The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1898-03-03

detect single trace of the nervous collapse
which had frightened me on the previous
occasion.
The explanation of recent outbreaks and
acts of violence against the Jews is very
simple one he said II told you when
we spoke on this subject some weeks ago
that the leaders of the movement with very
wicked hypocrisy and deception have IN
duced the people. the Have-nots. TO believe
that the word jew is Synonymous with
capitalist. and are directing the discomfort
OF the poor against the Jews as represent
ing the moneyed classes. Jew now means.
to the unthinking proletariat, capitalist.
monopolist sweater. blood-sucker. aud
what we see to-day is but another phase or
the struggle which has gone on ever since:
those who have not. The people believe
that all the Jews are rich. and rich by evil
practices. and instead of shouting, rs they
used TO do, Down with capital they shout,
Down with the Jews. 1t is idlotlc- II -
wicked. l have however. absolute conf
dence in the common sense of the french
nation. 1t will open its eyes sooner or iater
and see through the fraud that mas Deen
imposed upon il. 1t will see that IL IS tslse
Jew means capitalist; it win see that there
are poor Jews, Woodworking Jews, whose
struggle for their daily bread Is as Keen as
that of the poorest among them.
HIS SKEPTICISM.
Even now that Jewish blood has been
shed. Emile lola continues TO speak with
contempt of the movement. and he smiled
with real amusement when related TO him
the substance of the conversation had had
that afternoon with Max Nordau. He GER
tainly did not share the doctors gloomy an
ticipations Not that there can be any
doubt" he remarked. that at the bottom
of the present agitation the Catholic clubs.
joining themselves for the nonce to the pro-
fessional agitators of anti-Semitism, are do
ing all they can to foster the agitation. and
that u due share Of the responsibility for
what has occurred or may occur rests upon
them. But the fact remains that the peo-
pie are only acting as at present because
they have been duped in the way | have
stated This is not an attack on the Jews
race or as members of another religion.
The French people are far too sensible,
even in their lowest strata, to listen to any
such war cry The DroitS de Homme Is u
universally accepted creed. The outbreak
is only, so TAR as the people are concerned,
an outbreak of the poor against the rieh;
That is the only explanation of it.. And
repeat, as soon as the people understand
that they have been duped, all this will
subside''
With regard to his present position lola
is supremely confident. Il had to act as l
have done, otherwise matters might have
been allowed to drop, and that was what,
as a firm believer in the innocence of Drey-
fuss, / could rot allow. Later on people will
say. The government meant to grant q
fresh trial, and there was no need for Zola
to be so violent That is what Louis XVI
said when the revolution broke out--that
there had been no need for the people to
act with violence, that he had intended all
along to grant them the liberties they de-
sired. If had done nothing people would
have said, Now the affair is finished: Es-
terhazy has been acquitted Let us say
nothing more about IT. i had to keep the
agitation going, because nobody with any
sense of justice and of humanity can rest
until this fearful error has been rectifled.
AS to the consequences TO myself, in the
first place. je men moque, and, secondly.
they cannot be very serious. With regard
to the criminal prosecution, the penalties
imposed by, the law are not very, heavy.
and as to the other suits that are brought
against me, ] know that it is not the wish
of the government to drive me to extremes.
From a peeuniary point of view 1 am in
different to consequences, and supposing
that an attempt to ruin me were successful.
which can hardly be, / have had offers of
support from numerous friends and did
this week receive such an offer from cor
respondent in Switzerland. / have no
knowledge and no care what effect my act
will have on the sale of my books. l have
never in my books sought after anything
but the truth My life shall be as my
books, an ardent quest for truth and for
Justice