The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1900-01-28
The Terrible Lot Of the Poor Hebrews Who Are
Forced to Live in the Cars Domain.

cent. or the students may be Jews. The
bArbarity OF this act II seen when we re-
member that the city numbers probably
10000 Jews, out of a total OF $4,000 popula-
ton. IA counteract this exclusion some
rich JewS founded and endowed number
Of higher schools In the opinion that the
law would not apply to the institutions
thus founded. In some instances the
founding Of such schools was forbidden
altogether, ana where permission was
granted only the usual s or 10 per cent.
was admitted.
Now, what IL the object of these relent-
less restrictions? To reduce the number
OF professional men who would have the
right of moving about in every section OF
the empire. II n this same motive that
prompted the government to refuse the
sum OF $t0,0 900. offered by prince OF
philanthropy. TO be employed In founding
technical, professional schools for the
Jews.
Forbidden I'm Professions.
Jews cannot be army doctors, veterinary
surgeons. engineers. advocates or attor-
neys. Midwives are at liberty to settle
outside OF the pale or to move about In
territory other than the nine prescribed
gubernia. only II they leaYe their family
and their children What about the
artisans? In 1866 Alexander III. gave them
the right to locate in any part of the en-
sans themselves. were compelled to return
to the pale when q years Of age. Alex
ander III. restricted the meaning OF the
term artisan. Bakers and butchers,
printers and brewers and other trades
were not considered as properly falling un-
der the term. As a result. thousands
who had been settled outside Of the pale,
had resided In various cities for period
OF from twenty TO thirty years and estab-
lished q prosperous and permanent busi-
ness, were summsrily expelled. Can any
one realize the horrors and misery such
merciiess expulsions inflicted on those
downtrodden men and women? Think
what 1t means to have been born In GER
tain place, to have lived there all your life,
to have established your dearest associa-
tons with city or town and its inhab-
itants, to have your friends and relatives
and parents buried there, and then to re-
ceive the edict OF immediate departure--a
departure which means separation from
business and home, into city unknown,
into q life replete with trials and tribula-
tions, distress and despair, where ten CO.
religionists are compelled to compete with
him. Half million Jews who had lived
outside Of the pale were driven back, and,
altogether, 1,450,000 men were deprived or
their former means of livelihood.
have not yet spoken OF the exorbitant
taxes Imposed upon all Jews. In <addi-
don to the regular revenues enacted from
all classes. they have to pay special.
called the '.bcx tax" This IL on every
ing to the Jewish rite and declared Mt for
food; on every pound Of meat sold; on
every house, shop, factory or warehouse
rented or owned by Jew; on every gar
ment specially worn: on every candle or
light burned IN the home or In the syna-
gogue; on every article. pamphlet or book
printed by or for the Jews; on all sums
bequeathed These taxes. collected annu-
ally, exceed the sum of 1,500 900 rubles.
Instead of being applied to the support OF
the schools, Jewish and non-Jewishy they
are employed for individual, improper and
scandaIons purposes Only last week l
saw in q report that the governor of the
province of Cherson was accused by the
senate Of having appropriated 10000 rubles
used In the erection of q synagogue. while
the governor of Kishiner borrowed"
100000 rubles to build. himself an official
residence.
The greatest Inducements are held out
to Jews to change their ancestral faith.
A convert to the Orthodox church receives
Is to 30 rubles. He has complete freedom
as to choice Of place Of residence or means
of livelihood He escapes any legal pro-
cess by a brother Jew. Children can turn
Christians upon the attainment of the
fourteenth year without the consent of
their parents A married Jew or Jewess
embracing Christianity is at once divorced
from his or her husband or wife.
And so we might continue the citation
of laws, as incredible as they are in
Vulnerable. showing how, at the closing
year Of this century Of boosted enlight-
eminent and culture. body of patriotic
men and women are treated as barbarously
and as outrageously az was ever an UNI
cultured tribe in the dark ages. A bril-
liant English writer pictured the deplor-
able situation In graphic language when he
said:
1.-THE lives of 100000 people. whose in
stincts., aptitudes and moral sensibiiities
their Christian feliow-subjects, are thus
made literally uncomfortable. Scoffed at,
terrorized and robbed by everybody with
that certain impunity which incites to
crime; insulted, beaten and kept In con-
slant fear of violence by vile rabble
whom they dare not irritate by even a
slight success In business or trade; held
up to the scorn and indignation of all
Russia by the governmental press as the
authors Of every calamity, avoidable and
unavoidable; education an instruction de-
nisd them. the learned professions and the
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