The Helena independent. [volume] (Helena, Mont.) 1875-1943, 1889-12-16
THE JEWS OF LONDON.


ionged to Thet People.
Had the Jews bean animated by nothing
beyond their personal and material inter-
ests in the battle for municipal rights in
the city Of London they would have laid
themselves open to no reproach, says Lon
don paper. As aliens they were liable 10
the payment of special taxes, and as non
freenen they competed ~ a disadvantage
with their gentle fellow citizens In the or
dinary markets. But they had n lofiier
idea of civil liberty than that Of merely be-
ing free 10 enrich themselves. Their per-
sonal rights carried with them public duties
and,while they have enjoyed the former. they
have shown no disposition 10 shirk the lat
ter. Their public usefulness rs citizens
may be reduced 90 a statistical illustration
There are still two more jewish aldermen
who are eligible for the mayOrnlty Alder
man 7. COwen aud Alderman q. +. Phil
lips-and in the course of the next five
years they will have both Lassrd the chair.
Thus, IN the first half century of our munich
pal emancipation, we shall have supplied
the city with five mayors. or ~ per cent of
the totalnumber of chief magistrates elected
in that period. while our Legitimate average
counting the Jews as forming per cent
Of the total population of LOndon-woud
have been one lord mayor in double that
space of time,
Nor have these dignsties. been in any sense
unfairly won. The merest glance At the per-
sonRl characters and commercial careers VI
the cOrellgiOnists who have faised them
selves to this lofty position IL sufficient 20
convince the most obstinate JudeophObe
that their success rests on solid basis of
merit and usefulness. Sir David Salomans,
Sir Benjamin Phillips, and now Sir Henry
Isaacs have all been citizens Of credit and
renOwn. all more or less self made men,
whose lives have sensibly enhanced the dig
nifty, and augmented the prosperity OF the
great city with which their careers have
been identified. OF the two former We
need not now speak. Their names are writ
large in the history Of the corporation. and
all who run may read Of their fame. The
third is worthy, we nre satisfied 10 think
of cOmpaniUnAhip 10 them IN the same
embla8oned pnge. Sir Henry lsaacs has
been u model citizen and corpOrator. His
progress from Dukes place, where he was
born, 30 the Mansion house, where to-mor-
row he inaugurates his civic reign, is an
elaborate lesson Of industry, perseverance,
enterprise and public spirit. Those who re-
member the modest establishment in which
his faths pursued his trade early in the
century, and now contrast II with the wide
reaching firm into which II has been devol-
oped by his sons will require no further tes-
timony 10 their commercial genius; aud
those who hnve watched the public
career Of Sir Henry Isaacs-his solid
work IN the Jewish community.
and his intelligent labors in the
court OF common council and its yarious
committees not wonder that he j. now
called upon 10 take hiA place among the
men whom the citizens Of London delight
10 honor. II il by such labofs as Sir Henry
lsaacs has performed that the great work Jf
Jewish emancipation ID consolidated. Mere
acts Of parliament are powcrless 10 erudi-
cate popular preiudioes. What has made
Jewish emancipation reality has been the
high personal character of our Lending men,
the patriotism and their devotion 10 public
duty. They have justified their claim 20
citizenship not only in the city Of London,
but in the empire at large.