Yorkville enquirer. [volume] (Yorkville, S.C.) 1855-2006, 1903-05-30
CLEVELAND FOR THE JEWS.
Ex.President Denounces tho Recent
Russian Massacres.

CLEVELAND FOR THE JEWS.
Ex.President Denounees tho Recent
Russian Massaeres.
There was a great and representa-
tive gathering at Carnegie Hall, New
York, last Wednesday night called for
the purpose Of protesting against the
recent massacres of Jews at Kischi-
nefr. Mayor Low presided and ex-
President Cleveland was the principal
speaker.
Mr.. Cleveland said: II have only a
word to say; but wish to be counted
among those who are in hearty SYM
pathy with the pegpose Of this meet
ing. The influences which have called
us together tonight grow out Of our
Christian civilization and our dutiful
devotion to the best and deepest Of our
national characteristics. This demon
stration furnishes cheering and reas-
suring evidence that our American
sympathy for the oppressed and
abused wherever they may be, our
American love of humanity, and our
attachment to justice and right, are
still active and unimpaired.
There Is something intensely horri-
BILE in the wholesale murder Of unof-
Tending, defenseless men, women and
children, who have been tacitly If not
expressly assured Of safety under the
protection Of a professed civilized gov
ernment. Such things give rise to a
distressing fear that even the enlight-
eminent Of the twentieth century has
neither destroyed nor subdued the bar
barity Of human nature, nor wholly re-
deemed the civilized world from mans
inhumanity to man.
I'VE and all our countrymen protest
In the strongest language at our COM
mand and with the moral force which
our American citizenship gives us
against these murders and outr:lges
and we insist that swift and sure pun
ishment ought to be visited upon their
barbarous perpetrators.
II desire to avoid sounding a discor-
dant note; but yet I cannot refrain
from the suggestion that the moral ef-
feet Of our protest and the usefulness
of this demonstration will not be les
sefed II we require indisputable proof
before we accuse the government of
Russia Of guilty completely in the
crimes committed within her borders;
and 1t seems to me we may we'll con-
slider the proper relationship between
nations, before we demand too pro-
nounced interference on the part Of our
own government. I do not say that
the Russian government may not, by
reasons Of omission or commission, be
justly deserving Of our condemnation;
but we should not be swift to assume
this when we remember that we our
selves have found it impossible to pre-
vent mob violence and murderous as
saults in Wyoming and on the Italians
in Louisiana. I am distinctly and un-
equivocally in favor Of informing our
government in unmistakable terms Of
our indignant and deep condemnation
Of the late outrages upon the Jews In
Russia, but I hope that in obedience
to the dictates Of American conser-
vatism and moderation which are new
er long obscured, we may be even
now just and fair; that we will be con-
tent to forego perplexing and extreme
demands upon our government for
violent action.
I'm the meantime let the people Of
the United States gather together in
such assemblages as this, in every
part of the land, and fearlessly speak
to the civilized world, protesting
against every pretense Of civilization
that does not permit religious tolera-
ton and freedom Of conscience, against
all false enlightenment that excuses
hatred and cruelty towards any race
Of men, and against all spurious forms
Of government protection, that with
hold from any human being the right
to live in safety and toll in peace"