The Savannah morning news., 1902-09-18

double purpose of protecting the long
suffering Jews of the Balkan states
and of averting the very present peril
of the immigration into the United
States of a horde of paupers, Secre-
tary Hay has adopted the unusual
course of appealing to the Powers of
Europe to force one of their children
to observe the obligations of humanity
In the case of the Jews. The appeal
takes the form of a state paper re-
narkabl in several respects, which
has been dispatched in identical form
to every ambassador and minister OF
the United States residing in one OF
the countries of Europe who were par
ties to the famous Berlin treaty of 1873,
namely, Great Britain. France, Ger
many Russia Italy, Austria and Tur-
key, marking the termination of the
Turko- Russian war, and the creation
by the direct act of the Powers of the
Independent Balkan states. Because the
Powers are thus responsible for the ex-
istencc of Roumania, the culprit in this
case, the Secretary of State has direct
ed the note to them in the hope Nthat
they will bring this government
to a sense of its duties towards civili-
cation at large, as well as to cause it
to ameliorate the frightful condition of
the Roumanian Jews. In measure
this action by the Department of State
may be traced to numerous petitions
from Jewish societies and humanitar-
ians generally, as well as to the warn
ings of pubHcists respecting the grow
ing dangers of the immigration of de-
generates. The document, which is
dated Aug. IL, says in part:
THE United States welcomes now, as
it has welcomed from the foundation
of it's government, the voluntary i'm
migration of all aliens coming hither
under conditions fitting them to become
merged in the body polite of this land.
Our laws provide the means for them
to become Incorporated indistinguish-
ably in the mass of citizens, and pre-
scribe their absolute equality with the
native-born, guaranteeing to them
equal civil rights at home and equal
protection abroad. The voluntary
character of their coming is essential;
hence we shut out all immigration as
sisted or constrained by foreign agen-
cies. The purpose of our generous
treatment of the alien immigrant is to
benefit us and him alike-not to afford
to another state a field upon which to
cast its own Objectionable ele-
ments. 1t behooves the state
70 scrutirhze most jealousy
the character of the immigration from
TO objection, to examine the causes
which render it so. Should those
causes originate in the act of another
sovereign state, to the detriment of it's
neighbors, it is the prerogative of an
injured state to point out the evil and
TO make remonstrance; for with
nations as with individuals, the social
law holds good that the right of each is
bounded by the right of the neighbor.
The Conditions in ROumania.
The condition of a large class of the
Inhabitants of Roumania has for many
years been a source of grave concern
10 the United States. l refer to the
Roumanian Jews, numbering some AGO.
O0O. Long ago, while the Danubian
principalities labored under oppressive
conditions which only war and a gen.
eral action of the European Powers
sufficed to end. the persecution of the
Jews under Turkish rule called forth in
1872 the strong remonstrance of the
united States. The treaty of Berlin
was hailed as a cure for the wrong, in
view of the express provisions OF It's
44th article, prescribing that in Rou-
mania, the difference of religious creeds
and confessions shall not be alleged
against any person as a ground for ex-
clusion or incapacity in matters re-
latlng to the enjoyment of civil and po-
htical right, admission to pub
lie employments. functions and
honors, or the exercise of various pro-
ressions and industries in any locality
whatsoever
With the lapse of time these Just
prescriptions have been rendered mug
atory in great part, as regards the ma
i've Jews by the legislation and NUM-
opal regulations of Roumania. Start
ing from the arbitrary and controverti-
Die premise that the native Jews of
Roumania domiciled there for centuries
are aliens now subject to foreign pro-
lection, the ability of the Jew to earn
even the scanty means of existence
mat suffice for a frugal race has been
constructed by degrees, until nearly ev-
cry opportunity to win livelihood is
denied; and until the helpless poverty
VI the jew has constrained an exodus
OF such proportions as to cause gener-
al concern.
RoumaBin's Inhumanfty.
The political disabilities OF the Jews
III houmania, their exclusion from the
public service and the learned profess
sions, the limitations of their civil
rights and the imposition upon them
oi exceptional taxes, involving as they
20 wrongs repugnant to the moral
sense ~ liberal modern peoples are
Hot 80 directly IN point for my present
purpose as the public acts which at
t4ek the inherent right OF man as .
nieaa winner 20 the ways Of aerieui~
IRE ana trade, The Jews are prohib-
asa from owning land, or even from
ss4iuFating II as common iab0rers.
'AsE are de6arred from residing IA the