Sacramento daily record-union. [volume] (Sacramento [Calif.]) 1875-1891, 1881-10-21
rag jews IN RUSSIA AND aEEmAsY.

themselves very obnoxious to the peas
antry. whose little property they had OBJ
tanned possession Of through their lean
system, and VINO had fallen into very
embarrassed state. It is equally true that
in Germany the Jews had committed the
objectionable offenae of being successful in
business. and that they had acquired an
influence in literature, journalism and poll
ties which showed that they possessed ex-
ceptional ability But there was moth
ing in their relations TO the people of
either country to explain the sud-
den burst of hatred and illwill
which appeared not long since, nor
is it credible that popular senti-
ment could have caused these out
breaks to coincide SO nearly in point of
time. In fact the more closely the facts
are scrutinized, the stronger must be the
impression that the anti-Jewish crusade
was instigated from above, and not from
below, and that to speak plainly it was set
on foot deliberately by the Russian and
German Governments. The completely of
the former in the persecution of the Jews
rests upon evidence which cannot be in
validated. The fact that though troops
were stationed at many Of the places
where the Jews were attacked, yet they
We're never called upon to protect the
victims, may be said to convict the
Russian Government. Nor is it to be
believed that the Russian peasants
would have dared TO make these at
tacks in the presence of the troops if
they had not been acting under positive in.
structions, or if they had not received
assurances that they would not be inter-
fered with.
In point of fact the Government has
done nothing to check the prosecutions.
It has shown itself in this more brutal and
barbarous than the Turks whom it so inso-
lently affects to look down upon. It al
lowed the rufian populace to burn, murder,
ravish, steal, and do whatever it chose with
the wretched Jews, who had been previ-
ously disarmed so as to make them com.
pletely helpless. The inherent savagery
of Russia was never more conclusively H.
Illustrated than on this occasion, nor was her
claim to rank among the civilized powers
ever more strikingly impeached In Ger
many the modu5 operaadi was different
There the crusade appeared to be insti-
gated by the educated classes, and it sell
dom went beyond denunciation, though in
the more remote districts of the empire
there was some violence too. Here, how
ever, it was the intelligent people who fig
ured among the fercest enemies of the Jews,
and though they were unable to justify
their course by argument, they at least
succeeded in keeping up din of words.
The German Government never evinced
any strong disapproval of the persecution,
moreover. 1t is true that the old Emperor
was opposed to it, and this fact compelled
Bismarck, who had at first been disposed
to support it openly, to conceal his pur-
pose. The Chancellor, however, continued
to give covert backing to the anti.Semitic
party at every opportunity.
The explanation of this governmental
support of an outrageous race persecution
is no doubt the same for both countries
In Russia the Government thought to dis.
tract popular attention from Nihilism by
bounding the Jews. It was hoped that
the bitterness of the people would be
worked off in this way without hurting
the Government, and probably it was also
considered that the masses would be CRATE
full for the permission to avenge themselves
on the race which had bled them so sue
cessfully. In other words, the anti-Sem-
tito crusade'was looked upon as safety
valve, and though Germany has far less
powerful reasons for wishing TO distract
popular attention, she also had her So.
cialists, whom it was hoped would be
thrust aside in the fascination of the new
amusement. There is no other possible
explanation than this, and we believe it to
be the true one. It indicates the adoption
of narrow policy, and in the end a falla-
cious policy; but drowning men catch at
straws, and desperate politicians are never
particular about the morality of the means
they employ. In both countries the anti
Semitic crusade has familiarizsd the people
with the excuses of faetional warfare, and
has taught them that governments viii
sometimes not only wink at, but approve,
wholesale outrage and lawlessnsss, for the
sake of the effect. And these are very
dangerous lessons to teach nations that
have never known what freedom is.
The Russian and German Governments
have not helped themselves by their cru
city and cowardice. They have driven
from their territory thousands of useful
and capable citizens. They have incurred
the odium of defenders of outrage, and
prosecutors Of the helpless. But they
have not got rid of Nihilism and Socialism
In Russia the mob has tasted blood, and
henceforth it will be more fierce and less
tractable. In Germany the respect for
law and order has been weakened also, and
we may be sure that when the time comes
the lessons given by the two Govern
ments viii bear ugly fruit. Russia has
shown her population how to rob and
burn and kill In so doing she has en-
bruted her people more than ever, and at
the same time taught them a dangerous
doctrine. The persecution of the Jews
was blunder of the criminal kind, and it
viii react disastrously upon the statesmen
who thought to strengthen themselves by
having recourse to it. The Jews of Rus
STA will be avenged FIRST, but no student of
history can doubt that the wrongs in
flicted upon their race in both these perse-
cuted countries will cost the prosecutors
dear before the account is closed.
TIE HAWAIIAN SLAVERY QUESTION.
The question whether there is or is not a
| system of labor nraesieallv enuiyaient to