here among us one is just as careless during the elections as they are over there. When the time has come for them to look for a bee that could bring them honey, they will find themselves a wasp, which will sting them in the neck every day, so that they will almost go crazy. The “Also A Farmer” among us belongs to those wasps. When an election of officials comes about, then the voters are so stupid that it is a pity. Then there is no effort made to search for and make a selection that would benefit the poor man. They will search for what is useful to someone other than themselves; they, the ones who alone need it the most. The saying here is also, “Whoever stuffs himself into a bag, doesn’t have to be stuffed into it by someone else. He is in it already and cannot blame the one who beats on him while he is in the bag.” Open your eyes, however, when you are in need and looking for the type of people who would help you, and not for such that would beat you while you are in the bag. During an election give your vote to a man who will look into your problem and not over it. Then you will have chosen a man as an official who is eager to help pull you out of poverty and not step over it like a blind horse.

But when you are at an election and listen to how the voting is to proceed, then you have to hold your ears. Then you will not hear that a man should be elected who will care for the poor, or at least one who will treat the poor person equally to a rich one. Then a rich one has to be elected. Even then it would be all right if it were a man who with his riches is not proud and has compassion for the poor. But these are rare and hard to find. Therefore someone usually is elected who will twist the neck of the poor in such a way that it will take several years to recover from it. Yes, dear reader, are you being beaten in the bag by such individuals? Then take note that you have to keep your eyes open and not fall for those wearing nice trousers and jackets. You have to find out about what is under their hat and under their vest as to what suits you. Then you have hit the nail on the head. If everyone does this, then you don’t have to be afraid of getting beaten inside the bag.

It is all right, that these dogs elected the “Hänsel Seppel” first, as I reported in my previous article. If this had not happened, then he surely would not have known how to hold his head, and given many a poor man a punch in the ribs. You must know that the officials, who look very high up in to the air and scream a lot, do not have much under the hat or anything good under the vest. In families where there is a lot of screaming, you will find very little virtue and good. I have been with officials when I was thinking as I was entering their office, ‘what is he going to do with me’ or, ‘will he start screaming at me?’ Our lower ranking officials will scream at someone in front of them, that you would think that they are about to bust open their belly. How is this one going to scream at me now? But I was wrong. The gentleman was not as I had thought he would be. Instead of screaming, he asked me to sit down. He calmly asked me about what I wanted, and politely gave me information on everything. When I told him that we were not allowed to talk to our officials about things like that, and if we wanted to speak to one of them, then they would scream at us that we would almost become paralyzed. He laughed and said; “You should not fear the screaming, and should know that the cows that make a lot of noise give very little milk.” From then on I came to the conclusion that a calm official carries a great value under his hat and his vest. This I have verified with our village officials later on.

Now we have already 15 readers of the Staats-Anzeiger. Should they read it for one more year, then many of them will have a little more under their hats. By then the Americans will also have a little more under their hats, should they eagerly subscribe to the Staats-Anzeiger and thoroughly read the same. Then, after a year, it could have a different ring with their Senators, and also with their laws. Take note, you Americans, whoever does not listen, will have to carry the consequences. It could easily happen like this if you do not take to heart the warning in the Staats-Anzeiger. Then around this time in a year, instead of having a paper rose in your mouth, you will have a little pipe in it and a milk bucket in hand, and off you’ll go to the stable under the cows. The wife will stand around with two or three other wives and debate as to what to do with the men. Especially you, dear fellow countrymen from Krasna, be on the lookout and listen to what the Staats-Anzeiger tells you.

More people from Krasna would have gone to America, but now that the women are supposed to get their rights, they are scared and want to wait till fall and see what this women business will look like then.

An individual from Emmental was recently in Krasna and obtained a passport, and intends to move to Canada by March. He said that many would go by autumn if they earn a little something from the harvest.

Now I send a nice hello to my comrade Niklos (Nikolaus) Kahl and his Aurora. Please write in the Staats-Anzeiger who among you there in Morton County reads the Staats-Anzeiger, and who from Krasna lives there. I think that if things do not change, then I also will be over there with you by fall. I would have come this year already, but I did not have enough money for train and ship tickets because I have a horde of children. My wife said that we should not go this fall, but wait till the following autumn. Then we should also know how things are with the women over there.

With a greeting to the editorship.

A Farmer