Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1911-05-17
.SAL0M0N IS LAUDED
Tributes Paid Hebrew Finan-
cier of Revolution.
TAFT FAV0RS MEMORIAL
Plan for Monument Also Endorsed
by Rev. Madison C. Peters.
GAVE NATION OVER $500
Heirs Never Repaid-Representa
tive Sulzer Also Speaker at
Big Mass Meeting.
GAVE NATION OVER $3.50, 900

The work OF Haym Solomon. Hebrew
hnancier Of the American revolution.
was praised by the President of the
| United States and Rev DR.. Madison C.
| Peters of New York in addresses deliv-
cred at a largely attended mass meet
ing last evening III the Eighth Street
| Temple. The meeting, which was under
the auspices of Argo Lodge of the B'nai
Birth. marked the opening of a cam
paign which the Hebrews of the country
have inaugurated looking to the building
of monument in this city to the man
| who aided so largely in the establishment
of the infant republic and who. 1t is
said. at the time of his death held notes
of the government, as we'll as many of
its leaders, to the amount of more than
$3.50, 900. regarded as a great sum in
those days.
Rev DR.. Louis Stern opened the meet
| ing with prayer. after which Rev. DR..
Ahram Simon, who presided, presented
Representative SulZer of New York, who.
in short address, declared that Ameri-
cans generally should favor the move
ment to recognize the man who did so
much for the struggling revolutionists.
i Dr. Simon presented President Taft.
who spoke earnestly of the work of Sal
ONION and of the respect he holds for
the Jew.
4 PRESIDENT Tart SAID.
/ 1t Is a great pleasure for me to be
here tonight and to hear the eloquent
tribute of the orator, DIR. Peters, to what
| the Jew has done IN American history.
Il ought first to say it is a great pleas
ure to be here with my friend Repre-
sentative Sulzer. When we meet each
other on the platform we are SO full OF
good feeling toward each other that l
know the audience always supposes we
are on the same side politically. Some
| how or other We have managed, in spite
i of our political differences, always to re-
main friends and mutual admirers. AS
he comes now to the head of the foreign
affairs committee of the House, that
| brings him little closer to the executive,
| and it is a great pleasure for me to know
better a man whose open heart and
earnest desire to serve his country i'm
| press themselves on every one who knows
him.
"One Of the privileges of the President
OF the United states is to attend, and to
feel at home at. the religious services of
every denomination that is fostered under
the flag, no matter what his own church.
ut is the duty of the President OF the
United States, in so far as he may, to
testify to his interest in every religion IN
order that it may be understood of all
men that the absence from the Constitu
ton of the United States of any recogni-
ton of a state church gives no right to
any man to infer that the government is
against the churches. On the contrary,
the government is for all the churches,
and 1t eliminates state church in order
that it may embrace all and support all
and protect all without guiding or re-
stricting any.
IF there was anything that I could
criticise IN my friend DR.. Peters ad-
dress, 1t was that the Jews of the United
States do not need the elaborate defense
that he has made Their position in this
country goes without saying-at least for
one brought up as / was. My father was
q member of the Unitarian Church of
opposite DR.. Wise's synagogue-just
across the street, on the corner of sth
and Plum, and occasionally We exchanged
ministers, and we had DR.. Wise In our
pulpit, and our minister spoke In the
synagogue across the street. AS conse
quence. under the influence OF my father.
who was thte broadcast man I ever knew.
came to feel that the Jews were very
important part. as they were, OF the citi-
zenship of Cincinnati.
And as / attended the public schools
and was prepared for college there, had
occasion to note what DIR. Peters has
commented on, that there were some
young men and women with stein at
| the end of their names who were always
among the first in the class. Every one
who lives in community like that Of my
home city of Cincinnati knows that none
| of the great charities. none of the thea
| tiers, none of the societies for art, arts-
| tic development. or music, could live II
| 1t were not for the support of the Jews.
4
| says, that the Jews are not very rich.
| but they are all engaged in making as
| good a living as they can, and In sup
porting their families as comfortably as
| they can. and in upholding the home and
! the domestic circle as the most irnpor-
tant things to be upheld and supported.
And so 1t is that they are most i'm
| portant part of every community.
| 1T is pathetic almost to see the Jews
of the East Side, who come from Russia
and elsewhere, seize and enjoy and ap-
preciate the opportunities that are given
| in this government for education. l have
/ been there to see the energy and the sin
/ cerity with which they respond to every
| patriotic sentiment. feeling. they do.
| gratitude TO the flag under which they
| enjoy the educational and other privi
/ leges that this government affords.
i Il believe, and am proud of the fact.
that the Jews in America enjoy an equal
1 ity that they have in only few other
| countries of the world. ! don't mean to
say that there are not racial prejudices
| here; / don't mean to say that there are
| not social clubs and other places where
the small-headed men who occasionally
get into a directory manifest their great
| ness by using a blackball and shutting
out men of Importance in the community:
but, my friends. while it Is aggravating
and exasperating. still 1t is not the worst
thing that could happen. l have had II
! happen to friends of mine-Gentiles-who
have been kept out of clubs by people
who are not worthy to button up their
| SiloeS, anu WHo Hd no tduuihS save III
clubs 1t is aggraSating. I agree, but
man Is what he is by reason of his re-
spect for himself and If he knows that
some one who affects to snub him and
| look down upon Kim Is not worthy-if he
| knows that that person Is not his equal
and he cultivateS any OF the philosophy
that he ought TO call to his aid-he will
| have the advantage over his small-brain-
ed and narrow-minded critic always.
! II did not come here TO make a speech.
came here TO second the motion for a
memorial to the Jew who stood by Rob-
ert Morris and financed the revolution, the
friend of Kosciuszko and of Pulaski both
of whom have monuments here-a man
who apparently gave all he had. for he
| had nothing when he died-or at least
| there was nothing except what he ought
to have collected and did not-a man
| thrown into prison as spy under Clin-
! ton. and who escaped because he could
talk ten different languages and be-
cause somebody who had custody of him
| thought he would be more useful to him
as live interpreter than as a dead man.
! He subsequently escaped and devoted his
entire time and fortune to helping along
the cause of the revolution.
1T is most interesting TO read those
letters. to which DIR. Peters has referred,
in which Madison speaks of the strapped
condition In whiciI he was while he was
trying to help out the country as MEM
Der of the Congress. and his constant APP
plication TO his friend Solomon until he
became ashamed to go to him. because
Solomon would not charge him any in
terest. Solomon must have had a pretty
heavy load to carry in looking after all
those congressman. but they were neces-
sary to this country. and he knew 1t. IT