Lancaster daily intelligencer. [volume] (Lancaster, Pa.) 1864-1928, 1886-07-03
THE RUSSIAN JEWS.
THEIR pPkEsSIoN AM PRO8 IN
THELAND or THE WHIrE CZsR.
some Account OF the People who Have so
Nunerous,y round Homes In this Land
OF the free-short Notice to Adoiph
Albert TO ouu Russia.

The fate aud fortune of the Hebrew race
the world over is of interest to both Jow and
GENTLE, for to both IT is the marvellous tul-
fllment of ancient prophecy. Some time
ago there appeared in the columns oi this
journal an article descriptive of the Russian
Jews who start every Monday morning from
our city TO tramp all over the county, load
ell heavily with peddlers' packs They are
indeed peculiar people and worthy oil closer
study, but must not be taken rs in any way |
representative of the JewsOf Russia for IN
modern Russia the Jews occupy many high
positions in commercial life aud in the em-
ploy of the government; and this in spite of
the violent fanaticism of tho Russians and |
their hatred of the Jews
They are more numerous in Russia than |
in any other part of Europe; although they |
were, until recently, excluded from Russia |
proper. Iu 1856 the Russian census showed |
that there were 2,6l2 l7o Jews in European |
Russia, and about -. 600 in Asiauc Russia |
They did not appear in Russian history until
the conquest of Poland when the Greek |
church, brought tace TO tace with them for |
| the first time in many centuries, disgraced
itself by narrcw-miuded persecution and
oppression of n people who had, 10y their own
unsded eNer.ions, raised themselves socially
| and intellectually tar above the average
| men OF their day.
Tue Jews of Russian Poland speak a Ian
| guage which might he termed German
| patos, having in 1t many Hebrew words
| and they have an extensive literature III lhl-
| language, using the Hebrew characters
| Journals are also printed in Hebrew, and in
| London recently party of Polish Jews gave
| "A theatrical performance in this reinarkable
language wherein were graphically shown
| the many repreSsINe influences against which
| the Jews must struggle i learned Hebrew
| is dragged from the study Of the Talmud to
serve IN the army as private and with no
hope OF promotion, for that was forbidden
by law.
| REFRESHING GREAT GENIUS.
| Under Cassimer the Great the Jews of Po-
land attained great prosperity but his sue
cessors soon wrecked It, aud Russian en-
perors, by heavy taxes, repressed all their
| natural enterprise. Alexander IL, with re-
markabe liberslity, permitted three Jews to
settle at each railway station throughout the
empire, so that they were no longer so closely
| confined TO certain districts long over
| crowded.
| \ half century ago the Jews of Russia
were in most desperate circumstances, being
at the mercy of officials who encouraged the
popular uprising against them, and from
whom 1t was often necessary to buy their
safety. This condition of affairs has been
| altered for the better, but the Jews of Russia
| are always threatened by the danger of mob
violence. Unit! recently they were excluded
| by law from many vOcations but they are
|
already won distinction in the learned pro-
fessions, while among their learned men there
have been many who have won a world wide
reputation, notably Harkavy, aud Penkser,
| aud the Talmud has had many com mentator-
| among them of learning and ability.
Baron Gunzberg, now in Paris, is a Russian
| Jew famous for his wise phianthrophy.
Bland, kranenburg, and Epstein, are men
who have become wealthy and powerful, and
used their power for the benefit of their
people.
I Krauenburg and many others of his race
became converted TO Christianity IN order &c
attain their end, aud, these ends attained,
. they used them for the good of Jews and
, Gentiles. kramburg secured the monopol y
, | OF the tobacco and cigar trade OF Russia and
r Poland, and became enormously wealthy
, | thereby. faithful aud industrious en-.
! pioye is always sure OF reward in Russi a
| even more than in America
THE REWARD OF ABILITY.
, There was young law student i'll the en-
? ploy of the great banking house of Epstein
who, faithful aud efficient, had won
! their confidence. One day there came a
| wealthy Russian and asked il they knew OF
. an able, energetic young man whom they
8 could recommend him to employ as overseer
on his estates. They selected the young law
student aud the Russian took him with him
To a distant province where he showed him
, | many square miles of grain nearly ready 10
| harvest "Harve-t that grain and take charge
|
ply the money needed" were the orders OF
his chief.
The young man went to work with will
he bought the most modern agricultural
machinery, employed many peasants and
the farms soon became the wonder of the
| people, yielding his employer q greatly
| increased revenue besides paying for all the
machinery. His executive ability was 80
|, | great that 1t was at once recognized by
: Russian men of affairs and he was brought
| Moscow to assume control OF large railroad
enterprises. He wrote a book on civil engi.
! neering, which made him still more famous
. | in the Land of the Cars, and he j. now man
a OF wealth aud great influence. His name is
! | Bloch, and he Is a Hebrew
4 | WHY THEY ARE OPPRESSED.
: Very few OF the more prosperous class OF
0 Russian and Polish Jews come to America,
3 although both Russia and Prussia have for
many years been trying TO expel the race
, | from their territories. The reason for this
, expulsion appears to be that both govern.
& | ments are anxious 10 have their frontier occu.
. pied by people strongly loyal, and the Jews
| have been too much abused by both govern.
ments in the past to care much Tor either.
, | The recent measures taken by Bismarck Ia
| expel the Jews from Poland are but the re.
yival Of an old policy OF Prussia. Mr.. Adol pi
Albert, OF North Queen street. who is one oi
the better class ot Russian Jews, and 10
whom we are indebted for many interesting
l fscts in regard TO them, has d paper which
|
| iour hours notice to leave Prussia, all for the
, | crime OF being Jew.
, | Tho penalty for leaving Russia without a
license was exile to Siberia, and IL Mr.
: Albert should return to Russia the protection
oil our government could not follow him
although he Is a naturalzed citizen of the
United States.
The Prussians had taste of their own
! medicine last fall when Russia decreed the
? expulsion OF Germans.
In religion tho Jews of Russia are most
orthodox, and here, moro than in any other
country, Is shown their wonderful power of
maintaining their race unity aud ancient tra-
dluons. Other races may mingle and blend
III lew centuries SO as to form different [
peoples just as they are doing in America to.
day but the Jews retain their race peculiari-
ties, faults and virtues just as they were
many thousand years ago
| PECULIAR SECT.
| In the Crmea there are the remains of a
| peculiar Jewish sect, the Karaites, who adj
here to the scriptures distinguished from
oral tradition. There are only about o. 900 of
them left, and their ancient capital, the Jews
castle In the Crimea, is now a deserted ruin,
nut TINS small remnant arc known in South.
ern Russia as an honest perseyering people
Ihere Is no country in the world where