The sun., 1906-02-05

the end OF April. | have dimly heard OF q
fund contributed by Jews in England as
well, but know no details.
How much of the town fund reaches the
Jews / cannot be certain, but some does,
for l have been round with the agents in
one Of the ten sanitary districts into which
the town is divided. Money was given at
first, but, as usual imposture came, and
givers objected.
Now the town has pledged itself only to
feed the destitute by free tickets or at a
very small charge 1t is the usual soup
kitchen method-not scientific, not very
discriuinating-but Russia has the happi-
ness OF being young in philanthropy as in
politics.
As was to be expected. crowds OF un-
employed have come in from other towns,
even as far away as kharkov and Kiev.
And, what is still worse. some $1,000 men
and women have lately been turned upon
the streets, because the rich people OF
Odessa began to run for their lives the
day when the nutinous warship Potemkin
threw two shells into the town, and have
been running ever since. Behind them
they have left all that crowd Of Wallets.
cooks, maids, grooins, coachmen, errand
boys, BARRIERS and washerwomsn who
depend on the rich for existence just as the
rich depend on them.
Besides all this, there is great distress
among the dockers because the great
fire at the time Of the mutiny in the sum-
mer destroyed great part OF the docks
and entirely burned away the wooden via
duct upon which the dock railway runs
along the whole face Of the port. Trial
IL, ria "
for the first time, amid such popular ex-
citempnt that I hoped it was another
mutiny.
But no warships. except one little de-
stroyer. are kept hero now. The dockers
live by themselves at the foot Of the cliff
and are said to be a race apart They
dress in beggars' rags, but am not srrs
of their wages.
The average wage for unskilled labor In
the town s only one shilling and eightpence
for ten hour day, or twopcnce an hour.
But ordinary living is extremely expensive
here. even more 30 than in most Russian
cities. being about double the cost Of Lon
don, except for sledgcs and little open cabs.
In politics all the parties Of Russia are
fairly we'll represented, from the Social
Revolutionists and Democrats (most OF
whom are in Jail down to the Russian
Order, or party Of violence. which stands
for Durnovo and the reaction, and is the
Governments ready instrument for the
massacre of Jews Poles Liberals or other
herctics. The Russian Order alone ia now
-llowed to hold meetings.
But there still exists another party, which
is certainly strong, especially in the uni
versity. This is the Constitutional Demo-
cratic party. So far most Of its members
are at large, though their newspaper and
meetings have been Suppressed They eS-
pect to return the one member who will
represent Odessa in the Duma, if aver the
elections are held.
Like other Liberal parties. they demand
a constituent assembly and the four headed
suffrage universal, direct, secret and
equal. Their programme includes home
rule for the various nations Of Russia,
labor legislation and agrarian reform, on
a basis Of compensation in the case OF pri-
vatc land. but not of Crown land.
In fact, their immediate objects are
hardly TO he distinguished from the mini
mum programme OF the Social DEMOCRATS.
Their immediate Objects l said. | was
forgetting the six weeks that have passed
since we used II talk about programmes
and immediate objects--six weeks of blood
she'd and brutal oppression and bitter
change.
But. after all it is the Jewish question
that il the main point in Odessa. and it
il likely 80 to remain as long a. the Jews
are subject to their hereditary wrongs.
Under laws which were called temporary,
but have continued unrepealed for tity
years, no Jew may buy laSi or farm it.
He may not live in the country, and in
only certain parts Of towns.
He may not be schoolmaster or pro-
fessor or teacher in private Christian fam
lies. He may not he educated at public
school (gymna.ium) or university, except
at a very small percentage, usually to 5
per cent of the whole number of students,
though here the professors have granted
a rise to 10 per cent He may not sit in
town council. He may not be an officer
He may hold no State appointment. and
he may not move from place to place with
cut a special passport and special permis-
sion.
Jews are not naturally a revolutionary
reope, but We Cannot wonder that in
Odessa they are revolutionists almt st TO
a man. think Of these things when read
in the English papers Of wretched Jewish
aliens cast back from the protection Of
our shores to the misery and oppression
from which they thought they had escaped.
-------------------