New-York tribune., 1903-03-29
RUSSIA AND THE JEWS.
The Slavic Sleepy Peasant Hates the Shrewd
Semitic.

In Russia met the Jew wherever | went. says
the Rev. Peter Mcqueen in 'Leslie's Weekly
He vas usually business man, or student III
university Although the Russian has great facll-
ity in language the Russian Jew found to be the
most versa tile man in the empire. If l was way
up in the corner Of Siberia and could not make
nv wants known. it was a Jew VINO cOuId SPEAK
the English or the German that I needed Was
I anxious for an interview with the students OF
Warsaw or Moscow then / must find Hebrew
boy who spoke English as well as myself Ana
when I sent back on a cold. dark night some
seventy miles to have my passport vised. and was
unable TO get my ticket to make inquiries II
was a poor Jewish artisan who stayed up half the
night with paid NY ticket, gave me halr OF MS
scanty fare and put me on my train for warsaw
No wonder, then, that was interested IN the con-
dtion Of the Jews in Russia About ten years ago
a dreadful persecution OF this people began In the
Cars domains, and much sympathy was expressed
for them in this country. which at that time gave
to many of them hospitabe asylum
Let US look for a moment at the laws OF Russia
referring to Jews. Russia has between four million
and five million Jews about one-th1Tc or the
entire Poland alone contains over eight nun
dred thousand. In England and America the Jews
have cast off all distinguishing badges and IN Great
Britain some of them stand near to the King In
Russia 1t totally different: they are almost as
distinctive as a Chinaman Is here. The RUSSIAN
Jew wears a curious curl that hangs down to his
chin. His cap of black alpaca sits far PACK upon
his head. His clothes are black: his trousers cut
to his ankles In hand he carries NallSe IN
the other an umbrea-for he IS usually moving
on business, and the Russian Government usually
will not let him stay long in one place
In Russia the Jew is intensely religious; he thinks
as much of the Talmud as he thinks OF his trade.
About twenty years ago Russia restricted the Jews
to a strip running alcEs the borders OF Prussia
Austria Hungary and Rumania. This was the
ST rnitfc zone In Austria Hungary there mill
ion and half. in Germany half a million. and In
Rumania four hundred thousand Jews Of course.
the Russian regards the Jew from his standpoint
and not from the American and English point OF
view The old laws of the empire prohibit the Jews
from settling in Russia ut all Only few priv
ileged classes have technical right to do so
even now-artisans. scholars physicians and Spe-
cIalIv privileged merchants.
The reasons for Russian antipathy to the Jews are
medieval but quite eXplainable. The Slavic
peasant is natured, imDrovident and lazy. The
Jew s energetic SleepeSS, successful along all lines
OF trade. The peasant bOrrO|s money from his
prosperous neighbor. cannot pay it; then the Jew
in self-defenCe has to take his farm. his
tav vern. office The whole matter is seen
TO be a matter of cleverness side-the
ability to toll to save trade we'll. On the other
SIDE waste and ignorance, bringing poverty; then
poverty denouncing cleverness. In this case pow
erty has the guns. and can afford to persecute
cleverness. No doubt, long injustice has made the
Russian Jew in many cases much less agreeable
than his American COmpa0tot.