New-York tribune., 1909-09-23
CAR FhVORS JEWS
Personally InterUenes IN Behalf of
Notable Hebre7Cs at Mosco7c.
.con,rlEht 1909 by Tho brentwood Company

,Cor,right, 1909 by tho Brentwood Company
In spite OF all the statements 10 the contrary,
,es,ed by The revolutionary and nihilist press in
pnssia as wen as abroad. Emperor Nicholas has
botb prior and subsequent TO his accession to
,be throne manifested sympathy and good will tow
5 .be Jews especially 10 those of the best class.
.n6 il is a pity that the Muscovite government
20 never taken the trouble Of securing from the
I,aders of the Hebrew in Russia-that is to
~ from the men who occupy there the same posi-
ION as tho Rothschilds in Western Europe, and
= for instance Jacob Schih I'm the United States
= statement 10 This effect. II would have contrib
,,+e6 more than anything else to tone down and
,o6ifv the effect produced abroad by the often
exaggerated stories and the sometimes purely
,-nsrinary tales concerning the Cars oppression
sf the Jewish race
Nicholas is indeed. far more enlightened in this
-oenect than his government and the bulk OF his
reople Thus, having had il brought TO his notice
thar the law had been invoked by a number OF
l.,ntfIe merchants and inanciers Moscow
sgsinsr some Of their Jewish business rivals, who
:, p test case had been found TO have no legal
rights Of residence outside the pale, the Emperor
,ssoed a decree directing that by virtue of his
,-srogatNe Of clernency the pale laws were TO be
s,,spended in the case of the Jews concerned and
thar they were 10 he permitted 10 continue living
and ,rsnsactins their business in Moscow. with
ont any let or hindrance. This edict affects some
,Uo hundred Jewish families of the better class in
1foscou. who il the law had been executed to
itv and to abandon their interests there-interests
rsprcsentinE. according 10 conservative estimate,
some S5O00a6a
The Emperor likewise initiated. some three years
.~o a movement for amending in far more
7le-sF and enlightened sense the existing laws in
Russia concerning the Jews At his instance Pre-
r,ier Stolypin drew up a bin emhodyinE q num-
rer # concessions 10 the Jews. This bill signed
rv al the ministers, indorsed hy Nicholas
with his signature, and the words; For Sunn's-
sion 10 the Doums." But the Douu7a which rer-
Tesents public opinion in Russia. has not yet seen
ft to tske up the matter.
The bill does not as yet comprise complete er1an-
cipstion of the Jews equal terms with the re-
17lander II the population. hut aims at eliminating
long list OF oppressive regulations in connection
with the right residence of the Jews OUTSIDE the
rslc granting them the right to lease or 70 manage
5z agents. landed property in the towns in which
rhev permanently reside: 81 allowing the paruci-
ration b, jews in the manag cement Of limited Ia
ri,i-v companies and freedom 70 embark IN various
trades rad ma nufactures from which they have
1-;.berro been barred II is bill which when the
Donna rasses it. will he accepted thankfully by the
ye-s Of Russia as step in the right direction snd
- ravinc the way for subsequent and more CON
siderable reforms
~ roe add that N Rumsnis the Jews are much
--,~. rsd1,y o4f than in Russia although we hear
1;-r,s about the matter abroad Bratano, the Ru-
--sr-an Premier, and Of the statesman VINO
Wa the principal co-operator Of King Charles IN
-le creation Of modern Rumania, IN discussing ule
c,ssrfon the other day put the matter in nutShel
when he exclaimed: This question Is for us nelIhe'
rrob1eYn Of race nor Of religion. II is more OF an
,-7o-ric 17roble1n which makes itself more par
-r-larlv felt in the years Of bad harVests IN Ru-
mania In Russia il IS the same II Is problem
MT of race nor Of creed. but purely economic tne
,saa being that the Jews are so much cleverer ana
,-,,l-er IN m business matters than the ordinary
r,,,.ef.r, that - is necessary the government
sro,ld r-ovde for the letter's protection against
-rst might become Hebrew monopoly of every
fling n sight