The Wichita daily eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1890-1906, 1891-09-25
RUsSIA'S RETROGRESSION.

To the Editor OF the Eagle.
| In the August number OF the North
| American Review, Goodwin Smith re-
flutes the common impression that the
Jew is being prosecuted and driven from
Russia on account of his religion, stating
that 'the explanation of the whole
trouble and all the calamities and horrors
attending their persecution, past or to
come, is that the Jews are a parasitic
| race, that the war which we now wit
ness is one not of religion, but of races,
that the Jew is detested because he alb
serbs the national wealth and when
present in large numbers eats out the
core of nationality" and that the Rus
sian people desire to be freed from the
''alien usury and domination of the
Jews"
In the September number of the Re-
view Isaac Besht Bendavid comes to the
defense of his people and accuses Gold
win Smith Of ''arraying him
self with the prosecutors of
the Jews by giving the authority of his
name to impressions unfair and not
warranted by the facts, and asserts that
this movement against the Jewish race is
political crusade" "a desire of the
Pan-Slavic leaders to expel all non-slavic
elements out of Russia" and is "a blow
aimed distinctly and directly at the Ger
mans" He ably defends his people
against the unjust aspersions of Goodwin
Smith. and with pleasing modesty main
tains that the Jews "are by nature a
gifted people" whose presence in any
community is advantageous, and that
they have nowhere been deficient in pat
ristism and loyalty for their adopted
country. In July, last, the New
York Times sent a correspondent
to Russia to make careful
and thorough investigation of the condi-
ton and treatment of the Jews in Russia
and the motives which prompt their per
secution. This correspondent, Harold
Frederic. writes the Times that the first
thing which forced itself on his attention
''was that the barbaritv of the Jewish
persecution was only the terrible demon
stration of spirit of barbarism that pre-
vailed wherever he went in Russia" He
declares that this spirit is the essential
motive of Pan-Slavism, that the Russia
he saw was not polite" that it was
''a Russia that had never done more
than promise, sometime, to get civil
lied" and (which now for ten years hes
openly surrendered itself to the engulf-
ing return wave of barbarism. He says,
further, that undoubtedly the Jews
owe it to their nationality that they are
the first to feel the effects of the Pan
Slavic upheaval--thev are being put out
because they are not Russians, not be-
cause they are Jews" The expulsion
of the other non-Jews will follow" He
cites many significant facts in support
of his opinion which is based upon
close and wide observation of facts, and
comedies with the views of Bendavid
When one reads the statements of such
creditable writers on this topic. and re-
calls the revelations of George Kennaw
IN reference TO the treatment of the nihil-
lists, one can have no kind feelings to-
ward the Russian government. That so
large portion of the worlds area, and
such numerous people as the Russians.
with such opportunities 70 have the full
light of modern civilization, should be
subjected 10 such rigid re-
strictions. and kept from the
advantages and enjoyment of proper lib
erty and form a natural advance in civ
illZatiou, and that such atrociOus race
prosecutions should be enforced Is among
the wonders of this Nineteenth century.
Such conditions as obtain Russia demand
the universal condemnation of all civil
lied nations, and justifies all possible
effort tending 10 the relief of a people so
cruelty oppressed: and an ali-preyailing
denunciatorv sentiment against such ex-
IRENE wrongs, inflicted on any people,
should have such free and fierce expires
sion as would cause deSpotic govern
ments to tremble. and burn out the roots
and destroy the germs of such monstrous
evils. GEORGE STARK MILLER.