The record-union., 1894-03-16
RUSSIAN JEWS.
Nearly Three Million of the Hebrew
Race in Russia.


Russia has more than a third of all the
Jews in the world, and she is doing her
best to reduce this number. Official
statistics are not quite reliable on this
subject, but it Is assumed by the best
informed that Russia must nave close on
to 100000 of the Hebrew race. The
United States and England are shocked
by the measures which the Gar is taking
against these people, and charge hlni
with revlving religious persecution. The
Gar replies to this by pointing out that
the United States deliberately closed lis
doors against emigration from China,
whose subjects We're represented 10
America 10 the extent OF only about
100000 souls, mostly upon the Pacific
Coast. In this matter, moreover, the Gar
moves in harmony with the overwhelm-
ing majority of his people, high and low;
and were his people tomorrow TO pro-
claim republic, one of the few laws
which it would not repeal would be that
which excludes the Jews from Holy
Russia. The Russian knows his Jew
better than we know him, and is there
fore better qualified to legislate on the
subject.
In England Jews are met in every
walk OF hfe-in the army, the diplomatic
service, the Cabinet. the House of Lords,
and amongst the boon companions OF
they have cast off every distinguishing
badge of their race. and it is frequently
only by accident that we learn the natur @
OF their religious creed. In Russia, how
ever, it is totally different. There the
Jew is as distinct a type as with us the
negro or Chinaman. You can distin-
gulsh him as far as you can see, not
merely by the face and FORM so graphic
ally drawn by Mr.. Pennell in his work,
The Jew al Home" but i'll certain pecu-
liarities of dress, TO which he clings as
pertinaciouSly as does the Apache to his
blanket or the Mexican TO his sOmbrero.
The Jew Of Kovno, Warsaw, kiev and
wherever else | have run across him in
! Russia, wears curious curl that hangs
down in front OF each ear, sometimes TO
his chin. His cap of black alpaca or
cloth sits far back on his head, close to
his ears, with visor as large as those
once fashionable amongst our brakemen
and conductors. His coat OF black cloth
or alpaca is modelled after that iii which
Dundreary is usually portrayed, reach
ing down TO his ankles, and assisting to
give him the long, lean, hungry look OF
the Shylock type. On his feet are boots
worn outside OF his trousers, in one hand
an umbrella, in the other valise, for the
Jew in Russia is usually moving from
place to place on business, unless he is so
poor as to be forced into mental occupa-
ton.
Russia has limited the territory in
which Jews are allowed to live to narrow
strip, beginning i'll the Baltic provinces
near Riga and ending at the Black Sea.
following, roughly. the western frontier
OF the Empire, along the borders OF
Prussia, Austria, Hungary and Rou-
mania. These four countries-or rather
three, if we regard Austria and Hungary
as one-know more OF the Jews by actual
contact than any other people. for &C
cording to the last census on the subject
there were in Austro- II hungary lob, ,70o;
German Empire, 567 1854; Roumania, 400,
coo.
The same census gave fcsGreat Britain
and Ireland only $4,000 Jews; France, 49,
439; Norway, only "a; Spain, 402. In fact,
as compared with Russia's neighbors. the
number of Jews in other countries is
hardly worth mentiouing.-Pou
Bigelow, in Harper's Magazine.