Evening star., 1909-04-19
VICTIMS OF SPECIAL LAWS
Prosecuted for Centuries, Yet They
Refuse to Be Cowed.
POVERTY IN FARM COLONIES
Spencer Eddy in Report to State De-
partment Tells Of Almost In
credible Sufferings.

various appeals for relief OF Jews In
Russia. the State Department has directed
the United States embassy at st. Peters.
burg to furnish II from time to time with
Information concerning the Jews through.
out Russia. The first response to that
direction was made In 1905 by Spencer
Eddy. now American minister to Ru.
mania. and then charge d'anaires at ST.
Petersburg.
One Of the most striking features Of
the report. just made public. sfhs ref.
erence to the extreme poverty In the
agrarian colonies established for thu
Jews. 'One wooden spoon has to suffice
for an entire family" says Mr.. Eddy.
"as the cost Of one for each member OF
the family cannot be borne, and yet
wooden spoon can be bought for one
ard one-half cents. While travelling
through the country In a sleigh on a
1cs taG sheS sway
as wrapping for parcel: This happened
in a village. and those Of the inhabitants
who were standing about almost fought
one another for It,. On inquiry. I found
paper to make cigarettes out OF and 70
wrap things In" There is a lying-iH
hospital. supported by charity, in st.
Petersburg itself. where 1t is common
newly born children in newspapers when
leaving the hospital for their homes,
simply because they cannot afford to buy
even piece Of flannel cloth suitable for
the purpose"
OF the nine or eleven millions Of Jews
In the world. Mr.. Eddy estimates that
o.l4O,OOO live In the Russian empire.
Divided Into Four Glasses.
The contemporary Russian laws, Mr..
fx{d fho
categories-the "Caraime" Jew. having
the same rights as other Russian SUBJ
jects; the Polish" Jew. enjoying the
rights Of other subjects, but only within
the limits Of Poland itself; foreign Jews.
not permitted te enter the Russian en-
pire and become naturalized. or to So
journ temporarily in Russia without per-
mission Of the ministry of the interior.
and the Rabbinist Jews, having the rights
OF domicile only In certain sections Of the
empire No Jews have the right to live
IN Finland save those who have been DOM
ici!ed there from time immemorial. Mr..
Eddy adds that in the provinces Of Kou.
ban and OF, Terrek those only have the
right OF domicile who have obtained q de-
gree Of arts or sciences.
Two classes Of Jews enjoy the right to
travel about and to reside temporarily in
different parts OF the empire. Merchants
OF the first guild registered in the cities
within the pale have the right to sojouru
IN other governments for a period not to
exceed six months each year. Those who
have graduated from schools and wish to
enter universities and other higher schools
have the right Of domicile In all cities
where there are universities and schools
Of the highest order. Mr.: Eddy says that
1t is a significant fact that the right OF
universal domicile and temporary So
1ourn Is q personal right and does not
apply to the wife or children Of the pos:
SCISSOR. The Jews having the right OF
permanent domicile are classified az mer-
chants OF the first guild. those having the
degree of doctor of medicine. doctor Of
osr Jewish dossr. ps abs
ended their military service before 1874
and Jewish artisans OF the highest class.
Forbidden as Teachers.
Mr.. Eddy reports that professional ca
reers are not very restricted so far as the
Russian Jews are concerned. The num-
Der Of Jews practicing law is limited to
10 per cent of the entire body Of lawyers
throughout the empire. so that it is rather
difficult for a Jew to obtain admission to
the calling. says the American diplomat.
The profession Of teaching is forbidden
tfons for learning or whether In private
schools.
Special taxes are paid by the Jews, ac-
cording to Mr.. Eddy. apart from the
taxes are assessed on all animals killed
for food, including chickens killed after
the Jewish custom. There is a special
payment to the government" says Mr..
has been killed and prepared in accord
ance with the Hebrew customs This
tax falls very heavily upon several classes
of the Jews. BY those who do not oh
creed 1t is not felt at all. while those who
live up to their religion with all its
usages are much affected. A law was
passed in 184s levying a tax upon every
candle burned by the Jewish families on
Friday evenings. the revenue to be divid-
ed between public instruction of the Jews
and the administration, but Mr.. Eddy says
says that this candle tax" now exists only
In name. A fixed sum is taken each year
for the education of the Jews in the
cities and towns within the pale. Mr..
Eddy estimates there are 800 Jewish
schools with 100000 Jewish pupils but
this number is really insignificant. as
more than two-thirds of the villages re.
main without schools"
Two Points Of View.
In commenting on his investigation Mr..
Eddy says that the Russian point OF view
Of the Jewish problem in Russia is
religious feeling. while the point OF view
Of the Jew is purely ethical. In develop
ing this thought he says that the religion
of the members Of the orthodox Greek
church teaches him that the Jew is not
to be looked upon as fellow-Christian,
and the severe tenets of the Christianity
Of three centuries ago still hold the peo-
pie Of the Russian empire. from the high
est to the lowest.
1.-THE Jews are not taking the Ill treat
ment and oppression with peace and res
ignation," concludes Mr.. Eddy. During
the past twenty years their opposition.
while unorganized and misdirected, has
none the less been SO strong and SO un-
quenchable that neither prison nor bodily
suffering nor the whips of the Cossacks
nor transportation to the farthest limits
of Siberia nor even the death penalty
itself has been able to keep them quiet.
$50 1t Is possible to believe that the
condition Of the Jewish population, bad
as it is, is also no worse than 1t has been,
and 1t seems just to hope that the near
future will bring the same betterment of
conditions to them as 1t bids fair to
bring to the Russian people generally"