The Roanoke times. (Roanoke, Va.) 1897-1977, 1897-03-07
IN THEIR JUSTIFICATION.

newspaper hoIoriety. Dut deem 1t my
duty to appear second time in print in
defense OF my countrymen, the Syrians
of this place.
In my first communication. in view of
certain attacks made upon them, | en-
deaVored dispassionately to show that nv
countrymen were not II horde of pau
pers ana tramps coming to this country
without capital, soioulning here for Il
time, Tor the purpose of testroyinr legiti
mate business, spending nothing, CON
triouting in no wise 10 the prosperity of
me city, but boarding up every dime and
dollar wrung from their American brrtl.
rem. and then, like the Arab, in the night
'silentiy folding their tents and stealing
away but on the contrary, that all. or
nearly all of them, living in this city.
brought capital into this country from
their native land, Investing it in legiti.
mate commercial pursuits, and even in.
testing il in real estate and taking
chances like their American brethren:
that II casual inspe ton OF the hooks of IL
few Syrian merchants of this plnc.. would
show unpaid accounts aggregatnv thirty
thousand dollars or more, silencn9' the
chnr9c of boarding and iliberaiity on
their part.
The saturday Pink, which contend
has been uDjnstly rejecting upon my
countrynen, renews its attack i'm IT'S is
sue OF February -, and SENS among other
things: "a few of the Syrans may be
honest, but there are so many Of them
who are dishonest. When some white
or black thief steals 4 watch or ANYTHING
else valuable, do they run down to Cntor.
mis-, pitman 4 Evans, Newsom & steele's
or over to Renner's to dispose of il for a
song: They know il such were the case
they would be handed over to the nearest
police officer. The thief knows where to
take his stolen goods and knows who will
buy them. Our efficient policemen have
recovered II number of stolen articles from
these merchants, articles OF value which
they bought ut low prices, which they
bought from worthless negroes and which
they could not help but suspect were
stolen
IL will he perceived, Mr. Editor. that
this is IL serious charge yet claim it can
not be substantiated. challenge the
proprietor of the Pink to prove that only
~ part of the Syrians of this city are
honest, and SO MANY of them are dishon.
est" | challenge the proprietor to show
TINT even II respectable minority of them
are dishonest. He cannot substantiate
his charge. Conceding him to be honest
in the views he expresses, he has been
grossly misnformed and | say it is his
duty to make proper Investigation OF the
N'ApjC'e pCipit iuSIlllS lllO DIIIlb 10 COIL
denim any class of people residing among
us. And when he finds that facts won't
substantiate his charges, To make the
''amendr honorable through the same
columns
After IL patient investigation of his
charges, | lind nothing upon which he
could have based his onslaught except
several isolated misunderstood in the
case of IL stolen watch, purchased from IA
negro As far rs can ascertain in this
case, there was nothing to show thai. the
purchaser knew the article was stolen or
had reason to know and he was never
charged by warrant or Indictment with
receiving stolen goods. Another, where
II dilapidatcd horse blanket, value alleged
ut - cents, was found upon the premises
of II Syrian, who was charged with receiv.
ing stolen property. He was tried in the
hustings court and Instantly acquitted
Another, II case in which IL Syrian was
charged with buying IL second hand coat
which the prosecution claimed was
stolen.
If there are other cases they are so few
and so unimrortant rs not To have at
tiacted attention. Now, | ask, are these
sufficient to charge the large majority of
my fellow countrymcn with being bad
citizens and thieves?
y little investigation would hare shown
the writer that IL large majority of the
syrian colony Of the word colony may he
used is made up OF energetic business
men, who toll early and late, who are alb.
solutely sober, orderly and honest, MS
much so as any other class in Roanoke,
who pay their licenses and taxes prompt
~, and are men who pny their debts hon
estly and promptly, as can be asccrtained
by inquiry among the wholesale dealers
who sell tn them.
Would any reasonable or candid man
charge IL majority of American citizens of
this city as being dishonest upon similar
grounds: think not, and if he did there
would be- IL howl OF ind gnation, indeed
Now, Mr.. Editor, there is cat in the
meal tub, us think can show. There
are thirty or more stores principally in
the grocery line, oSned and operated by
Syrians in this city, perhaps too many
for the comfort of others in the same bus.
mess, and my fellow countrymen have
been committing the grievous and unpar
donablc sin lin the eyes OF some engaged
i'll the same business) of buying for cash
and selling at fair profit but ut little
lower prices on some articles than
those that were heretofore maintained,
thus hencfiting the consumer, who is ever
ready to buy where ne can buy the same
articles cheapest.
IL is II matter of history that II large
number of those engaged in retail trade
some time since organized against Us and
appealed to the wholesale dealers not TO
sell rs. But. Mr.. Editor this article j.,
already entirely too long and crave the
Indulgence 0f your readers, and with the
hope that the fair.minied peoric of this
community will judge Ms rs a whole
according To our walk in life rather thtn
upon iil-founded reports am very re-
spectfully,
FRANK \. JAEROUR.
of Antoine \ Co.
Roupo1.n Mall. A.