The Denver Jewish news., 1923-03-28
BY GERsHON AGRoNsKY
Copyrirhte,l,. 1922 Jewish Correspondence
Bureau

Copyrighted,. 1929. Jewish Correspondence
Bureau
An .IndIgnant Christian" made n
painting showing william Jennings
Bryan. with the approval of Willinm
II. Anderson and Andrew j. N"lstead.
deliberately spilllng the wine which
Christ Mt Cana transformed from wal
ter in order that the guests nt the we'd
ding might have wet feast. The
Indignant Christians name happens to
he j. Francois Kaufman. His paint
ing which magistrate here held out
RACES public decency. was hung by
Abram s. Baylinson (perhaps an in
dignant .Iew) in the Waldorf-Astoria
exhibition of the Independent Artists.
BnylinsOn, Secretary Of the Indepcnl-
ent Artists, was held for trial In the
Court Of Special Sessions. J. Francois
Kaufman will be arrested. II the magis-
trate who held Baylinson has his way.
For the picture entitled. Father For
give Them. For They Know Not Whit
They Do" liz certainly sacriligions and
openly Outrages public dccency.
since 1t is deeply offensive to the ''sen-
sibilities of devout Christians
Noses Il. Ryttenbcrg is the name of
the magistrate who held Bayiinson. who
would arraign Kaufman. He held Bay
linsOn because he is technically respon-
sible for hanging an artists picture
whose natural tendency is to offend
the sensibilities Of Christians. And Of
Tending religious sensibilities is mis-
demeanor, according to Moses ]. Ryt-
tenbcrg. '.in view Of the fact that the
Christian religion IL segnrtled as part
Of the common law OF the land
The question whether this is
"Christian country and Christinnity
part OF the common law" has. 1t seems.
leen argued before. Every once in II
while magistrate will be found who
will invoke the ancient ruling that it
IL. II will do no harm to have II fought
out again. No one will he the worse for
it. Magistrate Ryttenl,erg will I'M
doubtetlly he found to have erred. But
the trial will he Il comedy Of names as
well az comedy of error. For can any
thing bc funnier than Jewish magis-
trate az Ryttenbers should turn to he
Jew should hold n Christian painter
(since Kaufman insists he is an in
dignnnt Christian) for Outrnging public
decency by offending the sensibilities OF
devOut Christians?
The New York public is altogether
to Outrageable. it would appear from
actions of the authorities who have the
keeping of public decency and morals.
The Kaufman picture is only one of
series of "Outrages. SholOm Ash's
God of Vengeance" played by Rudolph
Schillkraut ut the Apollo Theatre. is
another. Ash's play. the police hold. is
Immoral" Asl's play. some Jews
hold, is antisemitic. besides being i'm
moral. And on the ground of its al
le~ed immortality Schildkraut and his
cast have been held for court.
AS matter of fact. Ash's play is no
more immoral than half dozen others
on Broadway. and no more nntisemitic,
because 1t reveals that Jew may he
brOthel-keeper than Rain is anti
Christian because it shows n missionary
with suppressed desires may become
sex,ially deprnved. Ash offends good
deal in this drama but his offense is
not against morality and not against
the Jew Cash is good enough Jew,
don't you worry y. but against the
drama itself. its n bad and unnatural
play. because it glorifies brothel-
keeper and tries to etlify the perverted
love of n fallen woman for an innocent
girl, and vice versa, to a longing for
purity. God of Vengeance Offentls