SLAVS
SLAVS
deficient in patriotism. '1 he most advanced political
view was that a compromise with the Slovaks was
impossible; that there was but one expedient, to wipe
them out as far as possible by assuiiilation with the
Magyars. Slovak schools and institutions were
ordered to be closed, the charter of the "Matica"
Wiis annulled, and its library and rich historical and
artistic collections, as well as its funds, were confis-
cated. Inequalities of every kind before the law
were devised for the undoing of the Slovaks and turn-
ing them into Hungarians; .so much so that one of
their authors likened them to the Irish in their
troubles. The Hungarian authorities in their en-
deavour to sujijiress the Slo^■ak nationality went
even to the extent of taking away Slovak children
to be brought up as Magyars, and forbade them to
use their language in school and church. The
2,0(K),000 Catholic Slovaks clung to their language
and Slavic customs, but the clergy were educated
in their seminaries through the medium of the Magyar
tongue and required in ihcir parishes to conform to
the state idea. Among the T.'iO.OOO Protestant Slovaks
the Government went even further by taking control
of their synods and bishops. Even Slovak family
names were changed to Hungarian ones, and prefer-
ment was only through Hungarian channels. Natu-
rally, religion decayed under the stress and strain of
repressed nationality. Slovak priests did not per-
form their duties with ardour or diligence, but con-
fined them.selves to the mere routine of canonical
obligation. There are no monks or religious orders
among the Slovaks and no provision is made for any
kind of community life. Catechetical instruction
is at a minimum and is required to be given whenever
possible through the medium of the Hungarian lan-
guage. There is no lack of priests in the Slovak
country, yet the practice of solemnizing the reception
of the first communion by the children is unknown
and manj' other forms of Cathohc devotion are
omitted. Even the Holy Rosary Society was
dissolved, because its devotions and proceedings were
conducted in Slovak. The result of governmental
restriction of any national expression has been a
complete lack of initiative on the part of the Slovak
priesthood, and it is needless to speak of the result
upon their flocks. In the eastern part of the Slovak
territory where there were Slo^■ak-speaking Greek
Catholics, they fared slightly better in regard to
the attempts to make them Hungarians. There the
liturgj' was Slavonic anil the clergy who used the
Magyar tongue still were in close touch with their
people through the offices of the Church. All this
pre,s.sure on the part of the authorities tended to
produce an active Slovak emigration to America,
while bad harvests and taxation also contributed.
A few immigrants came to America in 1864 and their success brought others. In the late seventies the Slovak exodus w;is well marked, and by 1882 it was sufficientlj' important to be investigated by the Hungarian Minister of the Interior and directions given to repress it. The American immigration figures indicate the first important Slovak influx in 1873 when 1300 immigrants came from Hungary, which ro.se to 4000 in 1S.S0 and to nearly 1.5,000 in 1884, most of them settling in the mining and indus- trial regions of Pennsylvania. .\t first they came from the Counties of Zemplin, Saros, Szepes, and Ung, where there were also many Ruthenians. They were called "Huns" or "Ilunkies", and were used at first to fill the places left vacant by strikers. They were very poor and willing to work for little when they arrived, and were accordingly hated by the members of the various unions. The Slovak girls, like the Irish, mostly went into service, and because they had almost no expense for living managed to earn more than the men. To-day the Slovaks of America are beginning to possess a national culture
and organization, which presents a striking contrast
to the cramped development of their kinsmen in
Hungary. Their imiiiignitinn of late vears has ranged
annually from 52,3tiS in VM'i to 33,416 in 1910.
Altogether it is estimate<l that there are now some
560,000 Slovaks in the United States, including the
native born. They are spread throughout the coun-
try, chieflv in the following states: Pennsylvania, 270,-
000; Ohio", 75,000; Illinois, 50,000; New Jersey, 50,000;
New York, 35,000; Connecticut, 20,000; Indiana,
15,000; Mispimri, 10,000; whilst they range from 5000
to afcwhiiiMliv.l- 111 ilic other sillies. About 4.50,000
of thrill aiv 111. 111:111 Catholics, 10,000 Greek Catholics
and !I5,00() I'ruU-.slanls.
The first Slovak Catholic church in the United States was founded by Rev. Joseph Kossalko at Strealor, Illinois, and was dedicated S Dec, 1883. Following this he also built St. Josejili's Church at H.azleton, Pennsylvania, in 1884. In 1889 Rev. Stephen Furdek founded the Church of St. Ladislas at Cleveland, Ohio, together with a fine parochial school, both of which were dedicated by Bi.shop Gil- mour. The American bishops were anxious to get Slovak priests for the increasing immigration, and Bishop Gilmour sent Father Furdek to Hungary for that purpose. The Hungarian bi.shops were unwilling to send Slovak priests at first, but as immigration increased they acceded to the request. At present (1911) the Catholic Slovaks have a clergy consisting of one bishop (Rt. Rev. J. M. Koudelk'a) and 104 priests, and have 134 church<'s situated as follows: in Pennsylvania, 81 (Dioceses of Aitoona, 10; Erie, 4; Harri.sburg, 3; Philadelphia, 15; Pittsburg, 35; and Scranton, 14) ; in Ohio, 14 (in the Diocese of Cleveland, 12, and Columbus, 2); in Illinois, 10 (in the Arch- diocese of Chicago, 7; and Peoria, 3); in New Jersey, 11 (in the Diocese of Newark, 7; and Trenton, 4); in New York, 6; and in the States of Connecticut, 3; Indiana, 2; Wisconsin, 2; and Minnesota, Michigan, Missouri, Alabama, and West Virginia, one each. Some of the Slovak church buildings are very fine specimens of church architecture. There are also 36 Slovak parochial schools, that of Our Lady Mary in Cleveland having 750 pupils. They have also introduced an American order of Slovak nuns, the Sisters of Saints Cyril and Methodius, who are established under the direction of Bishop Hoban in the Diocese of Scranton, where thi v have four schools.
The Protestant Slovaks followed the example of the Catholics and established their first church at Streator, Illinois, in 1885, and later founded a church at Minneapolis in 1888, and from 1890 to 1894 three churches in Pennsylvania. They now have in the United States 60 Slovak churches and congregations (of which 28 are in Pennsylvania), with 34 ministers (not including some 5 Presbyterian clergymen), who are organized under the name of "The Slovak Evan- gelical Lutheran Synod of America". The Slovaks have a large number of organizations. The principal Catholic ones are: Pr\-a Katolieka Slovenskd Jednota (First Slovak Catholic Union), for men, 33,000 members; Pennsjdvdnska Slovenskd Rimsko a Gr(;cko Katolieka Jednota (Penn.sylvania Slovak Roman and Greek Catholic Union), 7.')00 members; Pr^'a Katolieka SlovenskA Zenskd Jednota (First Catholic Slovak Women's Union), 12,000 members; Penn.sylvanska Slovenskd Zenskd Jednota (Pennsyl- vania Slovak Women's Union), 3.500 members; Zivena (Women's League), 6000 members. There are also: Ndrodn^ SlovenskiJ- Spolok (National Slovak Society), which takes in all Slovaks except Jews, 28,000 "members; Evanjelicka Slovenskd Jed- nota (Evangelical Lutheran Slovak Union), 8000 members: Kalvinsk.-i Slovenska Jednota (Presby- terian Slovak T'nion), 1(X)0 members; Neodyisl^ NYirodny Slovensk<' Spolok (Independent National Slovak "Society), 2000 members. They also have a
