Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1891-01-13
A Card from Rev. DIR. Harris.

To The Editor of the Dispatch:
In your edition of last Sunday, under
the heading of "A Young Hebrew Mer-
chant" in large type, you inform the pub
lie that one Robinson, of Petersburg, was
arrested on the charge OF buying stolen
goods.
fail TO see what his being of the Hebrew
race and faith has to do with his offence
against society and the law. Had the Of
fence been committed by one not He
brew il would never have entered your
mind, or that of your correspondent, to
describe the offender as "a young Christian
merchant"
This discrimination against US Hebrews
strikes me as very unjust and as relic OF
barbarism. 1t often happens that they
who thus discriminate do it thoughtlessly
and without evil intent, but this only
shows the great evil and all but ineradlca-
bility of old and deeply-rooted prejudice.
That such prejudice does exist and is pref
ty general who will dare to deny?
Now, do we not live in an age when 1t
should be disgrace to man to harbor
prejudice against a fellow-man because OF
his race or creed? Have we not right TO
expect in our age of enlightenment that
every man should stand OF fall on his own
individual merits or dement's. and that
hoary-headed prejudice should not be
lugged IN as a condemning factorP main
tain that when this is done justice Is per;
verted and the teachings of Judaism and
Christianity ignored. When a Hebrew
commits an offence against the law all
rigbt-minded Hebrews desire to see him
punisbed commensurate with his offence.
The circumstance that he is a Hebrew
does not weigh with them one straw in the
balance. l for one would not lift my finger
TO screen Hebrew offender from the pun
ishment which the law justly intiicts on
him. And there are thousands OF Hebrews
who think as do.
committed by a Hebrew stigmatized as q
Hebrew offence when offences committed
Inv Christian would not be similarly
stigmatized. Ii is useless to deny the fact
that the Christian world has not yet risen
20 the height Of doing full justice to the
Hebrew.
Why, Mr.. Editor, when the Frahlings-
fest was given for the benefit OF the Re-
treat and the Hebrew table realized 5000
more than any other table no mention was
made of the fact. if my memory serves me
rightly, and your paper quoted the several
amounts realized in so inconspicuous a
place and in so small print that it must
have been overlooked by the majority of
your readers. All this may have been I'M
Intentional and ! do not mention II be-
cause we want praise for anything. we do
in the way OF charity, but things being as
they are, we are inclined to be a little
suspicious.
the Protestant Ministers Union in Balti-
more at the Young Mems Christian Asso-
citation upon the attitude Of Christianity
towards Judaism and the Jews by the Rev.
DIR. ID. A. Lawrence, OF the Congregational
church, there is given apowerful refuta-
ton of the traditional causes of anti-Jew-
!" The real burden of the Gentle CON-
plaint,n says the Doctor, against the Jews
IL simply this, They ere too much for him
on his own ground. The typical American.
tor instance, is apt TO worship, smartness
and 70 dote on success whether in business
or politics. But when these virtues pre-
sent themselves ia Semetic garb no sud
denly detests what be once admired. Thrift
in him seems greed in them. The master
fuiness of tho Anglo-Saxon race appears
copceit and seifassertion when practieed
by the Semetic race; while American indie
pendence and unconventionslity Is dubbed
vulgarity if manifested by the jew.
II do not deny that these traits OF ours,
whether virtues or vices, have an extra
emphasis given them by tho Jewsi that
they add "A sharper edge TO our cunning
and keener point to our push when they
make them theirs. yet they are our quail
ties exercised with superior ability upon
Us. They can often beat Us at onr own game.
"The complaints OF the Russian pea
santry against Jewish Insurers are not one
whit better than those Of western farmers
against eastern capitalists and western
land-sharks, who have secured their lands
by loans or their goods by chattel mort
gage ct per cent. . month.
III there Is yulgarity among the Jews
great wealth Is not always coinc,dent witt
grammar and polish even among the Gen,
| tiles. We have q sboddy, vulgar, and blatant
psntocracy as well ~ they.
But there's o-be-forgotten rsa
son why We e Christians must say thai