The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1878-12-05
JEWISH ExcLusIyENEss.
A seIt.imposc cd Ostracism which should
be Removed.


We are in receipt OF several communion
tons on the subject Of our recent edito-
rial entitled, "Who is ashamed to be q
Jew% One lady writes to us, tits oil
very well for men TO deny the existence OF
an anti-Jewish prejudice-they may not
feel it, but we ladies' find II at the water
ing-place hotels and in the society We
meet. A Jewess is rarely treated bya
Christian like Christian is. Our fair
correspondent is not entirely wrong. No
doubt Jewesses are treated somewhat diff.
ferently from Christians in Christian So
ciety. But whose fault is this; is it due TO
an anti-Jewish prejudice? We belive not.
The time has come for enlightened Is
raelites to decide for themselves, once for
all, il they will form part OF modern Socie-
ty or if they will continue to be socially,
as we'll Us rcligiously, a peculiar people.
There can be no halting half way. There
is, we know, disposition on the part OF
some Jewesses to tolerate the society OF
Christian ladies and gentlemen whom
they meet Mt summer resorts, as long as
they are there, aud drop them, as the
phrase goes, when they return to town.
Christian men and women are good
enough for them in the country, tdhe de
mieLr, but they cannot or will not invite
them to their houses. And because self
respecting Christians resent this apparent
ASSUMPTION OF social exclusiveness, they
are accused OF being prejudiced against
the Jews iorsooth, :,
Either Jews must form part OF general
society or they must avoid u altogether.
They cannot play last and loose with
Christian acquaintance. They cannot be
intimate with Christian women and refuse
to invite their male relatives to their
homes. This has been tried and has fail
ed. Our readers well know that We are in
favor ofthe most unrestricted social inter
course between Jews and Gentiles. Both
would be gamers by It. But such unre-
stricted intercourse can only exist when
perfect confidence has been established.
There NAV be amongsome people feel
ing against the Jews, Just as there exists
among others q feeling against Catholics,
and among mAay prejudice against the
Irish. But all the weight OF evidence Is
against any deep.rooted, general anti
Jewish periudice on the part OF the
American people. For the most part, the
difficulties In tile way OF the complete social
emancipation otthe Jews are the result OF
Inc course that the Jews themselves have
pursued. Either from fear OF inter-mar-
riaces with Christians, or from feeling OF
timiditS begotten OF European persecu-
lions. or from fear Of the effect OF Christian
associations upon the religion OF their
children, the American Jews certainly
have, By their own acts, reared artificial
barriers between themselves and Christian
society and replaced the enforced social
exile thatit their fathers complained OF by o
system OF social self.ostracism, which Is
none the less burdensome because itisselt-
imposed.
Jewish young women sometimes nave
Christian acquaintance, unknown 10 their
parents, because they know their parents
object to entertaining Christian men at
their houses. This Is seltevidenuy wrong;
no girl should have any male acquaint.
ance without the knowledge and approval
Of her family. Then, again, Christian
young m6n, finding themselves excluded
from Jewish houses, hlack-ball Jews in
their clubs, and sometimes mistake the
lowest type OF Jews for type OF the best
class, simply because they know no better,
and because the Jews themselves prevent
them from learning better.
Allthis should stop. Assoon as Jewish
houses are open 10 Christians, Christian
houses will be open to Jews,-and indeed
t,sy ere already. II there exists in New
YORK society any prejudice against the
hest classes OF Jews, It would take the Ian
terms Of ten Diogeneses TO discovorit; Our
l.hrethren must not seek TO excuse their
own eowaflice BY preierring false acCusa-
t;ons AGAINST Christian society. It Is as
much cowardice as anything else that
makes the Jew continue his s0lt-ostracism
and The social exile Of his children. As we
have repeatedly said, i is only necessary
10 acausIut the Gentle world with. the
real character Of the jeS 70 remove from
Intelligent minds the last yestige Of preIu-
dice that ea!sts, When Jews and, Chris
tians cease to be strangeFG, We shall have
no more OF anti;Jewish prejudlees.