Of the whole emigration, 21.9 per cent. are from the rural districts. The percentage, though large, can be easily accounted for. Not only the small farmers but also the agricultural day-laborers and servants, as well as agricultural artisans and mechanics, are included in these computations. Those constituting this class are the best fitted and adapted to colonize new countries, but they, more than all others, are urged by a direct wish and an implacable desire to become landowners. They compare their position in the old country to that of their own masters, and go willingly to a country that offers them a hope, through diligence, perseverance, and patient labor, to acquire a home with like comforts of those of their masters. If this be not their sole aim, the higher wages paid agricultural laborers in the United States tempts thousands to try their fortunes in America.

This class of emigrants is the most beneficial to the new countries awaiting development, and it is therefore favorable to the United States that it constitutes such a large proportion of German emigration.

Persons belonging to the scientific professions and to commercial pursuits have not the same inducements to seek homes and employment in new countries as those engaged in agricultural pursuits; the prospects for ready engagement are not so favorable to them. If in their country trade and commerce are depressed, to them there is a hope left that a change may take place and trade and prosperity may be revived. To the tillers of the soil no anticipations of a brighter future can be entertained; the lands are fully developed and occupied, and overburdened with teeming, patient laborers. The only bow of promise to them is in emigrating to more inviting fields. Here is a reason for so large annual outpouring of the German agricultural population.

The immediate causes of emigration are various as applied to the different classes, but it is universally an endeavor to better their condition in life.

The farmer emigrates with his family because he is dissatisfied; is afraid that war will break out at any moment; sees no future for himself or family but work, work, under a heavy burden of taxation, and no profit in his farm, and hears from his neighbor or neighbor’s friend (who has emigrated to the United States) what a glorious country it is; that it is not only a land of present plenty, but of future prosperity and greatness; that there is no born condition or class, but that industry and economy are the tools wherewith to carve one’s future.

The working and laboring classes emigrate because of low wages and want of work, but are principally induced to emigrate by the glowing reports of the New World that they hear, and the generosity of their relatives and friends over in the United States, who send them prepaid tickets.

The young men, both rich and poor, high-born and lowly, emigrate to escape compulsory military service, which is considered by the rich as an inconvenience and by the poor as a hardship. Another hardship is the calling in of young men (who have served) for military practice of some fifteen days or more, and then from four to six weeks each year to the fall manœuvers.

The young man who has a position as clerk or workman often loses his position or job by being called off to military practice in the midst of his work, or the young farmer is called off to the manœuvers for a period of four to six weeks just at harvest time, when he least can afford to go.

The two or three years of military service could be endured, and be, perhaps, beneficial to most of the young men, but the after interruption aforesaid bears serious consequences to their future.

Most of this class of emigrants intend to return to Germany after they have been naturalized as American citizens and can command the protection of their adopted country, for which, I regret to say, they give nothing, not even a little (adopted) patriotism, and only claim to be American citizens whenever any duty or hardship imposed by the German authorities can be evaded thereby.

There are all over Germany benevolent societies for the purpose of aiding discharged criminals or ex-convicts to lead an honest life, to obtain work, &c., but as the practical economy and foresight of the German predominate also in charitable organizations, they most fervently believe that the most potent aid is to send them to America. Some of this class are said to have turned out well, while others only leave one prison here to enter another in America.

There is no deportation of chronic paupers or insane persons from here; not only the authorities are very careful about it now, but the steamship companies are afraid to take them.

Another cause of emigration is the peculiar feeling and pride of class which is evident everywhere, and the unfortunate who is compelled by necessity, &c., to work at anything below his station in life or what he has been brought up to and accustomed to do, at once emigrates, as he would rather starve than work here at what his associates would call disgraceful labor, &c.

The general saying here is that in America nobody should be or is ashamed of any kind of honest work. Thus the carpenter, who can find no employment at his trade, emigrates to the United States, and drives a street car or chops wood if he can get no carpenter work to do; or the German army officer, having to resign his commission on account of inability to pay a gambling debt or other cause, at once emigrates to America, and can be found there on the road to prosperity (?) tending bar in New York or herding cattle in Texas, which would be considered an eternal disgrace to his whole family should he do it here where he is known.

