The Lamar register., 1905-11-15
MASSACRE OF RUSSIAN JEWS.
Recent Horrible sutcheries Explain
able in Two Ways.


able in Two Ways.
The butchery of the Jews in Odessa
is explained in two ways. In ofiic-
ial circles the Jews are blamed. 1t is
said that they offended the patriotic
sentiment of the rabble by unseemly
demonstrations of delight when they
heard of the cars manifesto. II is
said that they made insulting remarks
about him and tore down the national
flag. Then the "loyalists" fell upon
the Jews-the innocent as well as the
guilty-and, being greedy as well as
patriotic. plundered their houses. The
explanation of the liberals is that the
rioters we're egged on by govern
ment officials. The liberals assert that
the simultaneous manner in which
attacks were made on the Jews in
many towns indicates that they were
dictated from st. Petersburg, but they
are in error. Counte de Witte has
done all in his power to stop the
attacks on the Jews.
When men are in a passion, as
most Russians are. they make wild
charges 1t Is almost incredible that
the mob which massacred at Odessa
would be altogether incredible as If
were rot that there have been occa-
sions where the dregs of the populace
have been given to understand that
of they engaged in the pastime of
Jew batting they would not be inter
fered with by the authorities. AT
Kishencff two years ago the author
tiles were so supine as to leave no
doubt of their completely.
1t has been the domestic policy of
the autocracy to divide to rule. 1t
has stirred up race against race and
religion against religion as IL fearing
that peace and harmony would en-
danger the government. In the Cau-
casus the Tartars were induced to at
tack the Armenians. The troops re-
mained passive while the fighting went
on That tolerance of disorder led
to the fearful destruction of property
at Baku and the neighboring oil fields
and the temporary paralysis of the
petroleum industry. Probably the
direct loss is not less than S95,OOO,OOO.
That is what the playing off of one
race against another in one corner
of the empire has cost
of the spread of socialist doctrines
among the Jews, especially among
those in the manufacturing towns of
Poland. The Jewish Socialist union.
or bund. is one of the large and un-
compromising socialist organizations
in the empire. The autocracy has
reasoned that whatever tended to i'm
bitter the relations between Jews and
Christians would serve to keep the
different organizations apart. The
programs" as these raids on the
Jews are called. serve also to keep
the criminal classes in the cities
quiet. They let the government alone
when they have other game to pur-
sue.
1t is asserted, also. that on different
occasions the same classes have been
instigated by the police to fall on
students and other liberals" They
have called themselves "loyallsts,
and in the name of loyalty have at
tackled respectable people who were
petitioning for a liberty and reform.
1t is a relief to read in the sicken-
ing tales of the massacres in the cities
of southern Russia-tales which. it is
to be hoped. are exaggerated-that the
Jews have begun to arm and defend
themselves. They have long borne
with wonderful meekness and patience
the manifold outrages inflicted on
them. As DR.. Hirsch says. they have
given Christians a lesson in Christian
fty. But who would be free. them
selves must strike the blow" The
Jews of Russia are taking the first
step towards freedom by procuring
arms and using them to defend their
lives and property when attacked by
mobs.-Chicago Tribune.