The San Francisco call., 1908-09-13

-t- -'~eSU 10 Nue september issue of
he North American Review by Police
'0mmissiOner Bingham has aroused
-1e Hebrew element Of New York city
90 such an extent that il may become
8 issue whether or not General Bing-
ham is 10 be supported by the munich
lsI ao aohainlstratlon or whether the all
powerful Hebrew influence viii be for
-le drsL time in American politics seq
raeated into a political body for the
aFowed purpose Of casting its vote. as
1 whole, for or against Mayor McClel-
Jan and his party.
p 10 this time the Hebrews have
not chosen TO form a separate political
BODY, their vote being divided about
equally between the principal existing
parties. bat so incensed against Gem
era- Bingham are the Hebrews that
there is loud talk demanding his dis
-issal- in default OF which IL is seri-
ously proposed TO array the Hebrew
vote against the Tammany and demo-
cratic parties in New York city.
LANGUAGE Is OFFENSIVE
According TO Bingham's own figures
The Hebrew population Of New York
city constitutes half OF the population
OF the entire city OF greater New York.
so that this tremendous vote must be
seriously respected II would seem
ct first consideration, that If half
~ The population is Hebrew, his state
A, ment that so per cent OF the crime is
A c'mmitted by the Hebrews should not
- easion any surprise, as this would
seem TO be fairly prOpOrtionate
granted that his figures are correct.
even approximately. But it is the
language he employs that is particu-
larly offensive He says:
The Russian Hebrews are burglars
frebugs, pickpockets and highway
robbers, when they have the courage.
but though all crime is their province.
pocket picking IS the one to which
they seem TO take most naturally In
deed, pickpockets OF other nationalities
are beginning to recognize the superb
GRITTY OF the Russian Hebrew in that
gentle art"
REFBECTIONS ARE INSULTING
Had Police Commissioner Bingham
Coruented himself with mere figures
tae Hebrews would not have been so
aroused. but his reelection upon the
Jews as body is gratuitous and in
sr.rirg and not borne out by the facts.
Jacob Schff. the noted banker. mem
ber u the firm Of Kuhn. Loeb & Co;
samuel and Maurice Untermeyer. emf
re1t lawyers; Nathan Straus. Oscar
strauss and other powerful and infiu-
ertial Hebrews. viii not let the matter
rest Untl retractiOn is made by
Bingham.
That his figures are absurdly incor-
-aet Is shown by the fact that he
places the Irish born population at
5000 for greater New York. This is,
% course ridiculous. although ii is
true that there are not nearly so many
irish in New York as popularity be-
ieved- But said q Broadway wit,
here are nearly $4,000 native born
irishmen on the police force"
BINGHAM GIVES FIGURES
Bingham says there are in New York
100000 Italians and about 15o. 900 Ger
\ mans. 10000 Hungarians, Joe. 900 Aus
A-iars. 5000 Bohemians, 10000 Poles
flOn-5ebraic) 10000 Slovaks. 10000
Greeks. $4,000 Armenians and Syrians,
10000 Chinese and d few odd thousands
each Of other nationalities. lie says
the Italian malefactOr is by far the
greatest menace TO law and order.
Bingham's statement that there are
1000 600 Russian Hebrews in New
York was read with surprise. The
general belief has been that the Ital-
fans prepOnderated This at least is
the popular belief. inspired. no doubt,
by the ever present banana peddler.
Nearly every block has an Italian
fruit seller or two; the streets uptown
are fairly alive with Italian vegeta bic
hucksters; downtown the italian boot
blacks are countless. while Italian bar
bers seem TO be running almost the
entire tonsOriaI business Of the town.
on every side one hears the excited
"Ginney" talk
BARRIERS PATRONIZE OPERA
Tony Pastor, the veteran Bowery
music hall proprietor, who died here
recently. used 10 say that it was a
curious. laughable fact that grand op-
era hurt his BOwery music hall busi-
ness more than all other diversions.
Not English or German opera, but Ital-
ian, and that when the Italian opera
season commenced his business began
10 fail OF.
Tony Pastors observation agrees ex-
actIy with the experience Of other
managers Of musical shows. The i'm
presarios themselves. Colonel Abbey,
Maurice Grau, COnried and Hammer
stein, long ago learned TO appreciate
the fact that no opera could succeed
that did not appeal TO the top galleries.
especially 10 the music loving Italians,
who win spend their last dollar and a
half for standing room in the crowded,
sufOcating top gallery Of the Metro
politan opera house, or at Hammer
stems In fact, it has become a wise
proverb among the impresarios that
no opera can succeed without the in
'0rsement Of the BARRIERS" Not only
I The BARRIERS, but these musical arbiters,
or dictators, might also be said 10 in
clude the banana peddlers. the spa
ghetu vendors and actually the men
who work with pick and shovel.
The night CarusO sings there are
perhaps FIVE to seven hundred BARRIERS
present. who are as omnipresent as their
prototype, Figaro, who was always
here. there and everywhere. Now, 500
BARRIERS at a dollar and a half means
$3.50. a. very large fraction Of Caruso's
salary.
The night Tetrazzini sang "Travfata"
the BARRIERS were there 1000 of them
that is TO say. 81 500 worth Of them.
Tetrazzini came on for the first recall
and the BARRIERS went wild. Hammer
stein rushed TO the stage. Tetrazzinf
was gasping in excitement.
You are saved" cried he: "the bar
bers Ike YOU" The color returned to
her cheeks; She stood up, refused the
promered assistance OF Campaninrs
arm and muttered: "Alrs well on the
PotOmacico."
TONY PASTORS DISCOVERIES
II was Tony Pastor, the world famed
proprietor Of the BOwery music halls.
who discovered Lillian Russell" Her
real name was Nell Leonard. The story
is best told in his own words:
i can't think OF the name Of the
lady who came to me and said she
knew little girl with a lovely voice /
Twas in 1sSO-that I ramambar-T