The Indiana State sentinel. [volume] (Indianapolis) 1868-1895, 1878-12-25

the Jewish question, especially in this coun.
try. and that now the Jews themselves do
not hesitate TO point out in what regards
they are chsrgeable With practices calculated
TO perpetuate preiudices which are repug-
nant to common seCse and in conflict with
tina. catholic spirit which should characterize
the American mind. The Jewish Times
handles the subject with boldness well Cal
cula ed 10 attract attention and bring about
a rational reform, In recent editorial
upon the subject, "Who is ashamed to be a
'Jew?" the Times awakened a spirit of in
quiry, aud one lady writes that sit is all
very we'll for men to deny the existence Of
AN anti-Je wish prejudice; they may not feel
1T, but we ladies fnd 1t at the watering
place hotels and in the society we meet. A
'Jewess is rarely treated by Christian like
a Christian is" The Times admits that
Jewesses may be treated somewhat differ
emily from Christians in Christian society,
but dlssents from the idea that it is due to
ant,-JewIsh prejudice, and adds:
The time has come for enlightened Israelites
TO decide for themselves, once for ali, II they
will form part If modern society, or II they
Will continue TO be socially, as wei, as rellg
iously, peculiar people. IheIe can Pe no
sition on the p art of some Jewesses TO tolerate
the society of Christian ladies and gentlemen
whom they meet at summer resorts, as long as
they are there, and TO drop them, as the phrase
goes, when they return 10 Town CnrlSliah
men ana women are good enough Tor them In
or will not, invite them 10 their houses ana
because self resp ctIng Christians resent thls
apparent assumption OF social eNcluslNehesS,
they a'e accused of being prejudlced against
the Jews forsOoth.
Etther Jews must form part OF general socie-
| ty or they must avoid IL altogether lhey eau
not play fast and loose witt Christian ac-
| quainta They can not be intimate with
| Christian women and refuse 10 invite thelr
male rel tives TO their homes. This has been
| tried and has tailed. Our readers we'll snow
that we are in favor of the most UNRESTRICTED
social intercourse between Jews and Gentl-
Both would be gamers by tt. Bot such unre-
stricted Intercourse can only exist when per-
feet confidence has been established.
The fact appears from what the Times says
| upon the subject, that in New York society
the Jews are responsible for much OF the
prejudice that exists, and have 1t in their
! power to bring about a wholesome change.
While the Times admits that there may be
''among some people feeling against the
Jews, just as there exists among others a
feeling against Catholics" it asserts that
'all the weight of evidence Is against any
any deep rooted, general anti-Jewish preju-
| dice on the part of the American people.
| For the most part the difficulties in the
way of the complete social emancipation OF
the Jews are the results of the course that
the Jews themselves have pursued. Either
from fear of intermarrisges with Chris
'tlans, or from feeling of timidIty begotten
| of European prosecutions, or from fear
of the effect of Christian ssso-
Citations upon the religion of their
| children, the American Jews cer-
'tainly have, by their own acts, reared artlfi
'oial barriers between themselves and Chris
'tian society, and replaced the enforced So
'cial exile that their fathers complained of
| by system of social self-ostracism, which
lis none the less burdensome because 1t is
'self-imposed."
This is an outspoken view of the situation,
and we conclude places the responsibility
where it belongs, and it Is quite likely,
should New York Jews set the liberal ex-
ample which the Times suggests, that new
| era in Jew and Gentle intercourse would
at once dawn upon the country. AT least
for 1T closes it's article upon the subject by
saying that las soon as Jewish houses sre
| opened to Christians, Christian houses Will
BE open to Jews, and indeed they are al
ready. II there exists in New York society
any prejudice against the best class of Jews,
| 1T would take the Ian ems of ten Diogeneses
| TO discover Ii. Our brethren must not see
to excuse their own cowardIce by preferring
false accusations against Christian society.
| 1T Is as much cowardcs as anything else
that makes the Jew continue his selfos
'cism and the social exile of his children.
AS we have repeatedly said, 1t is only nec-
'sssary to acquaint the GENTLE world with
| the real character OF the Jew to remove
from intelligent minds the last vestige OF
| prejudice that exists. When Jews and
Christians cease to be strangers, we shall
have no more of anti-Jewish preiudices.
CLIPPiN6S.