Daily capital journal. (Salem, Or.) 1896-1899, 1898-02-12
France and The Jews,
The Great Controversy Over Capt.
Dreyfus.
Editor De Gueryilie Writes in the Illus
trated American.

Jew-baiting.
The auti-Semitic passions which
the recent French riots have disclosed
are really incomprehensible TO the
average American.
On this soil hatred of the Hebrew
race is indigenous. Meddlesome for
eigners baye at times tried to stir up
medieval rancor in this country, but
all their attempts have been fruitless.
We have an invincible tradition
that the question of racial origin is
totally irrelevant in both our politi-
cal and economic life, and the anti
Semitic agitators Of Russia, Germany
and France find no listeners here.
The clearest of lines, also, is to be
drawn between social incompatibility
and political or business hostility.
If there is sometimes a social sensi-
tiveness between Jew and Gentle, IL
is not to be taken too seriously by
either. Many of the Hebrew race
have a way of fiocking together soc.
tally and accenting the personal traits
which differentiate them from the
rest of society.
Many Germans and many Irish do
the same, aud whenever they do it
the social result is the same.
AS a people we like to believe that
about the same human maxims pre-
vail all around the world, aud We pre-
fer to accept the larger and more ia
miliar type of man until we find The
case an exception.
FRANCE AND THE JEWS.
"Abas les Fuiis ~ Such is the cry
which is being howled by madly ex.
cited population from one end of
France TO the other, according to the
reports of the daily press.
Such reports, however, must not be
accepted without much caution,
Riots often appear faI more serious by
cable than they really are.
Indeed, many sO-called exciting
scenes which were discussed at col
umn's length in New York papers
have frequently proved so msgnitied,
that when they reached the other side
people there did not know what it
was all about.
Still, there is no doubt that in
France exists strong feeling against
Hebrews, and many facts of interest
touching this point can be brought
to light.
In discussing the matter, it may be
we'll to state that have no personal
feeling whatever against the Jews.
l have among them many a good
friend, and l shall never forget that
years ago, when boy Of IS, strug-
Cling for a living IN the far West, and
suddenly taken ill, German Jew eX-
tended his hand to me, and in those
dark days proved the truest, most de
voted, most generous of friends.
The bitter feeling which now pre-
walls in France against the Jews orig
mated probably in the violent vocal
and printed attacks of Socialists and
Anarchists upon the Rothschilds and
other great bankers of Paris.
The upper classes, the nobility and
haute bourgeoisie took but little in
terest in these outbursts, and even TO-
day many Jews are received in the
most exclusive circles Of Partisan So
ciety.
The masses paid still less attention
to the anti-Jew campaign until a few
years ago, when the publication OF
book called LA France Juive," by
Edouard Drumont, created in France
an immense sensation, and the com
motion which it caused then has ever
been felt siuce, both among the
classes and the masses.
Edouard Drumont is a writer or
tremendous talant and force OF per-
suasion, with a deep knowledge OF the
French character He knows that
there are no points on which the
French are so tOuchy aud eXcitaole
as on the question of 'patIiotism," !"
and especially anything that touches
the nations honor, particularly since
the war of 1870.
For this reason he based his attacks
upon the Jews on patriotic grounds.
In short, he claimed in his book that
the Franco-Prussian war was brought
about by machinations and schemes
of German Jews allied to French Jews
and that the French defeats were
caused by similar machinations,
1t is we'll known that Empress Eu-
genie did her best 10 bring about the
war, and Drumont claims that she
was advised by her private confesseur
a certain Abbe Bauer, Berlin Jew
disguised as a Catholic priest, who
had been sent to her by Bismarck.
When the war broke out Bauer disap-
peared and went over to the Germans
He is no more priest, but tremen-
dously wealthy sportsman.