The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1891-08-03

The intelligent American Jews are act
ing with judicious wisdom when they
discourage the indiscriminate immigration
into this country of their unfortunate CO.
religionists from barbarous Russia. This
course is dictated, not by jealousy or
selishness, not by the Indifference of sue
cess and wealth to poverty, misery and
misfortune, but by wise care for the
future and an intelligent citizenship that
has continually marked the behavior of
the Jews of this nation.
For ages the popular finger has been
pointed at the Jew and he has been de-
nominated as the most exclusive and
clannish of the races among men, yet in
this matter race and creed are set aside
and the industrial welfare of the whole
country seems to be the consideration that
is of prime Importance. The United
States is to-day crowded with dependent
laborers, who, if the present stagnation in
trade should extend over a period of
twelve months longer, would become
charge either upon public or private
charity, and in either event would entail
cost upon the resources of the country
without any corresponding gain. By the
slightest encouragement in an incre dibly
short space of time from one to two hun
dred thousand of these helpless Russians
could be flooded into this country, COM
paratively depopulating the cars do
minions of the Jew and thrusting into
already overcrowded industrial ranks, a
hungry horde of breadseekers who in the
mad battle of competition would add dis
cord and strife to every branch of trade in
the entire labor world.
When from twenty to thirty thousand
of these Russian Jews were landed in this
country from 1880 to 1885, at time when
public sympathy was aroused to the high
est pitch, it was with the gravest difficulty
that the benevolent Jews of America could
care for their own, and to this day the
drain is felt.
Baron de Hirsch may devise plans for
the expenditure of millions for the anne
Iteration of the condition of his suffering
brethren, the Hebrews of London NAV
also gather their coin for the purpose of
shipping their unfortunate to other shores,
the good Jews of New York may continue
for ten years longer to put hands in their
pockets to maintain and support estab-
lished colonies, and kind-hearted Jewish
Californians may organize million-dollar
stock company to care for limited num-
Der, but all these good projects and the
expenditure of hundreds of millions in
money will not solve the Russian-JeWis
question. That country contains at least
three million prolific Jews, and even if
they were divided up among the principal
nations of the earth in exact proportion to
population, the burden upon each nation
would be too great, the evil results out
of all proportion to the good that would
be achieved, even if such a proposition
would in any degree be feasible or reason
able
And pray why should Russia nation
that has contributed less to the develop
ment of civilization than any other, be in
dulged in such whimsical, senseless and
barbaric treatment of this race of in
offensive people. These Jews have con-
tributed their full share of wealth to the
country and of support to the govern
ment, and if they are not as brave and
intellectual and as honest as they might
be, the blame hes, not upon them, but is
due TO harsh, discriminating laws that
would disgrace the statute books of Tim
buctoo.
The civil and religious freedom of the
Russian Jew will be matter of slow de-
velopment. Slavery existed in this free
country until the sentiment against it in
this and other nations so crystalized, that
men became willing and ready to Law
down their lives toward its adjustment.
We can do little toward the solution of
this Russian problem save to create.
mold and foster universal sentiment
regarding it. Joined by Germany with its
immense number of Jewish scholars and
statesmen, France with its Hebrew poets
and thinkers, England with its bankers.
judges and members of parliament, an in.
ternational desire will finally take root.
against which even the car of Russia
could not maintain himself. This is a
matter of universal human destiny which
the Jews of the United States alone. no
matter how good and noble their inten-
tons may be, cannot finally determine.