The daily critic. (Washington City, D.C.) 1890-1890, 1890-08-20
A RUSSIAN JEWS STORY
BE WRITES OF THE EFFECTS OF The
LAWS AGAINST HIS RACE.
The Odious May Laws and Their An
plicaiion- Deprived OF the Means
of Education and OF the
RIghts OF Labor

From a trustso-thy correspondent
the translation Of Hebrew lettHr
written by q prominent Jew In Russia
10 the chief minister OF one " the Lon.
don synagoeues has been received by
the London Daily Mars, which says the
letter throws some light on The odious
May laws end their application, an Il
pnCrds some Indication Of the nature Of
The new uksses threatened 10 be pub
lished early In September. The follow.
ing are few OF the leading para graphs:
The Government has issued agoinst
us five most oppressive DEGREES called
Laws 10 suit the eNigencies OF the
iimCs, Other wise knoNn as the May
laws, which viii deprive us Of our
livelihood In those parts Of the country
In which we have been hitherto al.
lowed TO reside, clo-ely packed though
We have always been.
u. No jew may leave the town for
the Pun pose Of residing In the county
end the law Is 10 apply TO persons who
are ordered 10 the county temporarily
for the benefit Of their health.
"2. No Christian Is allowed 10 let
land 10 jew.
80. No Jew may keep an inn or sell
intoXicants Ia any part of the country.
a. A Jew settled In a country place
before 1852 may reside there TIL his
lease expires, but may not leave HIS VII
lage. IL he leaves the village he may
not return. and may not 20 20 any other
village, but must settle In a town. All
Jews settled In a village siuce 1859 must
leave and live In a town.
rs. When the lease granted TO a Jew
settled In village before 1882 expires
Il may not be renewed, but he must
leave and settle Ia town.
These five DEGREES consist Of many
clauses and paragraphs, and any doubt
lul point Is interpreted against the
jews. For example, many toWnlets are
by the Government regarded as villages,
end from these the Jewish residents will
be expelled. But, not content with
putting in force
THE HATEFUL MAY LAWS,
the Government contemplates further
cruel and oppressive DEGREES which
must be our destruction. II IS intended
70 repeal the law OF 1865, which gave
artisans the right 10 settle in the Int
Ii0T Of the country. This means the
expulsion Of POO 900. They are to be
forced upon our brethren ia the towns,
who are already crowded and crushed
in the limits of their residence. Those
who had settled in the country before
1852, and who, under the May laws
had a right of remaining till the end Of
their leases, Rill be expelled from the
villages. Halfa million souls viii thus
be expelled. II is intended 20 eXpel
from the tONrs In which the Jews have
no ght 70 dwell those who have been
allowed 10 ,sLlle there under Minister
MacoW's circular OF 1880 Another
h8lf million souls will be affected by
this expulsion
No Jew has hitherto been allowed
70 dwell within 50 yeTsts Of the Aus
TRAN frontier Now the so Yersts are
10 be increased 70 100 yeIsts about 10
English miles, aud the restriction Is to
apply not only 10 the Austrian from
tier, but 20 every frontier The Jewish
residents In the district Of Poland have
hitherto not been included Ia the
May laws Of 1882, aud have not,
therefore suffered By restrictions i'm
posed on our brethren of the sixteen
districts Of Russia. Now, however, the
Minister proposes TO include them IN
the May laws, and they are liable 70
be removed from their villages. thus
swelling the number Of our helpless
poor The Government complained
! formerly Of our holding al00f from all
regular education When, however,
at the command OF Alexander H., both
the high schools and universities were
/ thrown open 10 us. the Jews did twice
IS well as the Christians. 50 n0W the
government charges Us with
MONOPOLILING EDUCATION,
and asserts that there is 10 loom foT Us
az the gymnasia and universities. Ae-
coTliug TO The new las, Jews may b.
come neither lawyers nor engineers,
nor may they act as doctors IL The
Army or IN any Government post
Scores 81 young men, who have de-
I voted the days of theiF youth and their
best powers 70 the study Of literature
end science, aTe now excluded from al
means Of livelihood in Russia aud are
reduced % want, solely because they
/ are Jews
We sec Tie danger threatening rs
I hut re b lWeTless % avert ~ We are
I driven rom our posts as nQllrles.
! Thousands ana tens of thousands 81
7 Jews WLo acted Is clerks % the GOV
7 tlnmeDI uilCials lu The t0Wls and 10
I Tie Government Offices Qf The villages
| have been discharged 10 The regret Of
Z their supeIlQrs, lQr there are no such
faithful and industrious servants IS tue
{ IeV9 oar ueluIe have also E1el llz-