The Denver Jewish news., 1919-05-07
POETIC LICENSE.

lfuisiciioW 5 HlaWhtna. NoW Itee
ly used in the public schools includes
!i.ese two lines in IA passage telling
OF the crucifixion:
How the Jews, the tribe nccursed.
Mocked him. scourged him. cruel
fled him.
Following complaints from u mum
Ter OF persons, the Anti-Defamati ton
League some time ago took up the
Iuattcr with the editorial department
or the Houghton- Mifflin Co., and after
snmef correspondence, the concern sent
lis the following letter to l.. Edward
Lashman:
I'VE have your letter of Feb. - In
change in certain lines of LOnsfel-
lows Hiawatha. You probably do
not realize the Importance which we
lave always attached to the printing
OF the poems Of our authors without
change from the original text We
have always prided ourselves On the
:
picte authorized editions. and this was
nue whether they were for school use
in inexpensive editions or in very
expensive editions.
For this reason we should hest
tate n long time before making Il
change or an omission iu the text OF
Hiawatha as Longfcllow left it. 1t
seems to us almost fundamental thai
the schools should be able to count Oh
cur edition being what the author
wrote.
We do not. however, see any oh
lection To inserting u footnote aS yo,
describe. and in the next edition OF
I;iawatha we will place these words
at the bottom of the page, AS his
/ torical fact. Christ was crucified by
order of the Roman Governor Vf .)e-
I rnsaIem This, we believe, will meet
J your objection without injurins our
& traditions.
AS u matter of fact, there is, OF
course. thru all literature alluSiOns
/ which reflect Oh different groups OF
/ people. protestants might object To
Iiany things that are said in Hia'
wathm. and 50 might Catholics. bui
amy poet is supposed to have Ger
/ tain amount of poetic license and we
are inclined to feel that this does
To substantial injury to anyone"
/ Perhaps the Houghton-Nifflm Co
( feels that "as historical fact its
fOutuote could 60 no farther. II
( might lie permissible to wonder oui
+ loud whether the Houghton- -Nifflin
7 Co. editors have ever studied Il yer!
recent work entitled Simon. SOI oi
Man. in which the assertion is niad'
That Simon Bar Giora, the Jewish
hero and leader of the insurrection
gainst Rome. is the historic personal
ity that is the basis for the New Tcs'
lament figure of Jesus and that Cal
vary. the place of the skull, is NOT
To be found in Jerusalem or il any
I.art of Palestine, for the reason that
1t is the Capitoline Rock in Rome
from which Simon Bar Giora was
hurled to his death.
Early Christianity many decades
afterwards seeking the support and
backing of ancient Rome did not dare
tc place the blame for that death up
OF. the Roman power. And so it was
placed upon the Jews.
, The Houghton-N Nifflin Co. feels thai
! i, is fundamental that the schools
should lie able to count OH its edi
/ ton being what the author wrote
/ Thousands of mothers and fathers fee
] tiint more fundamental still Is theil
proposal that things that foster pre-
I Judice. and unjust. cruel hatred In
kept out of the public schools.
] 1t is more fundamental because II
/ IL part of the basic principle wiicl
has moulded the public policies OF This
I Republic. 1t is more fundamental he
cause it is part of that spirit of jus
! tice and fair play which is the essenc,
[ ot Americanism and OF modern hem
| ocracy.-The Jewish independent.
The fifteenth anniversary S Mrs
Fnoch Rauh's presidency Of the Pitts
/ hurgh Section OF the Council Of jew
/ ish Women was marked by reception
a..