New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1917-10-30
No Jew Vote
Jews Divide Politically Just as Do All
Other Americans
ro Oh. Editor NJ The Tribune.

To the Editor OF The Tribune.
Sir: II is with profound feeling OF duty
though this duty Is unpleasant, that ] write
and ask the courtesy Of valuable space
in your paper. see from the reports IN
various newspapers that, like In former cleo
tons, an attempt Is being made by politi-
cal leader to analyze the so-cslled 'votes
Of Jews" I must protest, as Jew and As
a rabbi. 10 whom the words Jew and Juda-
Ism are sacred, against such methods. have
the highest respect personally for the gen.
tleman who undertakes to analyze the ll2ooo
votes In New York City which by his COM
mutation are supposed to come from men
o. Jewish descent and Jewish faith. But
think he has committed woful error, and
|. feel It my duty TO protest once Tor ALL
with all the earnestness at my command,
against the dragging in Of the name OF Jew
In any political contest, municipal. state or
national. This thing ia being done altogether
too often. The same attempt was made last
year, in the national election, and number
Of representative men Of Jewish descent and
faith felt impelled to protest stop must
be put to this sort Of thing
do not hear Of any analysis being made
OF the German vote, or OF the Irish VOTE
or OF the Italian vote, or Of the Catholic
vote or of the Protestant vote. What right
has any one to segregate the body OF Ameri-
can citizens who happen to be of Jewish de-
scent and Of the Jewish religion and specu.
late and dogmatizc upon their voting! IL
has been an unfortunate phase OF American
politics for the last half century that Ameri-
can politicians deliberately appealed to this
or that prejudice or provincialism, resulting
from race or Church grouping. II American
politics had not been vitiated in this manner
by all parties naturalized citizens would more
easily have been Americanized. voter snouid
be made to feel that he votes purely and sim
ply as an American and as citizen Interested
in the affairs Of the municipality, or state
or country. as the case may be. :.
The attempt to talk Of Jewish vote and
to give expert opinion on it Is contrary TO
tie best traditions Of American Judaism.
Jews have always prided themselves in this
country that in political matters they are
Americans only. And that has always been
justified pride AS matter OF fact, there
is no such thing as Jewish vote. voters
of Jewish descent and of Jewish religion
ment in the voting population. Their divs-
ions are, no doubt, according to the ordinary
citizen psychology. Jews are rich and poor:
captalistc in thought and socialistic, Re-
publicans and Democrats, laissez-faire peo-
ple or believers in the extension OF the
powers of government, high-minded ideallsts
or careful watchmen of their own personal
interests Not as a rhetorical phrase, but
with strong conviction Of the truth Of what
saw. ] assert that the Jewish mind in
political campaign reacts exactly like the
mind of any other element of the popula-
ton, whatever may be the Church or racial
descent to which it belongs. II this is so,
il is unpatriotc and un-American 20 give
the impression that there is such thing
as a body in this city that can be segregated
Tor political experimentation and with re-
spcct to which experts may pass an opinion
and say Jews will vote thus or thus.
| am more shocked than care to say by
these repeated attempts of political leaders
to give the impression that they know any
thing atsut how Jews will vote as body.
The analysis to which | refer pretends to
say how many Jews will vote for Hllquit,
how many for Hylan, how many for Bennett
and how many, in the last minute, will vote
for Mitchell ! consider such an attempt not
only unjustifed, but most dangerous voters
of Jewish descent and religion are as in
telligent as any element of the voting popu-
lation of this city. AS ! wrote to lady,
net of Jewish faith, who invited me to make
two or three speeches "to help swing the
East Side" for certain candidate, l do not
believe that the East Side should be empha-
sized and segregated in our political think
ing, any more than the West Side or North
\ do
swinging. This is not matter with me OF
politics a; all. do not express my own pref
erence in this campaign. All can say IS
that the men of Jewish descent and religion
are az intelligent and discriminating class
of voters as any other The issues are be-
fore the citizenry of New York. The candi-
dates and their methods are before all the
citizens. And all the citizens should and
will conscientiously decide upon them.
SAMUEL SCHULMAN.
New York, Oct. %, 1917.