The true northerner. [volume] (Paw Paw, Mich.) 1855-1920, 1882-08-25

something About Their Aggregate
Numbers. Their Disti hutton, and
Their OccupatiOu.

something About Their Aggregate
Numbers. Their DistI ibutiOn, s,nd
Their Occupation.
1t will surprise good many people TO
be told that there are not more than
2oo,OOO Jews IN this country, or one to
every 20 of the population. The COM
mon error in regard to their numbers is
probably due to the fact that most Jews
are engaged in active business, in mer-
chandising or banking, and are estab-
hshed III the principal streets in our
great cities, where they are constantly
under the public eye. The recent
exodus from Russia has also con
tributed to give exaggerated notions of
their multitude. According to the cen
sus of 1880 there are % 1884 Jews in the
United State. The emigration from
Russia has added some H. 900 to the
number, SO that the Jewish population
OF the country may lie estimated as
above, at about 250,000. The Russian
Jews are strictly orthodox, close observ-
ers to the rites and ceremonies of their
ancient religion, while the great MAORI
ty OF the jews In this country have little
attachment to the religion of their an
cestors, and are Hebrews only in race.
OF the 60, 600 Jews In the city of New
York not more than 8 per cent belong
to the synagogues, SO that in the matter
of religion the Russian Jews are further
removed from their relatives who came
to this country from Germany and Aus
tria than the latter are from Christians.
OF the total number of Jews in the
United States New York has SO,51S /;
Pennsylvania, 10000; Illinois, 1865 |;
California, 1850, and Ohio, 1851
these five States containing more than
half the Jews of the entire country.
There are are 10, 1897 Jews in Maryland,
$500 in Massachusetts,, z, 53S in Louisi-
lana, 1880 in Missouri, 5,593 in New
Jersey, and the rest are scattered over
the country, busily plying trade, from
Maine to Oregon. More than two thirds
of all the Jews Of the country are con-
gregated in the principal cities. New
York contains 10000; San Francisco,
10000; Brooklyn, IA. 900; Philadelphia,
1900; Chicago, II, 900; Baltimore, TO-
600; Cincinnati. 5000; Boston, 1000;
st. Louis, $500; New Orleans, 5000 /;
Cleveland, $500; Newark, $500, and
so on down the list. The attachment of
the Jews to trade and banking, which
necessarily attracts them to large cities,
is remarkable instance of the perpetual
ton of traits when forced in certain
direction. The ancient dwellers in Pal
estine were shepherds and farmers, and
their attachment to pastoral and agri-
cultural life Is abundantly attested In
their poetry. But Christian persecu-
ton left them in Europe no pursuits but
merchandising. banking and money
lending. Until comparatively modern
times Jews were rot permitted to own
real estate in Christian countries. They
could enter neither of the learned
professions nor be apprenticed in
any of the guilds of mechanics be-
cause of the Christian prejudices against
their race. OF necessity, therefore,
their pursuits were narrowed to
me, chandising and money-lending until
they have become by the law OF evolu-
ton the bankers of the world. The
hostility to the Jews that has recently
manifested itself in Germany, to say
nothing of tho prosecutions to which
they have been subjected by the semi
barbarian Russians, is due In about equal
degree to their superior skill in business
and to the liberality of their politics.
In former times Christian Kings applied
the thumb-screw and the rack to extort
from the Jew banker revelation of the
hiding place of his treasure, and thus
obtain forced loan. But we have
changed ali that now. Nowadays the
rulers of nations go to TIE Jewish cap
italists Of London and Paris and ask
them to put loan on the market, and
wars are made and cities are bombarded
by Christian fleets to enforce payment.
1t was not surprising when it was an
nounced some time ago from London :
Little doing. on Change to-day, as it
is Jewish holiday" Christian per-
secutions have made. in long process
of time, the descendants of the shep-
herds and peasant farmers of Judea the
money lenders of the world. Nothing
else was left for them. After awhile,
under the operation of the perfect social
and political freedom of the United
States, and the constant process of as
similation, the pursuits of the Jews will
take as wide range as those Of the rest
of their OBSERVATION-DISCLOSURES
,delphid Record. 49,