Life — December 23, 1897 — page 4: what you’re looking at

Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.

“While there is Life there's Hope.” VOL. XXX. DE No. 734. 19 West Turety-First Str: ew YORK. Published every Thursda; oo year in adva: Postage 10 forvlgn, counties ia, the Testal Union, 04 ayear extra. ‘Single copies, 10 centa, Rejected contributions will be destroyed un- Jess accompanied bya stamped and directed envelope. The illustrations in Live are copyrighted, and are not to be reproduced without special arrangement with the publishers, R. FELIX ADLER, in an Ethical Culture sermon at Carnegie Hall, complains of the social discrimination against Jews in this country. He says it is unchristian, and so it is. So far as it exists it isa bad thing, that needs to have ex cuses made for it. One g, excuse is the instinct of ¢ | self-preservation. So many Jews are so indomitably and sometimes unscrupulously shrewd and persistent, oe their competition is everywhere Their di earth seems to be so conspicuously in process of fulfillment that it makes other that feared position to inherit the folks somewhat of them. But what is at the base of social discrimina- tion against them is the sentiment, based really more on observation than preju- dice, thata remarkably large proportion of even the more successful Jews: altogether Their ways make their company unacceptable. A place filled with them is apt to be un pleasant to other folks. That is not they are of the Jewish race or wary re not nice. manners and because the Jewish religion, but because so many of them are somewhat noisy and somewhat greedy ; because their taste in dress and ornament is not admired ; be- cause they lack distinet manner, There are no race hatreds in this country, thank Heaven! No anti- arty. If the Jews, taken by were just as “nice” as other on and ease of Semitic nd larg people, there would be no marked objec: tion to their company. Summer hotels would welcome them, and they would be better used. One would like to say: ‘All that will come right in time. The Jews in Amer- * LIFE: ica will mix in with the other Americans and lose their peculiarities.” Would that they might, but they don’t mix. They are Jews from inveterate prefer: ence. They intermarry with one another, Their religion makes them inconvenient spouses for Christians, and they promise to be Jews until the last trump sounds. Their social separation is in large part their own choice, and is part of the price of being a separate people. Of course many Jews are refined and delightful, and are welcomed in the best society. That is as it should be. The other and more prevalent state of things ought not to exist. No good American should lose any chance to mitigate it. So far as disparagement of Jews is based ontheory, it ought to be abolished. So far as it isa condition based on facts and practical reasons, it will have to work it- self out on practical lines. None of us can prescribe playmates to his fellow. If Jews are truthful, clean, courteous and modest, other folks will be glad to have them around, If they are grasping, greasy, over-cager and under-bred, other folks will try to avoid them The saddest part of the whole problem is that there is sure to be so much vica- rious atonement about it. Jews are so linked together that there isa tendency toward sweeping conclusions about the whole race. The result of that is that the kind suffer from the defects of the ungentle, and that now and then ad- mirable people, in every way worthy of respect, suffer crucl slights for which That evil it is every good man’s business to fight when the chance offers. The really important work that is done for American Jews. must be done by Jews, but still it isa good act of casual piety to promote no redress is possible. civility toward Jews, just as it is to throw a brickbat at a member of the HERE is significance in the reports that appear from day to day that the future rulers of New York are in session at Lakewood. Lakewood very nice place, but it is known as a favorite retreat of the weary and heavy laden who feel the need of repose and mild air. That Tammany resorts there so much may reasonably be taken to in- isa dicate that the Tammany leaders are neither so young as they were nor so tough, and that, on the whole, is rather a reassuring reflection. Be it known to all men, and especially to our friends in England, who sincerely believe the Greater New York has fallen'a prey to a savage and unscrupulous monster, that Tammany shows signs of being human and mortal. Immediately after the election Mr. Croker fled to the hot springs of Virginia for his health. It is announced that Mr. Sheehan has gone to the hot springs of Arkansas or to Cape May, or some other salubrious region, for his health. Certainly Tam- many is impaired. Its statesmen show that solicitude for recuperation which is characteristic of respectability and means. They have to take care of their health, They have developed a liver, and it is reasonable to hope that they may take the next step and develop a conscience. The head men of Tammany husband their strength, are abstemious, eat somewhat sparingly, and are careful to sleep not | than seven hours at night. These are symptoms of debility, and also of mental labor. Men who think hard behave so. Tammany must be doing a heap of thinking in these days. We shall see what comes of it. ree: weet eBs ONGRESS, up to this writing, has done nothing very reprehensible, but seems exceptionally disposed to keep its head. It lags over Hawaii, delays ignition over Cuba, and has even listened to remonstrances about the abuses of our Dlessed pension system. Members of the House have publicly expressed a doubt whether it was inconsistent with due gratitude to the saviors of the na tion that young women should be dis- cours d and infirm veterans with a view to enjoying the provision that Uncle Samuel makes for soldiers’ widows. These doubters have been patiently heard, which is en -d from marrying very ag couraging. The cost of pensions at present is over $140,000,000, which con- siderably exceeds the revenue from the Dingley law. The present pension sys tem being a Republican achievement, it is, on the whole, satisfactory that the burden of providing the funds that it calls for should rest for the present upon the party which invented it.