Sacramento daily record-union. [volume] (Sacramento [Calif.]) 1875-1891, 1884-06-24
THE ANTI-JEWIsH RIOTS.

In this country of religious tolerance and
civil liberty it is difficult to conceive of the
rage, prejudice and hatred that inspires a
portion Of the people of Russia in their
prosecutions of the Jews The assaults
against the Hebrews have been renewed at
Adzess SimpheIpool and Mini NoYgorod
They have driven them from their
houses destroyed their household goods.
abused their women, beaten the despised
ones with sticks and stones until nearly
dead, and hanged a number in the open
streets. The military and police authori-
ties seem to have been powerlcss to check
the mobs, and indeed it is believed did not
manifest a strong disposition to dose. The
people are still greatly excited, and further
outrages will probably be reported. a very
slight charge against Jew in some parts
of Russia and in Austria and Hungary is
sufhci lent to turn the populacc against all
of his race and arouse dcep-seatcd prcju-
dices Usury appears to have been the
burden of complaint in the recent outrages
but an intense hatred of the Jew as such
lies below all stated causes for these
intolerant demonstrations. They appear
to have periodicity Of recurrence
that is not reasonably to be accounted for,
except we take up with the theory that the
Jew-b aiters are seized with frenzy once a
year ofwhich the Jews, the minority of the
communities, become the victims and that
hot ar tb.ro ranea NOR tb.S, -
Jewish prosecutions will annually occur
until a more enlightened state prevails
among the people. The Russian Jewish
riots OF 1882 were in the early summer, and
those of last year in May and July. Per
haps no more striking instance of the in
tensity of the hatred for the Jew, in parts
the Old World, has been recorded, than
that of the prosecution last year of band
of Hebrews on the charge of sacrificing a
Christian child upon Jewish altar. in Il
Hungarian village. In that case there was
a GOODNESS and dcvilish dcliberation about
the scheme of comprising the death of the
unfortunate Jews in Hungary, of which
history presents but few parallels. Reli-
gious luminosity foStered the persecution,
and bribery secured periured witnesses to
swear away the lives of the defendants, the
chief witness being himself the son of one
of the most prominent prisoners, and the
nephew Of two others, 1t IS probable that
the scheme to arouse the SuperstitiouS pre-
JUDGES of an ignorant people against the
lows would have succeeded in that instance
but for the attention called TO the case by
the press of other countries, the publicity
compelling the Government finally to in
struct its officials to prosecute, not perSe-
cute, and the result was the acquittal of the
large group of defendants. In Eastern Rus
STA last year, in the aRti-Jewish riots
the same apathy on the part of the police
was manifest that is now complained of,
Russia has no intention of preventing these
outrages or Furnishing for them; the Gov
ernmcnt is the reverse of humane where
the Jew is concerned, and there is no rea-
son for the hope that there will be any
change in this respect, SO long as I'M
perialism exists and superstition supplantS
intelligence.
1t seems to have been the fate of the
Jew in the Old World TO be the victim of
persecution. He has been forced 10 submit
to be the instrument of working out the
higher ends of civilization as the victim of
cruelties that finally bring ON revolutions
of sentiment and arms. The Franks and