The Billings gazette. [volume] (Billings, Mont.) 1896-1919, 1904-10-07
PLAYING ON PREJUDICE.

Another serious charge is made by
the Butte Miner against President
Roosevelt, and by presenting it that
publication hopes to injure his stand
ing with the n%aturalized voters. It
assumes to indict the president for his
alleged refusal to act on the petition
of the American Jews to provide pro-
lection for the people of their race in
Russia, declaring that his refusal vas
based upon fear of giving offense to
the ruler of the Russians. Because
of this alleged cowardice on his part
it solemnly asserts that the men re-
sponsible for the Kishineh massacre
were never punished. To make it's
charge all the more serious it says
that some of the men and women
murdered were technically" under
the protection of the American re-
public.
The very absurdity of the charge is
it's best REPUTATION, but because of the
reason it is made it merits a reply.
The m%urderous onslaught on the in
| offensive ~Israelites Of Kishineff is
still Of too recent occurrence to have
been forgotten by even the most cas-
ual reader of the newspapers. AS
presentation of the petition referred
to by the Butte paper followed upon
the heels Of this outrageous act, it,
too, will be> readily recalled. Every
thing that the administration could do
was done. The petition was filed
with the state department with the
request that it be forwarded by this
| government to that of Russia. AS
the matter was one which did not
concern this nation, further than to
cause a feeling of revulsion, shared
in by all the rest of the civilized
world, the administration realized that
the task asked Of it was an ex-
tremely delicate one. All govern
ments are jealous of the interference
of outside powers in questions relat-
ing to the administration of affairs
purely within their own domain
matters dealing with their own SUBJ
jects and having no international
Still the president and secretary Of
state did not rest with the mere re-
.ception Of the petition. The Ameri-
can ambassador at st. Petersburg was
instructed to sound the Russian gov
eminent and ascertain whether it
would receive the petition. The
answer from the car was a polite,
but positive refusal to do so, to which
was added the statement that Russia
was capable Of conducting it's own in.
ternal affairs and would not permit
any outside dictation. This ended the
matter, so far as the administration
at Washington was concerned and
nothing further could be done thai
would not have been considered by
the cars government as an un,
friendly act.
The mere fact of the administra'
TONS willingness to transmit the pc
tition was notice to Russia of it's sym
patty with the petitioners and it,
condemnation of the outrages relie'
from which was prayel for. To have
gone futher might have precipitated
serious results. All that could be &C
complished in the interest of human
ity, short of acts amounting in effec,
to an open declaration of war, was
done, and the administration could DE-
nothing more. That the incident wa.
not wholly without results was shown
by the orders from st. Petersburg fol
an investigation of the Kishinef mas
sacre and the subsequent punishment
of those responsible for it.
! Just Arrived.
: A new and complete line of exclu
: sivo natternS for fall suits: will BIZ