Evening times-Republican. [volume] (Marshalltown, Iowa) 1890-1923, 1910-01-29
For Sunday Reading
Hi Sorts ofObinioas
Problsms Eacina the l.w.

I'LL Sorts 0f Obini0nS
Problems Facing the Jew.
Dangers without and fears within
seem to represent the status Of the Jew
of this country as he stirveye himself.
The Jewish question" is dealt with
from many points of view by The
American Israelite (Cincinnati), and as
this journal presents It, it seems not
one. but many, questions. To the rich
there is the chagrin of social ostra-
cisn; to the poor there is the menace
OF poverty. disease, and all the diff
culties of assimilation in an alien So
ciety Men both outside and inside the
pale Of the Jewish faith discuss these
problems. DIR. Madison g. Peters, Of
New York, speaking as a sympathetic
gentle, views the plight Of people de-
MED fraternity and equality" He
writes,
At many of the clubs, social, pro.
fessional, and political, he is ostracized
lodges whose proud boast is the faith
erhood of God and brotherhood Of man,
blackball him-and even his money can
not admit him into the ranks of So
called society, which worships at the
shrine Of the golden calf.
The Jew can not send his children
to many of the select private schools of
the country. iii many of the hotels and
summer resorts, conspicuous signs are
displayed bearing such bigoted In.
scriptions: No Jews Wanted NO Jews
Need Apply
The street gamins on the east side
in New York are allowed, under the
very noses Of the police, to insult Jews
with impunity. On the stage the Jew
ic carlcatured and held up to ridicule,
and I regret to say even Jews join in
applauding these insults to their race.
The Irish hooted and pe1ted the Will,
tiers and traducers of their country off
the stage, SO that the comic freshman
of the boards has been RELOCATED to the
past. The Hebrews could accomplish
the same, if by concerted action they
would chase from before the footlights
the artists who pander to the deparvity
and vitiated tastes of the mobs who
hold up their people and religion to
scorn.
Il have seen the Jewish children in
New York go home from the public
schools in tears because Of the often
i've epithets with which they were
tainted.
'Have we not one father! Hath not
one God created us? Why do we deal
treaoherously. every man against his
brother. by profaning the convenant of
our fathers?"
Religious Work Of FraternaI Orders,
While many clergymen believe that
secret societies are inimical to true re-
ligion, one ministerial writer finds in
the growing membership of fraternal
orders evidence that the religious ele-
ment in the human heart is deepening
and growing stronger. When the church
loses because "of dogmatic and ritual
istic requirements" the secret orders
gain. he argues, because they answer to
a demand of the religious nature with
out requiring dogmatic subscription.
Attic facts show that relatively fewer
people now than formerly are willing
to bind themselves to the continued
support of certain dogmatic statements
about God,'' says the Rev. Il. Alfred
Coil in The Christian Register, there
are other facts that show just as con-
clusively that those same people are
willing to affirm belief to God to whom
| they feel that they are responsible" He
goes on:
"The truth Of this statement is shown
| in the fact that membership in the
secret and fraternal orders of today Is
increasing by leaps and bounds. All
who apply for admission to any of these
| orders, with whose. laws or require
ments am familiar, are asked at the
very outset if they believe in SUI
preme being. A negative answer to
that question would stand in the way
of further progress because, admitting
| the existence of no being to whom
they hold themselves finally respon-
sible, they could not assume the obliga-
tions of such orders as have indicated
| in due form But. if to that question
an affirmative answer is given. there
are no further interrogations upon that
point on the part of any fraternal Sc
cret order whose conditions of mem
bership have studied. Having declared
their belief in supreme being, to
whom they feel themselves finally re-
sponsible. candidates for admission are
not required to define or give their con-
ception of that being. In that matter
no one presumes to dictate to them
or set in Judgment upon their individ-
ual beliefs. Sincerity is considered
more important than conformity of be-
lief by these orders, and the only ques-
ton raised as to an applicants profess
sion OF faith in a supreme being is as
| to whether or not such profession is
sincere. Granting Individual liberty OF
/! thought as to the character and at
tributes of God, sectarianisrn and dog
matte contentious have been so COM
pletely eliminated from many Of OH,
most prominent secret and fraterna
orders, that people of all sects and Of
different religions meet therein, and
reverently and earnestly work together
to promote common welfare"
Christian Unity.
[Frederick Z. Hopkins]
Over in foreign lands who can blame
the poor heather who was so confused
by the rivalries of christian sects fol
his soul that he has been waiting foq