Mexico weekly ledger. (Mexico, Mo.) 1855-1956, 1903-07-02

were founding this republic. From
that day to the present, we have had
no struggle, military or civil, in which
there have not been citizens of Jewish
faith, who played an eminent part for
the honor and the credit of the nation.
/ remember once Gen. Howard men,
tioning to me the fact that two of the
brigade commanders, upon whom he
had placed special reliance, were Jews.
Among the meetings of the Grand
Army which l have attended one
stands out with peculiar vividness-a
meeting held under the auspices Of
the men of the Grand Army of Jewish
creed, in the temple in Forty-fourth
street, Temple Emanuel, to welcome
the returned veterans of the Spanish
American war Of Jewish faith.
"When in Santi ago, when l was
myself in the army, one of the best
colonels among the regular regiments
who did SO well on that day and who
fought beside me was Jew. One Of
the commanders Of the ships which in
the blockade OF the Cuban coast did so
well was Jew. In my own regiment
L promoted five men from the ranks
for valor and good conduct In battle.
1t happened by pure accident, for 1
knew nothing of the faith of any one
of them, that these included two Pro-
testants, two Catholics and one Jew,
and, while this was pure accident, it
was not without its value as an illus
tration of the ethnic and religious
makeup Of our nation, and of the fact
that If man is a good American that
is all we ask without thinking of his
creed or his birthplace,
''In the same way, when l was Police
Commissioner Of New York, had ex-
perience after experience of the excel
lent work done-an excellent work
needing nerve and hardihood, excel
lent work, OF what l might call the
Maccabee type-in the police depart
ment under me by police officers Of
Jewish extraction.
"Let me give you one little incident
with direct bearing upon this ques-
tion of persecution for race or religious
reasons. You may possibly recall-I
am sure certain of my New York
friends will recall - that during the
time l was Police Commissioner man
came from abroad-I am sorry to say,
a clergyman-to start an anti-Jewish
agitation in New York announced his
intention of holding meetings to
assail the Jews. The matter was
brought to my attention. $ or course, i
had no power to prevent these meet
ings. After good deal of thought /
detailed Jewish sergeant and forty
Jewish policemen to protect the
agitator while he held his meetings
SO he made his speeches denouncing
the Jews, protected exclusively by
Jews, which l always thought was
probably the very most effective an.
swer that could possibly be made tc
him, and probably the best object
lesson we could give Of the spirit in
which we Americans manage such
matters.
"Now, let me give you another little
example dealing with a Russian Jew,
an experience that had while hand
ling the police department. and that
could have occurred, think nowhere
else than In the United States. There
was certain man | appointed under
the following conditions: l was at
tracted to him by being told OF a visit
to the Bowery branch of the Young
Mems Christian Association. that thel
had young fellow there, Jew, who
had performed a feat of great note in
saving people from burning build
ing, and that they thought he wa,
Just the type for policeman. l hat
him called up, and told him TO TAKE
the examination and see IL he could
get through. He did, and he passed
He has no. only been an excellent 20
liceman, but he at once, out Of his sal
ary, proceeded TO educate his younger
brothers and sisters, and he got eithel
two or three Of his kinsfolks over from
Russia through the money he hat
saved, and then provided homes fo
them.