The sun., 1891-05-31
nusu.S PERSECUTION OF the JEWS
Hsse rrejsdiee asd Not Religion, Gays
~. stepu,nh, L. st the Iotton orr

Rsse rrejudtce nnd Not Religion, Says
~. Stcputnk, L. st the notton ofIt
L.
Ths situation In Russia In 10 little known
abroad. because Of tho Chinese wall erected by
our language. that even such nome entous and
far-reaohing event rs the starting Of verita-
bio crusa le against the jews can be made n
subject OF controversy. Taking advantage OF
the prevailing darkness, tho friends OF the
Russian Government. have tried to mako light
OF the severity aud the extent OF those rerss-
cutions. Some OF them have had the impu-
denes to deny that ,hore has been any
persecution. A lit,lo moro zeal aud they
would swear that thero are no Jews In Russia
and that they have bcen invented" by the en-
emies OF liussia TO annoy tho Government.
Go not feel tempted in the least TO enter
into q discussion with any OF the gallant
champions OF Russian Cznrdom. From tho
vory outset tho American press has estimated
these utterances at their truo value. and as
time goes on every mall from the Continent
brings numerous facts bearing upon the real
state OF things in Russia. In writing this my
object is to explain to impartial readers this
most puzzling OF nil Russian questions
Ono can easily account for barbarity. how.
ever shocking. in dealing with political prison.
srs and ex!lea Despotio Governments. whom
frightened. can 10 to any lenRth OF cruelty.
But hcre we have q whole rncc, millions OF
souls. who. after all. have never offended the
Government who have obeyed the laws and
paid taxes brIbes. and all their dues. Why.
then. are ther so prosecuted? Arc they really
90 bad ~ the Russian Government represent
them2 Ia the motivc religious fanaticism, or
blind racial hatred? Is the Government reilly
responsible for these prosecutions. or has 1t
been forced to them by tho ant,-Jewish feeling
OF the nation? All these questions arc in.
terostinR enough to be treated OH thelr own
merits In thoroughly objective and scientific
spirit which an opponent OF tho Russian Gov
ernnnent can adopt easily enough. When the
actual offences are so numerous and agra
vntiuG. ono ts not tempted to invent offences.
The Russian Government is certainly not re-
sponsible-ths present Government at least
for tho existence in tho south and southwest
Of Russia OF very abnormal relations between
tho Jews and the Russian population, which
create In those parts tho So called Jewish ques-
tion. This question bears rotation to tho whole
OF our history. and ia ono of tho burning ma
tionai. even international. problems with
which every country has or has had to deal.
In kussia 1t is only moro difficult and compli-
Gated because Of the greater mass OF Jewish
population and to the general ckwardness
OF the country.
There arc 40000 600 OF Jews In Russia prorer
not counting 100000 OF Polish Jcws. of this
number. three-Gunrters OF n million are sent
tered all over tho empiro. but The remaining
three and quarter millions are huddled to-
gether In the southw western corner OF European
Russia. In a vas. gist'o called the Pale Of Set.
tlement. They form thero q race within race.
living apa:t from the rest. and there Is u
marked hostility toward thcm on the part OF
the masses OF Russian reople. This hostility
has undoubtedly religious basis. or Ut least
originated In religion. But 1t seems to mo an
error 10 represent. as most people do. tho anti
jewish movement In Russia as n man iiestatioa
OF religious intolerance. Among the unedu-
Gated masses religious hostility toward tho
Jews undoubtedly exists in q latent state. and
is stirred up purposely by Jew haters. But the
GLASSES which are at the head Of the Russian
auti-Jewish movement outlived long ago the
period OF religious fanatacism. With them the
hostility toward the Jews is purely racial.
With the N asses the racial antipathy is also q
much stronger ingredient In the anti Jewish
feelings than religion. Thus we may fairly de-
scribe the anu-Jewsh movement as racial
hardly need say that the Jews rs q race,
ure not o bit worse than other people. When
ever hear the idle wholesale charnc. .erization
OF Jews as race OF usursrs. .ricksters, and the
like. always remember my friend. Rabbi
David Philipson OF Cincinnati. author Of The
jews In English Fiction" who observed that
the process By which the Gentiles form their
notions OF jews is invariably thus: Tho vices
crimes and shortcomings Of individual ews.
NO matter how restricted as to number are
fastened upon the whole race. while the mani
festations Of all opposite qualities. no IN after
how strtking or frequent, are viewed as indi-
vidual exceptions. and therefore are not taken
into account. beg to ada that II seems to me
that the Same process is applied to bY all races
In their mutual estimates. There is o love
lost between different races and tribes any
where. each considering itself the only good
and lovable ono. In countries where various
natlonalitios are mingled and have many op-
portunities Of hurting each othcr by their
ractal differences. their nntasonlsm becomes
so Intense and so out OF all proportion to the
zeal differences between Them as to become
positively amazing to an outsider, Among the
Balkan slaves or the motley population of
southeastern Austria ono may Study this
aucor manifestation Of nnrrowmndsdness.
Tho Russian Jews havo lived for cent uries
life OF complete isolation from the bulk OF the
population. remaining nution within a nation.
1t 10 only within rhc last thirty or forty yoars
that thsy began to read Russlnn books. GO to |
Eussion schools. and take Interost IN nrt tho |
sclonees. and politics. Nevertheless ,hoy hevo |
already produced number OF mon whose |
names arc tho pride OF Russia. In music in |
which this gifted race stands SO high. wo have |
Quttea s,mber OF eminont artists of whom !
will mention those who nre better known |
abroad. the two brothers Rubiastoin. Anton
and Nicolas: Vladimir dc Pachmnn. and that
wonderful boy pianist. tho rising star OF Rus.
sian music and tho heir oloct OF all its glory.
the little May Hamburg. now amazing and de-
lighting English Audiences. Antokolsky. tho
greatest sculptor OF the age. the nau about
whom TurGusneH used to say that II he ever
mot gonius It WAS ho, Is also born Jew. Tho
jewish racs has produced no Russian Hclne
or Borne: but tho present literary generation.
which is the ArSt, or at the utmost the second
generation OF the Hussiau jews that has been
sducsted at MI. has already given TO Russin u
number OF nseful literary workers. soms OF
thsm prominent in thelr profession. liko Ven-
gusrofI and Weinberg: some standing fore
mostamong their contemporaries. like Minsky
and FeuR. the best among our living poets.
Another to me- far more strikint. fact. which
speaks volumes for the high moral qualities Of
the jewish race. is tho participation Of the