Custer County Republican. (Broken Bow, Neb.) 1882-1921, 1903-07-16
AMERICA HIS ONLYREFUGE
MDE FOOTBALL OF OLD WORLD FANAT-
ICISM
HAVE RIGHT TO PROTEST
sport OF the RabbIe and the Buffer Against
Which Strikes the Wrath Of Savagery
and Intolerance

Atlanta City N. j., July 13-John
B. Weber of Buffalo, N. Y, late
commissioner of immigration at the
port VI New York and chairman of
the special commission authorised by
congress in 1883 to investigate in
Europe the causes melting immigra-
tion to this country, was speaker
today before the Jewish Chautauqua
on the subject OF "The Status of the
Jews in Russia
10 his address Mr.. Weber charged
the Russian restrictive laws as being
resp nsible for the misery and perse-
cution Of which people read and hear.
he stated that there would DE no
peace, no substantial relief for the
sufferers until the tota disappearance
from Russia of either the Jew or the
special laws direct against him.
Taking up the laws regarding the
right OF residence which the speaker
characterized as especially hard and
oppressive, he briefly sketcbed the
history OF the official DEGREES regula-
ting the area within which the Jews
were permitted to live during the
past forty years.
Summing up the status of the Jew
In Russia, Mr.. Weber said:
"Today he is an alien in the land
OF his birth, subject who beers an
undue share If the burdens of good
government without the privileges of
its meanest citizens Fettered in
his movements, handicapped in his
vocation, restricted in his education
al opportunities, he is unable to pro-
tect him self and powerless to sue
cessfully invoke the protection of the
authorities, slave without the self
interest of a master to shield him
from abuse he stands helpless
against brute force egged on not only
religious intolerance, but by contend
Ing forces that strive to strengthen
the government on the one hand and
to destroy it on the other, the ire
pressible conflict between govern
ment by autocracy and government
by the people. The Jew is therefore
the sport Of the rabble the spoil Of
the official, the footl all Of ranati-
Cism, the buffer against which strikes
the wrath Of bigutry, intolerance
and savagery.
Mr.. Weber asserted strongly the
moral obligation and the legal right,
OF the United States to protest to
the Russian government against it's
treatment of Jews and said:
"We cannot look with unconcern
upon the arrival of the thousands of
hunted, terror stricken human be- |
ings who come to US crushed in spirit |
and impoverished in substance, to |
enter into competition with our re-
spected and Sclf-Iespecting labor.
Neither is 1t an answer to say that
we have the remedy in or own
hands bv closing our ports against
these people, This would violate orr
very instinct OF humanity, and would
war against the policy which has
made this county great and prosper
Gus, AID which will continue to add
to our progress and prosperity, if i'm
is confined to normal
causes alcne.h
Referring TO a hope that consider.
able part OF this stream from Russia
may be directed TO other lands, Mr..
Weber quoted the statement of an
emigrant at KovGo:
81 am going to America, for in
that direction lies hope Here | have
only fears to comfort me The hope
may prove delusive, but the fears are
a certainty. My great ambition is
to breathe at least once the free air
with which God has blessed the
people. "
"These," said the speaker, care
the words OF an uLcutured Jew, and
these are the sentiments in the heart
Of every Jew in Russia"
MI. Weber called attention to those
Of the Jewish faith Of the grave re-
Sp nsibilities falling upon them due
to tn prosecutions of their co-reiig-
ionists, IN receiving the thousands
who flee from their oppressors in
aiding to establish them in work and
business so that they will becrme
self-sustaining; in distributing them
so they will not by congestion be.
come a menace.