The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1899-06-15
AN7I.SEMITISM.
MAX Nordan's Suggestion. Tho Jews
"Must Either Ccnso Being u Minor.
ity or CcnS(e Reinp Dt.tiur,,ieb, III, "

MAX Nordan's Suggestion Tho Jews
"Must Either Ccusc Being u Minor.
ity or Cease Being DistinguishaDle."
New York Sun: The argument OF
Max Nordau that the Jews, In order to
escape from the consequence Of anti
Semitic prejudice, must either cease
being a minority or ease being dlstin-
guishable." Is undoubtedly sound. That
Is, they must either adopt the "zIon-
LIST" plan and congregatc In Palestine or
give up their distinction as peculiar
people by becoming assImIlated with
other races. Mr.. Nordau assumes that
to break down this barrier Of race sep
aratton they must be baptized and be-
come Christians, but this is not so OBJ
vious. The basis OF the anti-Semitic
prejudice is not religious. but rather
chronological. r
Any people who insist on keeping
themselves distinct. peculiar. SO that
they preserve easily distiHgulshable ply
sicaland moral race characteristics. are
sure to create prejudice against them.
The negroes nre forced by the very
natural condition OF their color to be
thus distinguishable In spite OF their
will. ind for that reason they cannot
escape from unfavorable discrlminn-
ton. The Jews, In keeping themselves
peculiar by marrying almost wholly
among themselves only for thousands
of years, have perpetuated Il distinct
and easily recognizable physiognomy,
with accompanying traits Of character,
which provoke the dislike OF other peo-
pies. even without any assistance from
religious prejudice. This feeling Is the
more universal among other races, be-
cause the Jews are scattered through
out the world. and everywhere preserve
their distinction as a peculiar people.
Nowhere are they congregated as 4
separate nation. and the aim OF the
Zionist movement. to which Mr.. Nor.
dau refers is to bring about that con-
solidntion for the special purpose OF
enabling them TO resist this common
race hostility.
1t Is impossible however. that the
movement should be successful. 1t
runs counter 10 the whole history Of the
Jews since thelr dispersion, and to their
very genius Ms n race. The Jews dis
tribute themselves over the world un-
der the influence Of their self interest,
and since generally their remarkable
sagacity impels them to go where they
nre most likely TO be successful, Il may
be assumed that Palestine itself offers
them no such opportunity. else there
would be no need Of Zionist move
ment. They would flock to Palestine
OF their own motion II 1t was an invt-
Ing field for their energy and enterprise
and that they do not go thlther In any
great numbers even under the artificial
pressure Of Zionism Is sufficient evil
dence that their acute dIscernment rec
ognizes that elsewhere their chances
are better. Jews from Russia. Hun
gary, and Austria, for instance, make
up large part Of the immigration to
this country. though the Journey
hither Is so much longer than to Pales-
tine. They 90 not go to Palestine. for
the good reason that there Is no chance
for their prosperous development there.
Mr.. Nordau's remedy for conquerlnS
the evil Of antI-Sem!tlc prejudice by
concentrating the Jews In Palestine as
| they will control as majority. Is
| therefore manirestly impracucablc.
They have prospcred too much, even In
| the countries where that prejudice Is
strongest. to be willing to exile them
selves to Puleatinc at the sacrifice or
| far superior material advantages else
where. The many signs OF prosperous
Jewish mercantile houses In Broadway,
for Instance, ARE not likely to be trans
ferred to Jerusalem, nor will the multi
| tude of jew brokers In Wall street
leave the tckers In that financial mart
to get up n stock exchange In the Holy
| city. or course they will not; Iionism
is n mere dream: the Jews Will never
accentuatc still further their peculiar
ity na n people BY putting themselves
| outside OF the current OF affairs In
which they are swimming to extrnor-
binary prosperity. though that very
prosperity Berves to intensity the nntl-
| t.n,,i,j, prni,,Ilrn .r.. ... ...
II the Jews did not have way OF
getting to the front In nll the depart
mcnts OF trade In which they engage.
In the exchanges md the professions.
the BentIment ngninst them would be
| tcss emphatic. but prosperity acts as n
ealve for the wounds II ini'!cts upon
their sensibilities. Her" In New York
children OF Iews nre tho foremost pu-
pils In the public schools and Columbia
University In crowded with them. They
arc not going to tho protltlcss field OF
Palestine, II may be Get down. there
fore, MS established beyond tho poBBl-