The Jewish advance. (Chicago, Ill.) 1878-1881, 1881-01-21

about the dispute, and general spirit
Of toleration. Both reports were laid
over temporarily.
The resolution Of Henry Greenebaum,
introduced at former meeting, provid-
ing for the issuing of charter for the
lodge referred to, on the petition Of
Charles Kozminski and others, of this
city, was then taken up as a special or
dor and discussed at some length The
issuing of the charter had been refused
by the General Committee on grounds
which have already been set forth in an
address to the lodges.
Mr.. Solomon led in the debate. speak
ing in German. He was opposed to this
resolution, because he thought that an
increase of the number Of lodges would
be detrimental to the Order He showed
from statistics that New York, with a
Jewish population of 10000, had Al
lodges Philadelphia, with $4,000, II
lodges Baltimore, with 10000, 7 lodges;
Cincinnati, with 5000, lodges; and
Chicago, with 5000, had 10 lodges; from
which he argued that where there where
the fewest lodges the lodges were the
healthiest.
G.. Engel, Of Milwaukee, was opposed
to the resolution, taking the position
that there were sufficient lodges already,
and that if the petitioners for charter
were worthy or membership in the Or
der, they could Join any of the existing
lodges in the city. He did not believe
that the objection to the petitioners was
that they were Russian Jews, solely.
For one, he did not know who they were,
but from what he had heard they were
not suitable persons to be intrusted with
a charter.
Mr. Mitchell spoke in the interest of
granting the request of the petitioners,
and was in favor of the adoption of the
resolution. To distribute the petitioners
among the lodges existing was an absurd
ity on it's face, for it was well known
that they would not join them, ard,
| furthermore, it wassextremely doubtful
whether they couldIeven if they would
A. Kraus was opposed to the resolu-
tion. 1t was education that the petition
ers wanted, and hekid not believe Nat
the charter asked %ould .aprove pam
acea for the evils now surrounding the
Russian Jews of the city.
George Braham was in favor Of the
resolution, and said that the petitioners
had everything except the endowment
benefit. which they were now seeking
through a charter. The opposition to
them came from their own countrymen,
he was sorry to say, which made it the
more shameful. They were poor, un-
educated, and the lower order of the
race, of course, but he wanted a charter
given them, and for one would take
ri n
them.
A. W. Rich, of Milwaukee, said he
felt very much like voting on both sides
of the question. He was in favor, how
ever, of lifting up the petitioners, and
the way they were doing it in his city
was by establishing nightschools. He
did not believe in lodges as the best
means Of educating the down trodden,
or elevating the loWly, and was in favor
of preparing the petitioners for receiv-
ing a charter before one was granted
them.
Charles kozminski said he would not
have had word to say on the subject
but for the fact that his name had oc-
cured in the resolution. He had orig
inally discouraged the petitioners in
their application for charter and had
tried to persuade them to join existing
lodges, but in vain. Since they proved
so persistent, however he had presented
their petition, and WAS now heartily in
favor Of the granting of the charter.
The General Commi tee had, much to
his surprise, not only refused the char
ter, but apologized subsequently, for the
wrong they had done, and he earnestly
hoped that the question would be dis
posed Of once and forever He was not
of those who attributed the action of
the Committee to prejudice, though
prejudice, no doubt, had much to do in
solidifying the opposition to the petit
tioners in the district.
Mr.. Rubovitz was opposed to the re-
solution and thought the best way to
educate the petitioneEs was to distrib
ute them among the present lodges,
Dr. Felsenthal was il favor OF grant
ing the charter asked, tand of doing any
and everything possible to elevate the
petitioners 1t would ibe next to i'm
possible to distribute them as had been
roposed; and he was ID favor of taking
hold of the unfOrtunatts and educating
them in their own jatgon, if nothing
better could be done. They could at
least be elevated by cpntact with the
better classes Of lsraelites, and he was in
favor Of it.