The morning call. [volume] (San Francisco [Calif.]) 1878-1895, 1892-12-06
THE ANTI-sEnTEs IN FRANCE.

The dispatches from Paris state that back
Of the agitation on the Panama canal
scandal stand the leaders of the anti
Jewish party. This is quite possible. The
faction which is trying TO bring itself into
public notice by tanning race and religious
prejudice against the Jews would be quite
likely to drag the wealthy Jewish bankers
into the scTape if it can. Considering the
general intelligence of the Partisan people
it is amazing that it should have been
possible TO revive among them at this late
day the savage intolerance of the middle
ages. But it appears TO have been done.
An unprineipled advenluTer named
Drumont some ten years ago published
book called ala France Juiye," in which he
denounced the Jews as tile causes or all the
troubles of France and called for their ex-
pulsOD. He did not go so far as that French
monarch who coupled an ediet for their
exile with a clause con fscaring their prop
erty for The benefit of the crown. He
probably proposed to proceed by degrees.
There proved to be enough prejudiced and
pig-headed people in Paris to make N.
Drumont'S book success. and he followed
il mp by newspaper called La Parole
Libre. which il said TO command a consider
able sale.
Panama corruption was mainly engineered
by Jews. AS the jew banking-houses in
Paris-;he Roihschids. the Foulds, the
Pereires and ohers-are leaders of high
flo ance 1t is quite likely that some IF the
money which the Panama people distributed
among publishers aud politicians passed
through their hands. Panama stock was
placed where ii would be likely TO find
market among the public; among other
places ii may have been lodged with the
Jew houses, perhaps as collateral for
loans. DrumOnt seems TO have got on the
track OF some of these deposits or loans
and proposes TO use them tc help his fad
along.
1t is astonishing how much mischief an
INSCRIPTIONS and adrOit man may do. II
Drumont can fasten upon the Jews the re-
Sponsibility OF some Panama brides the
effect may be TO convert the inquiry into a
sectarian squabble, and Christian rascals
who actually did take money to puff the
scheme may escape under cover of the
smoke raised by the new issue, while, SIM
ultaneously, intelligent and broad minded
men. seeing their duty in setting their face
against revival of race prejudice, may find
themselves betrayed into an attitude of
apology for bribe-takers.
Inc moral OF the situation Is that the
spread Of knowledge and the development
OF civilization are no guarantee against the
resurrection of ancient decisions. We can
never be sure that the Instinct of persecu-
ton is dead. 1t seems TO be innate and
ineradicable in human nature. If there be
people who might be supposed to be i'm
partial among the sects it surely is the
people OF Paris, on whose shoulders
cif hot .,
seem likely to fall off at any moment And
yet these same people. it seems, can be
reused to a pitch of hatred against their
Jewish felow-citizenS which only stops
short of the temper that prevailed in the
fifteenth century. The German Juden-
hetze can be explained. if it cannot be ex-
cused. by the growth Of the German Jews
In numbers. wealth and power. But in
France there are only handful of Jews,
all told, and except in finance and music,
they occupy no prominent positions.