The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1898-02-28

t1t fli r - Z Y - q
he occupied and q Jury whose very lives
deptndtd upon the conviction of The
prthorer.S And this Is French Justice.
s;ToR st OF liNT1.sEst1TIsaI 4
e.sWhy ant. semitism should have
unaffected Itself 20 consp!edously In
France during the progress OF the zola
trial and prior thereto. II would be dr.
ncult TO determine. The b'rench have
an Idea that there ID conspiracy among
the Jews OF France to betray their
country TO OBSERVATION-DISCLOSURES as com
pefsat,or Germany assistance In Sc
curing Palestine. Duo 10 the fact that
mosto OF the bankers OF France are Pro-
testants and Jews. the accusation has
| In suciiFa plot and the Paris CORE.
sponeent OF the New York Infeperdcnt.
the leading Protestant journal OF This
counts, takes occasion TO pre- sent IN the
| last issue quite an extensive article
showing the opposition OF church 10 tho
Pro testaflts. What tho article does
show Is that tho Protestants In France
suffer incohvenierces and experience a
treatment accorded the Jews as we'll.
Others again assert that the Jesu!ts are
responsible for allYthe religious troubles
now convulsirg France, and this uaser-
tlon 10 emphasized In a letter, TO the Ma
tlon Of February 9. In which a leading
Parisian claims he can easily prove
that such Is the case. Furthermore,
such rs hold this view point out that
Drumont, the leader practlcaliy{ot ali
the present anti-Semite ayItation In
France. Is q protcgc OF the Jesults. The
italians are particularly convinced OF
the truth OF this claimiand have hence
started q propaganda In favor or Drey.
fus and lola, asserting that aa soon "a
the Jesuits have succeeded In deprivlng
France Of liberty, they will turn their
attention to Italy. Others again insist
that the Catholic church can hold itself
responsible for the introduction OF reli.
gious strife and the stirring up of relI-
glous prejudice in connection with the
Dreyfus affair, and point to the fact
that the Osserratore Romano. the off.
cial organ OF the Vatican, claimed that
the Jews were simply suffering a pun
ishment long predicted, a punishment
which they would have to endure until
they gave up their own faith. In addl-
ton. the advocates OF. this view direct
attention TO an article In the Cincinnati
Catholic Telegraph OF February II, the
writer Of which asserts that the Jews
deserve the treatment they are receiv-
Ing, and ought to be praccd back within
the ghetto wherein they were confined
by the MEDIEVAL enlightment (?) and
civilization (?).
ATTITUDE OF EXTREMISTS.
However, the falacy OF attributing
to . religion the utterance Of a few OF
Its adherents is, trust. self-evldent.
Because one or two extremists insist on
giving expression to certain Views, Is
certainly no reason why we should hold
an entire people OF. faith responsible for
such views. even IL these extremists
claim 10 be speaking not FOR themselves
alone, but for. community. It has
been one OF the worst features OF his.
tory. however. that the majority OF peo-
pie in the world Judge an association OF
individuals BY the characteristic OF a
single member Of that association, and
what wrong and harm and injustice Is
tiTus done, every Intelligent person
knows. It Is rather unfortunate. 1t
Seems to me. that SO much stress has
been laid upon the religious aspect OF
the Dreyfus-Zola affair. The result OF
1t Is that the fact of Its being case
where justice Is battling with tyranny
and fanatlcism. is frequently overshad-
owed py cries or race ana religious pref
udice, and people are apt to think tina.
France Is now on the verge OF q reli-
gious war and Is at present in the throes
Of religious. commissions, instead OF see
Ing that the entire question Is not
whether one faith shall triumph over
another, but whether truth shall tri-
umph over fnlsehooi and perjury,
whether justice shall be victorious over
injustice. whether God shall triumph
| over the enemies Of Righteousness. The
French are thoroughly impulsiyc peo-
| pie. 1t may be that ere many weeks
have passed all the tendencies which
have given US the impression that
France Is deterioratirg IN moral worth
may be changed and the present VIC
tins OF the perversion OF justice become
| the idols OF the nation. At all events
let US hope that the country which was
so Instrumental In the realization OF
liberty, equality and fraternity may
once again take on the characteristics
Ola modern. upright. civilized govern
ment and take its place in the history
OF our day as @ worthy representative
OF republican!smf and freedom"