Omaha daily bee., 1903-05-25
RAISES VOICE FOR The JEW
Noted New York Divine DevOtes Sermon To
Wrongs Of the Race.
RUSSIA NOT ONLY COUNTRY At FAULT
Here in Oar own Land the Spirit Ot
Persecution which Has Held
sway for Centuries IL
Manifest.

BALTIMORE, Nd. May 2L-Dr. Madison
c. Peters, for thirteen years pastor in New
York. but now preaching in the Baptist
tabernacle here and we'll known as the
/ author of Justice to the jew" The Jew
/ as Patriot" and other volumes, again
| lifted his voice against the persecution of
and prejudice against the Jew in his ser
| mon today. DIR. Peters not only denounced
the unspeakable atrocities, but vigorously
defended the Russian Jew. He said: The
100000 Jews in Russia are scattered among
| ignorant, fanatical and demoralized peas
ants, who rob and plunder them at their
| will. The schools are closed against the
Jews, lucrative professions are forbidden
them. they are huddled together in the
least productive provinces of the cars
realm, and their only means Of subsistence
is trading with ignorant masses; yet there
is only one Jewish criminal to every 2,rO
individuals, whereas among non-Jews the
proIo ortion is one to every Ills.
"rhis massacre will undoubtedly lead to
an immigration from Russia hitherto un-
| equalled. We need have less fear from
Russian Jews than many other immi-
grants, especially II we scatter them
| throughout the country. II you will read
| the names annually of the public school
| children who have passed the entrance ex-
| amlnatlOn TO tne SuD-ITeSnndn SAaSSCS u
the colleges of the city Of New York, Phil
| adelphia, Chicago, Boston, Baltimore ana
other large centers, you will find the
Cosinskys, sesmorskys, CzarcowslOis, and
| other names Of unmistakable Jewish fam
! lies from Russia and Poland. The children
| OF the Russian immigrants are crowding
| our schools, colleges and universities, they
! are busy qualifying themselves for sue
| cess and while even many OF the German
| Jews are often reviling their Russian CO.
| religionists, they are broadening their
minds. The libraries of the great cities
will tell you that their best patrons ara
the young Russian and Polish Jews They
read and devour American history ana
biography, philosophy and science. In the
spanish-American war the Russian Jews
| furnished more than double their share
| of volunteers.
| Russia Not Alone.
"In n measure at least Americans are
! guilty of the same crime we denounce on
Russia and the Russians. In America
| the Jew has a double claim to recognition
the claim of the man under the wide toll
| erance Of the twentieth century, ana the
| claim of the American citizen under the
broad spirit Of the American constitution
| Has he received the treatment he merits
as a man and the rights he deserves as a
citizen? He is caricatured in the comic
papers and our stage; in our social pro-
! fessional, and even political clubs he is
blackballed. The wealthy Jew. looking for
a summer resort will be handed circular
hearing the foot note mo Jews taken
The lew is excluded from society. Hosts
apologize for the stranger by assuring you
! that he is a good fellow, II he is a Jew
Mass meetings have been held In sew
eral cities for the purpose OF protesting
against the continual ill-treatment and
persecution to which the poor Jews In gen.
eral and Jewish peddlers in particular, are
subjected, not only by the hoodlums but
! by the school children. In Detroit, the
mayor had to make a special appeal to the
police to prevent violence and injustice. In
Chicago, the mayor sent request to the
president OF the Board Of Education, the
| result of which was that the superin-
tendent OF schools issued instructions to
the principals of all schools to warn their
pupils against calling offensive names
throwing stones or otherwise injuring poor
Jews These instructions were carried out
by means of the principals. The arch
bishop was also approached on the sub
Ject
II have seen Jewish children go home from
our public schools in tears because of the
Offensive names with which they were
taunted. Outrages are frequently perpe-
| trated upon the Jews In our cities under
the very noses of the police-outrages
| which are disgrace to our republic.
Russian and Roumanian immigrants who
are striving with might and main to earn
a livelihood meet with a reception from
the denizens of the streets not at all cred
| table to American citizenship. Have you
forgotten the outrage committed on the
Jews in New York. a few months since,
when they reverently paid homage to their
dead chief rabbi?
"Anti-Semites may be divided into two
classes the rich Jews and the poor Chris
tians II is not to the credit of the rich
and influential Jews of our cities that they
do not seek to right these wrongs heaped
upon their poorer brethren. These toiling
co-religionists are worthy OF the influence
and assistance of their more fortunate
brethren. The non-Jewish world has only
contempt for the Jew who does not seek
to make the name OF Jew respected
throughout every nook and corner of the
world"