The Hickman courier. [volume] (Hickman, Ky.) 1859-current, 1878-08-16
inc Jews in Agricnlture.

At the recent convention of the Amer
lean Hebrew union held in Milwaukee
two projects wefe considered for the for
nation OF agricultural colonies. One
contemplates the purchase of lands and
the settlement on them of the children
brought ND IL Jewish orphan asylums
At present their children ordinarily ass
into stores or become peddlers of goods
In the great majority of cases they re-
main in cities and during the earlier
years of their li-es, ii least, they are
dependent on others for employment.
The proposal to give these orphan chill
dren start in agriculture, by means Of
which they will have an Independent
and honorable occupation, is an excel
lent one. All the Jewish charitable in
situations are admirably conducted, and
the plan of providing for orphans after
they are of an age TO support themselves
is worthy OF commeDdation. By
placing them on contiguous farms they
can receive instruction in agriculture,
stock raising, and fruit raising at q com
paratively small cost.
There was also q proposition before
| the convention to purchase in the western
/ and southwestern states large bodies
| of cheap lands with a view of offering q
/ place of refuge and means of procuring
/ a living tothe oppressed Jews in Euro
/ pean countri :. 1t is well known that
/ the Jews iniPoland. land in R1umania
and other principalities along the Danube
/ suffer the same prosecutions inflicted on
/ the race in the wester ncOuntries of Europe
centuries ago. In ROumania they are
not allowed to own 2 foot OF land. while
! they are excluded from many honorable
occupations. The social position of the
Jews in Poland is hardly above
that occupied by the Russian
serfs before they were emanci~
pated. There Is little prospect OF
/ any abatement of intolerance toward the
Jews where Russian influence prevails
/ Their condition in western Europe Is
better but even thereit u difficult for
/ them to obtain land. Few more worthy
charities were ever proposed than that
of providing them the means OF securing
land in country which has an abun
dance.
The Jews in theit native country were
an agricultural and pastoral people.
They carried their taste for agricultural
pursuits to Europe, and became the
most skilled farmers, stock breeders, and
/ fruit-growers in southern Europe. In
Spain and Portugal, especially,
| they were remarkably successful
il tilling the soil and raising
stock. They were virtually driven from
these pursuits by actsof the government.
They were compelled to observe npt only
the Christian Sabbath but all the day.
held sacred by the Catholic church. Tt
keep all the davs held sacred to the
dominant church a. well is their own
was in effect to abandon their fields
orchards, and vineyards altogether
The same causes prevented them from
engaging in manufactures or local trade
They had but one way of proiitab.y
investing their capital and that wss Il
let it out at usury. The Jew became :
money-loaner, not from choice, but by
force of circumstances. Money would
increase during church days as well a
other days, but capital was HnproductivJ
a larse portion of the time if invested il
land, goods or machinery.