Of the emigrants who go from here to the United States over 50 per cent. have prepaid tickets sent them by their friends or relatives, and all know exactly where they are going, what they expect, and what they are to do, besides having tickets direct to the inland point they wish to go to.

The Germans are very cautious and do not emigrate blindly.

The decrease in the emigration to the United States lately is chiefly caused by the reports of hard times, strikes, and the labor troubles there. The hard times here also affect the better class of emigrants. I know and hear of many farmers who are anxious to sell their little farms and emigrate, but they cannot do so, as there are no buyers, and they do not want to sacrifice them, so hang on for better prices.

The German Government is doing all it possibly can to stop the emigration to America, and lays every obstacle in the way. If it could it would prohibit it altogether. As it is now[,] the emigrant has to run a gauntlet before getting out to sea.

When a German wishes to emigrate he has to go through a lot of red tape before he is allowed to leave his village. He must first get a statement from the tax collector that he is not in arrears for taxes; then a statement from the military commander in regard to his military standing, whether he has yet to serve or not; then, with these papers, he goes before the Landrath (district judge), and petitions for a pass, which, after much delay, is granted to him if everything satisfactory.

At the railroad station here every emigrant must show his pass or give a satisfactory account of himself; if not he is held back.

Then, again, as the emigrants board the steamer four Government special agents stand at the gang-plank and examine each emigrant. As many as ten or twelve young men a week are caught trying to escape from future military service, and held back. Therefore most of these young men go via Antwerp or Rotterdam.

No newspapers receive or accept advertisements of a nature to induce or encourage emigration, and no posters or circulars of any kind whatsoever in relation to emigration are permitted by the authorities in public places, &c. Even the sending of such through the mails is to be suppressed.

Under the German penal code illicit emigration of persons of an age liable to military service shall be cognizable by a fine of from 150 to 3,000 marks, and by confiscation of their property for the payment of such fine, especially in cases where the highest amount of fine has been imposed.

Bavaria, an almost entirely agricultural state, shows less emigration than any other state, which is quite certainly due to the fact that the condition of the small farmers is more favorable and their prosperity more pleasing in Bavaria than elsewhere in Germany.

The lands in Bavaria are parceled out in small properties to freeholders; large entails do not exist, and the consequence is that the farmers are content, and unfavorable to leaving their native land with all its endearments.

The largest portion of the emigration from this consulate [for Bavaria] is composed of people from the country districts. They are rarely persons possessed of any estate, but may be classed as a rule under the head of farm laborers; some, however, have been the owners of small tillages, but having become financially involved disposed of their holdings, and with what remained emigrated to the New World, where to their minds the power of recuperation is much more within the range of possibility, for here the land is poor and unproductive, and even those in the best circumstances eke out but a poor living.

Merchants from the cities often emigrate for the purpose of advancing their business interests on the other side, prompted no doubt by the fact that personal supervision is better than an agency, and at the same time with an eye to no division, but a full realization of the profits. I think it will be found that in most cases this class of emigrants anticipate but a temporary residence in our country, and when they have accumulated sufficient money to give them a comfortable living at home they are not long in again establishing themselves in their fatherland.

Some clerks also seek to better their position in the larger field presented to them in America, for that branch of industry is largely overcrowded here, and artisans for the same reason are often found turning their face in the same direction. There can be, I think, no question that the compulsory military service causes a number of young men to emigrate, who appear to prefer a separation from friends and old associations, rather than undergo the discipline it engenders for three years; and, finally, there are those who are taken over by their more fortunate relatives in the United States in order to reunite a long divided family.

The Government does not appear to be favorable to this emigration, and obstacles are thrown in the way; as, for instance, passports are withheld where taxes are in arrears, military duty is unfulfilled, or some police action may be pending against them, and without permission the agents of steamship companies are strongly admonished not to sell tickets. The result is that many leave here unpossessed of this permission, as the inclosed statistics will show, and obtain their tickets on the seaboard outside the jurisdiction of the Bavarian Government.