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


dress to the Jews Of Algiers, as the
spiritual son Of the illustrious and vener-
able CREMIEux.' As lately as 1892 MoRI-
MAUD, who, after DBUMoNT. is the flercest
Jew batter in the present Chamber Of Dep
utles, made bid for the POO Jewish
voters OF Constantine. They refused the
bid, hence his anti-Semitism. There was,
however no serious proposal to rescind
the Cremieux decree until 1897, when a
petition, drawn up by the two deputies
above mentioned, together with DRUMoNT
and MAX REGIS MILANO, naturalizcd
Italian was circulated In the colony, but
received only 5000 signatures. Through
their influence nevertheless. over the
French coonists and the superstitious
Maltese, italian and Spanish residents, the
ant-Semitic agitators soon gained control
OF most OF the municipalities. The result
was that thousands Of Jews we're stricken
Off the electoral registers on false or frivo-
lous grounds. When those who remained
registered tried to vote they were mobbcd
or nsulted by organized bards Of rowdies.
by exciting the fanaticism Of tho Arabs, the
anti-Semites induced bands OF street portcrs
and loafers to terrorize the poorer Jews by
breaking their windows and sacking their
shops The better classes OF Israelites
were bounded out Of the cafes and places
OF entertainment. In the city OF Algiers
the leader Of the anti-Semitic agitation Is
the Italian before mentioned, MAX REGIS
MILANo, lately Mayor OF the place, and au-
thor of the phrase that the tree OF liberty
must be watered with the blood OF Jews
Assisted by DRUMoNT. he eventually ex-
cited the rabble of Algiers to such pitch
of frenzy that, in January, 1898, verita-
bic st. Bartholomew massacre Of the
poorer Jews took place in Algicrs Their
houses and synagogues were looted
and burned; Spanish viragos with
whips seized female Jewish children and
scourged them naked through the streets;
sick Jews were cast naked out Of the hosp-
tails; women were dragged by their hair
through the city and their husbands were
dubbed to death before their eyes. After
the massacre was stopped by the French
authorities, jewish children were shut out
of the public schools by the popularity
elected Mayors; the shops Of Jews were
boycotted; the public markets were closed
TO them by threats and violence and their
customers were insuted and maltrented.
What are the pretexts for this reverson
to the Jew-baiting Of the middle ages? The
Jews are accused of draining Algeria OF
gold, Of getting hold Of all the real prop
erty, of driving colonists and natives off
the land which has been cleared and broken
up, Of forcing their way into the admins
trative bureaus and usurping all the better
paid posts. Mr.. CoNYBEARE found that the
last Of these charges admits Of easy dis
proof. Out of 3,224 municipal coun-
cillors in the entire colony 2,S71 are
of French extraction, 314 are natural
lied natives and only 80 are Jews.
The public functionares, all OF whom
have the parliamentary franchise, are rs, :
500: OF these but 25S are Jews The
charge of cxtortionate usury seems to DO
rcfuted by the local proverb that it needs
II Jews to take in one Kabyl. Mr.. CONY-
BEARE learned that, az matter OF fact, the
Jews accept lesser rates than do other
Insurers, because they insist upon better
securities. Even IL the charge OF extortion
could be- proven, it is evident that mere loss
of the franchise would not prevent the Jews
| in Algeria from trading, and banking. and
| lending money That is why the pro-
Pra1llIne Oh Ins duJl-Stlnlllc dplldJOTS Ill
| cludes the confiscation Of their goods and
| their expulsion from French territory.
| A recent incident has Indicated that the
| crusade against the Jews, which is carried
to such inhuman lengths in Algeria, is
viewed with approval in France. MAX
REGIS MILANo WAS deprived by the gov.
erning Project of his office of Mayor OF
| Algers, and arrested on the charge Of in
stigating the atrocious persecution to
which the poorer Jews in that city have
been subjected. On the ground that q
| jury willing to do Justice to the Jews could
not be secured in Algiers, the French
Government transferred the trial Of the
accused to Grenoblc, where. on April rs OF
this year, in spite of the conclusive evil
dcnce adduccd against him. MAX REGIS
| MILASo was acquitted. One month later
the acquttal of tn" assassin was celebrated
in Algiers by pilgrimage OF hundred
harnfooted Italian youths to the Church o.
Notre Dame d'Afrique There, before ar
enormous congregation, a solemn thanks
giving mass was celebrated by the priest
in honor of an episode dsgraccful and hu
initiating in the sight OF every right-think
| tn, In no niy world