The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1903-04-02
lHE JEW IN OUR CONGRESS.
NO PREJUDICE THERE AGAINST
HIM As A JEW.

Julius Kahn Oh California. n. N. Goldfegie
Of THIS CITY and Adeiph Meyer Of
, Leuisiana Arc Among Popular Men IN
the heuse-Ex-senater Simon Mistaken
! WASHINGTON. April THE bitter criti.
cism passed upon President Roosevelt
by ex-senator Joseph Simon OF Oregon,
In which Simon practically accuses the
President Of working to prevent his return
to the United States Senate because he Is
Jew, brings up a question that is fire.
quently asked In Washington: Why are
there no few Jews In Congress and public
/ office?
In the last Congress there were four
Jews-three Congressman and one Senator
The Representatives were Julius Kahn
OF California. Adolph Meyer Of Louisiana
and Henry M. Goldfogle Of New York
The Senator was Joseph Simon Of Oregon.
Messrs. Goldfogle and Meyer were re-
elected to the Fifty-eighth Congress. Mr..
Kahn was defeated, but by irregular bal
lots, and. he will contest the election, with
good prospects Of being seated Mr.. Simon
was defeated for Senator after bitter fight,
being succeeded by Charles w. Fulton.
Messrs. Meyer and Goldfogle are Demo-
Gratis. and Messrs. Simon and Kahn are
Republicans.
Joseph Simon In the United States Senate
was like a cat In q strange garnet. He
made few friends, never made q speech,
had no confdants and took no steps in any
manner to mingle with the crowd. He
was on several important committees,
notably that OF the judiciary. and dis
charged his duties with faithfulness-re-
markable fidelity and application. In fact
and with ability. He was treated with
respect by other Senators. as a matter of
course; but his own distant and even cold
manner forbade advances. He preferred
9. mere nodding acquaintance, even with
his near neighbors on the floor, like Dcpew
OF New York and Penrose Of Pennsylvania,
to closer companio nship.
Quite a different character was that of
rotund Julius Kahn of San Francisco.
Kahn was hail fellow well met with every
dent and acquainted with every Senator.
He had great gifts as public speaker.
He was an actor who trod the boards
with Booth, Jefferson. Salvini, w. j. Flor
ence and others famous in their day Kahn
is still young man-round, jolly, dimpled.
smooth shaven, with curly hair just be-
ginning to be streaked with gray. He Is q
good story teller. and often drew a crowd
around him In the cloakroom with his
stories Of old actor days or Of his experience
The brief service Of julius Kahn in pub
lie life showed conclusively that there is
no prejudice in Congress against the Jew
as jew. Kahn's religious belief and his
race were things apart from his duty as
legislator; and were not dragged in, either |
by himself or by his associates They |
accepted him as he was-an American |
citizen, brilliant, witty. ambitious and in |
dnstrious. There was as much difference |
between Kahn and Simon as between |
laughter and gloom.
Kahn was often at the White House,
where both Mckinley and Roosevelt re-
ceived him with cordiality. He dined oc-
at the Presidents table, and |
furnished his share Of the diversion. IL
President Roosevelt is an enemy Of the
Jew In public life. as the saturnne Simon
suggests, he concealed his dislike cleverly
In the case OF julius Kahn.
Messrs, Meyer and Goldfogle have high
places in Congress, won by sterling
qualities.
Mr.. Meyer. especially, IL an important
factor in legislation by reason Of his place
in the Committee on Naval Affairs. He is
at the head OF the minority, and serves in
The conference committee, where his
views have weight in the final shaping Of
legislation pertaining to the navy.