The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1890-06-12
Tho Jews Ahead.

IHO OC"S hHcdu.
The Herald publishes list of the gram
mar school boys who have Just passed thu
examinations for admission into tho intro
ductory department Of tho FREQ college
They nrc about seven hundred in number
or moro than onc-ialf Of tho 1928 candidates
who were put through tho ordeal.
: II Is suggestive to observe that tho names
of n great part o! these successful candidates
arc very plainly Jewish; but 1t is not at all
surprising that 1t should be 50. For many
years past the majority Of the best scholars In
thcpublic sghuOlS have been OF Hebrewb birth,
AMI ihCyEio showing steady proportionate
incIcas" THIS supCriorityiS due TO inherited
capacity, coming to them with the blood
OF Their nMccnt race, and to tho greater in
tcrcat winch Jewish parents take in the
chu",tiy:i,r their children. School Trustees
anI.S"'inUI Commissioners bear witness that
there ~" 10 ".@cr parents who watch the
= hoo = ~ carefully, and the Jewish rabbis
! ne "intiE uatustAking in that respect.
y" part "f IL" population shows so much
concern nboGt 'i.n school system and takes
So great pride in il. The Jews look upon the
fl"" = tl"H,i0n as a stepping stone necessary
! to .hc alVanc' ment of their children, and
i Hc'i'cate in them the duty of protiting
J 20 ia" utmost by the advantages it offers.
tan boys md girls are not sent to
bcHooi and there left to pursue their educa-
! tl"n with no other help than they get from
I bOuEs md teachers. They are stimulated
| to requirement by the home iniucnces and
Jewish fathers and mothers glory in their
proficiency and applaud their ambition for
suprriority.
~ n Ia
sonablc to suppose that these children would
take high stand in the schools. But there
is another and an even greater advantage
which they possess. intellectually, tho
Jews are wonderfully acute race. They
get by heredity the fruits of thousands OF
years Of mental training in sharp conflict
with other races, and the transmitted traits
are the more pronounced because Of the
purity Of their Semitic blood. or all the
families Of men, they are the one in which
the laws of hercdity have operated with |
least disturbance to preserve the accumu-
lationS of long history Of moral and in |
tcllcctual development.
1t Is no wonder that in face OF heavy |
odds they have pushed themselves to the
front in commerce, trade, finance, art and
tho learned professions, for they started
with natural advantages. which restrictions
to their advancement only served to in
crease. Accordingly, their progress in
wealth and learning has been by long
leaps ever since tho legal Determinations
against them were removed Germany
has its Anti-Semitlc League, but it is power
less to stop or in any way to check the for
ward march OF the Jews. They are forging
ahead everywhere, and most OF all in this
city, where there is no obstacle to their
progress except a race prejudice which is
altogether unavaiing.
1t seems to be probable that this republic
Is to be the great home Of the Jews, gathered
from all parts OF Europe; and they are
aSslduous in preparing their children to
mako tho most profitable use OF their high
privileges. In the list Of successful caudi-
dates for the free college we do not find any
other race which numbers so many |
The Irish names are few as compared
With the German, mostly Jews. The names |
II English or Dutch origin are still fewer;
hey only crop out hero and there. The
great mass are foreign, the names of recent
settlers. Nothing could indicate moro strik- /
nSy the great change which has taken
place in the character of tho population =
'ery few Italian names appear, but, in a
pite of the disposition of Italian immi- u
rants to return to their native land after u
hey have won what is there competence, Z
he time will come speedily when that old
ace will also appear numcrously in such a
election. We already see it frequently u
n the registry lists of numerous polling c.
istrlcts, and traces Of its blood show them
elves in many of the younger people en- n
in the streets, and who are thor D'
ughly American in their speech and manner. OF
AS to the free college, it is worth inquirng ~
ow many of those seven hundred boys are m
he children of parents whose poverty com L
els them to tako advantage of the college IL
struction afforded at the cost of the city. te
OF one-tenth Of them will be graduated,
nd all OF those could get the luxury Of Il el
'llege course at institutions supported by nj
'ivate endowment, whether they arc able W
pay for it or not. All colleges are sub D!
antially free ht