Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1905-09-01
For Better Treatment,
Civil and Political Liberty
As Made by the Committee to
the Gar, Through N. Witte.
II Pfays That the Present Unjust Conditions
Be Ameliorated.

A~S" Ioths huss 10
nounced to be the full text of letter
concerning Russia's treatment of the
Jews submitted to Serguis White, the
Russian peace envoy, by committee
Of Hebrew bankers and merchants, is
published, today, by the American.
The communication is signed by ia
cob Fl. Schiff, Jacob Seligman, Adolph
Lewiston and others. 1t covers thor
oughly the arguments and contentious
of the committee made before M. White
for the delegations recently, for the
amelioraticn. of the conditions under
which people of the Hebrew race now
live in the land Of Emperor Nicholas
Civil and Political liberty for the Jews
on an equality with other Russian SUBJ
jects, is the keynote of the commune
cation.
Mindful Of the privileges of meeting
you during your recent stay at Ports
mouth" the letter says, 1--WE deem it
well before you leave the United States
and return to your country to submit
in writing, if only for a thorough I'M
Outstanding or for further reference,
some of TIE statements to which we
gave expression when we had the
pleasure Of visiting you and of listen
ing to your valuable views.
eve believe that the claim of the
Russian government that the question
of the condition of the Hebrews in
Russia is a purely domestic one, with
which the people and the government
Of other countries have no concern
can no longer be maintained. When a
government. either through the appli-
sc H., H..
err means. forces great masses of its
subjects to seek to improve their con-
dition through emigration to other
countries, the people Of those coun-
tries which give an asylum to such
refugees from persecution and OPP
preston may, with entire proprety
criticize the conditions which have
caused such an influx into their coun-
try and may properly insist that these
conditions shall be improved in such
manner and to such extent that the
causes Of the forced emigration shall
cease to exist, and this without justi-
flying the charge that they arc med
ding with affairs that do not concern
them.
This we believe to be the attitude
of the American people in general. We.
as Jews. have the added interest in the,
condition of the Jews in Russia which
ties Of race and faith always and
properly call forth, and we deem it
therefore. nothing less than our plain
duty to do all in our power to procure
an amelioration in their status.
LAS we stated to you at our con-
ference, it is our very decided con-
viction that nothing but the granting
Of full civil rights to the Jewish sub
jects of the Car will entirely remove
the conditions which have been the
cause of so much disturbance in Rus
STA and adverse criticism abroad. You
have answered us that the Russian
Jew is not in general sufficiently pre-
pared for the exercises of full civil
rights. and that the feeling of the Rus
sian people is such that the Jew can
not be placed on an equal footing with
them without causing serious internal
disorders, and you suggested that II
might be advisable and practicable
gradually to remove the existing dis
abilities and thus to prepare the way
for an eventual total granting of civic
equality.
"As to this. We aver that the million
or more Russian Jews who have come
to the United States have become good
citizens. notwithstanding their sudden
emergency from the greatest darkness
into the most intense daylight of po-
litical and civil liberty, and that they
have shown themselves entirely equal
to the responsibilities which have been
placed upon them as citizens of this
great republic"
The letter replies to the charge that
among those who in Russia are seek
ing to undermine governmental au-
thority. there are considerable num-
Der of Jews that lit would be rather
surprising If none of those so terribly
afflicted by persecution and exception
al laws should at last have turned
against their nerciless oppressors."
The letter concludes:
1--WE. therefore, earnestly hope that
the exchange of views which has TAX
en- place between us may lead to that
solution which We are convinced you
and the other best minds of your