The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1899-07-13
Jew-Baiting in Algeria.

The programme OF tho French anti
Semites seems almost incredible to Ameri-
can citizens habtuatod to the tolerant
spirit which ia embodied in our Federal
Constitution. That programme contem-
plates, first, tho disfranchsement of tho
Jews, next, the contiscation of their prop
erty. and, finally, their expulsion from
France. That the proclamation OF purpose
to revive medieval prescription is sincere
must be Inferred from the course now pur-
sued in Algeria toward the Jews, who are
there subjected to persecution the brutal
ity OF which is impnrfrrtly realized in Eng
land and the United States. With view
of asccrtainng the facts relating to the
subject, Mr.. +. CoSYBEARE. the well-known
English champion of DWEYFuS, lately made
visit to Algeria. tn" results of which will
be found set forth in the July number of
the London National Roric,c.
After the occupation of Algeria by tho
French. which began in 1890, the Jewish
Inhabitants. like TN" Arabs, became French
subjects, but not French citizens: that is
to say, they continued to live under their
own laws and We're exempt from the opera
tion of the French Code. We scarcely need
to point out that life under the Talmudic
law implied much that is irrcconcilahlc
with the Code Napoleon. II meant, for in
stance, that tho father of family had
right to dismiss daughter with one-tcnth
of his property whereas her brother il sho
had but one, took the other ninc-tcnths II
meant the observance of the SO-callcd Ic-
virate, which imposes upon man tho OBJ
legation of marrying his brothers. widow,
adding her to his own wife in case he is al
ready married. Polygamy, in other words,
was not extinct among the Algerian Jews,
any more than il is now among other
Jews who live In n MOhammcdan environ
mcnt. With pOlyEamy went the Talmudic
latitude Of divorce. Up to the year 1915
the Algerian Jews not only lived under the
TnImudic law, hut had civil and administra-
tiveauthoritics of their own, who regulated
the collective affairs OF their community
and settled disputes between ono jew and
another These Offices were abolished in
lS45 and thonceforth II drvolvcd on the
French officials to carry out the Tnlmudic
law in regard to marriage, succession to
property and other interests. This proved
impractirablo, and il was soon recognized
that the only remedy for the resultant con-
fusion lay in the wholesale naturalization
VI NV Anger lhll '''NS' IpI IluIlN NiuIS pre-
viousy to 1870 the Jews in Algeria
petitioncd to be cnfranchscd, and all
classes Of Frrnchmcn favored their
claim The disposition to grant their
petition was strengthened by the at
tachmont to France which the Algerian
Jews had from III" first exhibited. At the
time of the conquest they supplied the adj
vancing troops with Interpreters who were
never accused of trcachory. They fur
nshcd the French invaders with brilliant
officers of SpahS, and at the siege of Orun,
In S33, it was their assistance which
turned tn" scale Of victory. When the war
with Germany hrOk" out in 1870 the Algo-
rian Jews came forward in numbers To
serve as volunteers or mlitiamcn ON tho
side of France. Thus il came to pass that
on Oct. IS, 1870, CREMIEUX, GAMBET.TA,
FoURICHON and GLAIS- BlHOIN, representing
the provisional Government. signed a de,
cree cmancipating the Algerian Jews That
decree is in fore" to-day, and il is TN" r..
peal of it which is drm"ulrd 10y tho anti.
Scmt"s in Algeria
For many years all parties were satisfied
with the working Of til" Cr'mi"uX policy
MARCHAL, who Is now II furious anti-Srm
lite, wrote a book in 1871 to prove that the
Jews are, physically and morally, as good