Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1899-10-02
Whv the LEWIS Are Hated.

indisputable fact. But why is it so
The Dreyfus case shows what Jew
hatred has done for France, bu
France is no worse than her neighbors
An edict of expulsion against the race
was even promulgated in Russia no.
long ago. and the same spirit recentl!
turned a sitting of the Austrian pariia-
ment into a free-for-all fight. Ana al
this is nothing new. From the days OF
Joseph down to the end of the I9ti
century, in every country, the Jew mas
been implacably hated and frequently
prosecuted. 1t began centuries before
the crucifixion, and it shows no Signs
of dying away 1t has been one oi 'iic
greatest factors in history making ana
it is still active. The homeless ue-
spised Jew can see no end to MS wan
derings.
There must be some deep, sound rea-
son for this What is it? lt IS not the
religion of the Jew. This was a reason
in Cbrist's time, and it has been one
,+ some stages and in some cases since
then. but it is not so now. There Is
no such religious fanaticism in France
or Austria. and here in America no
ana utters disrespect for the rabbi or
the synagogue. Nor is it in the per-
so,a1 character of the Jew. He is
never a loafer or a disturber of the
neace. He is seldom in the police
court and never burden on the public
charity. He has been staged in many
uncomplimentary forms but never as a
beggar. His home is happy and family
ties are respected. To be sure the Jew
is often a usurer. and is cunning at
driving bargains In his contracts he
keeps the letter of the law and violates
its spirit. He burns his store to get
the insurance. But the Jewish virtues
Cverhalance the vices of the race, and
the ground for universal hatred cannot
be found in personal character.
But there is a reason. and we think
it is admirably given by Mark Twain
in the latest number of Harper's
While this writer is famous as a hui
morist, he is also capable of handling
serious matters seriously and he
treats this matter in most interest
ing manner He tells his readers that
Jews are hated because they are ever
lastingly and everywhere foreigners.
They take no part in the affairs of
government. They feed on a country
little interest in its politics. They are
unpatriotic. They are everywhere for
eigners and seem content to remain so.
Expanding the foreigner idea and
addressing the Jews, Mr.. Clemens
says: Even the angels dislike a for
eigner / am using this word foreigner
in the German sense-stranger. Near
ly all of US have an antipathy to a
stranger even of our own nationality.
We pile gripsacks in vacant seat to
keep him from getting it; and a dog
goes further, and does as a savage
would-challenges him on the spot.
The German dictionary seems to make
no distinction between a stranger and
4 foreigner: in its view stranger is 4
roYeigner-a sound position, l think.
vuu will always be by ways and habits
and predictions substantially strang
rs-foreigners-wherev you are, and
that will probably keep the race
prejudice alive
In conclusion, Mr.. Clemens delivers
this rare apostrophe to the Jewish
race: IF the statistics are right. the
Jews constitute but one per cent. of
the human race. 1t suggests a nebu
lous dim puff of star dust lost in the
blaze of the Milky Way. Properly the
Jew ought hardly to be heard of; but
| he is heard Of. has always been heard
| of. He is as prominent on the planet
as any other people, and his CONNER
| cial importance is extravagantly out
| of proportion to the smallness of his
| bulk His contributions to the worlds
| list of great names in literature,
| science, art, music, finance, medicine
and abstruse learning are also away
| out of proportion to the weakness Of
| his numbers. He has made a marvel
Gus fight in this world, in all the ages;
and has done it with his hands tied be-
| hind him. He could be vain of him
self. and be excused for it. The Egyp-
tan, the Babylonian. and the Persian
rose, filled the planet with sound and
| splendor. then faded to dream-stuff
and passed away; the Greek and the
Roman followed, and made a vast
noise, and they are gone: other peoples
have sprung up and held their touch
high for time. but it burned out, and
they sit in twilight now, or have van
The slight cough NAV