The progressive farmer. [volume] (Winston, N.C.) 1886-1904, 1899-03-28

jews, WnOm Gue V9rman prlnCelinpo
as well as the Austrian emperors. ba33
treated with extreme severity. NJ
immigration of Jews into France con
tinued after the fall of Napoleon. ana
some of the most loyal and distinguishes
citizenship of France has been recruitoS
from the ranks of these Jewish INN;
grants. The jewish genius for trad,
soon asserted itself. To day French
banking and finance, as we'll as a laroo
share of the manufacturing indus5rie.
OF France, are in the hands Of the Jews
It was largely Jewish capital that paid
the enormous indemnity to Prussia in
1871, that furnished the means for tbo
construction Of the Suez Canal, and
finally foisted upon the French pgopIa
noble ladies contributing from tbei,
ancestral fortunes and shopkeepers
from their frugal saving-that vast
swindle of malodorous memory, thu
Panama Canal scheme. Israel's IeDu.
tation for sharp practice, whether de-
served or not, has grated itself upon
the French imagination with persist,
ent tenacity. 1t has become a fixed
idea with the great bulk of the people
of FtRnce, that the Jews are a race Of
vampires who are feeding upon the
blood of France; and that each indi-
viduaI Jaw is at heart, if not actually.
a robbsr and a traitor to the country.
Therefore, any political or economic
development that has the effect Of
throwing discredit upon the Jews is
hailed as a godsend by politicians and
people alike. 1t is needless, for the
purposes of the present article, to enter
upon a discussion of the actual guiltor
innocence of Dreyfus. 1t is plain that
the former captain Of artillery was not
convicted with judicial regularity.
This fact has been demonstrated with
sumc ient force. We're Dreyfus rot
Jew, the citizenship of the republic
would have risen long ago and de-
manded a fair process of law to de-
termine the innocence of the prisoner,
or place his guilt beyond the reach Of
controversy"
Understanding then the part played
by race prejudice, let us take up the
case proper. Something less than five
years ago-in the fall of 1894, to be eZ.
act-Captain Alfred Dreyfus, a Jew,
who had up to that time held a peal.
ton on the General Staff OF the War
Department, and who was theretorein
possession Of important military
secrets, was accused of treason and
placed under arrest. Dreyfus was q
most brilliant officer, belonged to a
wealthy Jewish family, and the people
we're loath to believe him a traitor.
The charge against him was that be
had communicated to the governme0ta
of Germany and Italy certain doct
ments and military secrets of such q
nature that they might result in a dec
laration of war. The military tribunal
met Dec. 10, 1894, for the purpose Of
trying the case. The proceeding were
kept secret, because it was said that
publication of the evidence might
cause Germany to declare war against
France. So Dreyfus was declared
guilty the people not knowing
whether or not the finding was just
and sentenced to dismissal from the
army and imprisonment for life. ALI
this time Dreyfus persistenly protested
his innocence, and even when, sur
rounded by thousands of Kissing epeC
ia tors, the insignia of his rank and bis
uniform buttons were torn from him
he bore himself with unfinching firm.
ness and said only: II am innocent!
Long live France!"
Capt. Dreyfus was soon on his way
to D5vil's Island, the spot selected fol-
his imprisonment. His wife beggedto
be allowed to share his captivity, but
this request was, of course, denied;
She and her friends then set about try
ing to find some flaw in the finding Of
the court which would give Dreytus
new trial. It was pointed out that
Dreytus was wealthy and could not
therefore have been tempted with
money to batray his country; that the
governments of both Italy and Ger
many denied having had any com
m~unication with him; that the chieI
proof against him was a list of docu
ments says to a foreign embassy, which
he denied having written, and thai
the experts who examined the li1
were not unanimously of the opinion
that Dreytus was it's author.
A little later Lieutenant Colon@
P.cquart, who had been for quite 8
-A.An - L. LnnA "a AA.nn.n I'm,