Evening journal., 1891-06-12
NOT LeEcAes, sUr peRsscu1sD
A Russian Jew Entera Protest Against
RassIa.

ID niuCkmhu, HI luteillRbnt huHHlhn
Jew, who lives at No. 1903 West Twelfth
street, takes exception TO an EVENING
JOURNAL editorial which characterized
Russian Jews as social leeches He made
the following statement to an EVENING
JOURNAL reporter this morning:
81 was very much surprised to see an
article of that kind Ia liberal American
newspaper. IL would do credit to
Russian official organ II is impossible
for a man living in America or any where
outside Of Russia to judge Of the
character, life or social condition of the
Russian Jew by his appearance when he
comes to this country. II must be re.
membered that before be came here he
has undergone every persecution that 1t
Is possible for barbsric Russia to heap
upon him he has been robbed of his
possessions, and driven from his home,
not because he was bad while
there, but because the Russians are
jealous Of his rapid advancement in the
schools and business circles OF that
country The Jews occupy responsible
positions In every department. Some of
them are millionaires, railroad magnates,
scientists and bankers. Whenever a
Jewish child enters the schools you
always fnd that he comes of with the
donors That is because the Jews
usually live in the cities, and have better
opportunities The Russian children,
who live in the country, have few educa-
tional facilities, and when at length they
are sent TO paid schools they are very
thick headed.
I'm 1888 the lower classes Of Russians
were melted to riot by few drunken
leaders have simply to recall TO your
mind Kief, Warsaw and Nisni
Novogorod In those cities the Jews
were murdered. their houses sacked, the
Jewish women and small girls we're
publicly outraged on the streets and their
little babes were taken from their
mothers arms and torn apart before their
mothers eyes. The government did not
manifest any interest In behalf of our
prosecuted people until It was too late TO
apprehened the offenders This Is but
one Of many instances | might name
from personal experience.
''The statement that the government
is sending them out Of the country is
false. IL is simply driving them out OF
the cities whore they are all established
In good paying business into deserted
districts which the Gar wants to build
up. II Jew attempts to get over the
border he is caught and sent TO Siberia
for two years Every Russian Jew who
comes here has run away. That Is why
they are so poor when they co here
They cannot take their possessions with
them A good many when they get here
make good citizens Others do not
You find that true of immigrants from
other countries and even of your Ameri-
can citizen. You have good Americans
and bad Americans.
Il have been all through Ireland for
two years travelled through 1t all by
myself found the condition of the
people as bad In many respects as that OF
the Russian Jew. Yet Irish immigrants
are not attacked In any such manner
1t is not their fault that they are not as
rich as the landlord: or that they are
made poor by persecution Neither Is II
the fault Of the Russian Jew. In ireland
| have seen the poorer classes thrown
out into the street for not paying their
rent.
Here is an extract from a letter
which young man writes from Wilno,
Russia, to a friend In New York: There
are from 500 to 1000 families immi-
grated to that city from parts where
they we're driven out. They 60 around
barefoot and naked. begging fer bread
These people have been living happily
and paying ss high as $500 rent. sur.
rounded by every comfort. In our city
the uncertainty has made business 50
bad that we fear we will soon be in the
same condition. There is a
new law from the general governor,
which says that Jews who bought prop.
erty before 1882 shall be allowed to keep
it until the man dies and then 1t must
be sold to Christian by the heirs. In
the case of those who have bought
property since 1882 when the mau dies
the property belongs to the government.
Il am sorry to see the EVENING
JOURNAL taking the stand 1t does.
know the editor does not write what he
knows from experience. He simply
writes from what he has read take
the paper, like 1t very much, and find
many good things in it. We have many
Russian Jews here in this city, and /
think you will find that as class they
are good citizens"