New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1913-06-30
CLARK FOND OF JEWS
Speaker, Favored by Them, Re.
turns the Compliment.
GETS A HEBREW OFFICE
Feeling Dates from Boyhood,
He Explains in Letter to
Emancipation Committee.

Speaker Champ Clark of the House ~
Representatives explained i'm a letter "a.
ceived by Bernard Nolan in which ~
accepted the presidency Of the American.
Rumanian Jewish emancipation commit.
tee how his fondness for the Jews cama
about
As boy i'm the backwoods of Ken
lucky. sixty miles from the nearest
railroad" rs the Speaker puts il. he had
the prejudice common to country bows
al the time against the Jews. though
they were an unknown quantity to him.
1t was no, until years later when he
became a schoolmaster in Missouri that
he began 10 understand and appreciate
the Jews, he says In his letter. which
follows, the Speaker intimates that h,
ever he returns 10 the lecture platform
one of his subjects viii have TO do with
the Jews.
II have your letter and consider il
very great honor indeed 10 he elected
president Of the American-Jewish eman-
cipation committee
Il am very fond Of the Jews. The
greatest puzzle in the world To me is
why any country persecutes and mai.
treats them. I'm proportion 10 their
numbers fewer of them commit crimes
and fewer Of them are 70 be found in
almshouses than of any other class Of
American citizens.
MY friendship for the Jews came
about i'm q very queer manner was
raised in the rural districts OF Kentucky
far from centres OF population, sixty
miles from 4 railroad. and naturally in
bibed the preiudices of rural people
against the Jews. never saw many
Jews in that country. except two or three
pedlers and one who finally ran small
country store.
When | went 10 Louisiana Mo, 70
teach school one of the handsomest and
most amiable boys that ! ever knew
came 20 school 10 mo. He was jew
by the name Of Milton Lessen. who was
qf.erward engaged in the mercantile
business in Brooklyn lie ls now living
ND in the wood, of Maine for his health
He had fine literary tastes and was one
OF my aAOI4l'S. il' lNf''.' '''N Nv
to thu. store 10 meet his uncle and father,
so one SATURDAY / dropped around and
found that they were very intelligent
handsome gentlemen. They invited ne
10 their house. and ] found that they
had very refined. intelligent families
There were twenty-five men among them
there. not counting the women and chill
dren. and / found them an agreeaole
people and | soon revised mas opinion o.
the jews.
They have always been my tHenos
and supporters. true AS steel and on az.
count OF the friendship ] had TOR tna.
boy / gradually grew % take IN ths
whole Jewish race. ] have often stuu'sl
the historic puzzle Of how they came %
br driven from pillar 20 post ana mar
treated in every country under the sun
eXcept this one and Great Britain l
have never been able 20 md AN eNpland,,
ton of it, but ! know that 10 Us true, ana
am glad 10 be of any service 70 theM
whatever
III ] ever return 90 the Lecture plat
form ! am going 20 write lecture on
BENJAMIN Disrael. or course. q arg
part of such q lecture would DO devoted
To the Jews. although blSraeli D. SuoJeC.
enough in himself as he was the mos
brilliant Englishman that has HEea
since Lord Byron was gathered 10 Ms
fathers