Life — February 6, 1908 — page 17: what you’re looking at

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

LIFE and the Jews as occasion requires, it indulges in satire and criticism. It tries never to be serious, to the point of boredom. In its fun, as in its satirical and other veins, it has had, besides its desire to be entertaining, artistic and readable, an underlying ambition to be of public service. It has made fun of and satirized persons, things and tendencies which it. believed to be inimical to our social and national well-being. Its fun and satire, with an exception to be noted, have been absolutely impartial. Without exception they have been free from malice. Toward many subjects and opinions Lire has not been over-respectful, judged by the standards of their adherents. one of these, for LirE has never attacked or ridiculed the religion of any man, Jew or Gentile, except when religion has abandoned its own field and intruded in matters not religious. In its impartial fun-making Lrre has found material in every class and race. The humor that is based on the differences and incongruities of race and class has been the humor of all the peoples that ever inhabited the globe. To Lire a joke has always been a joke whether its subject was the white man, black man, yellow man or red man. Its humor has dealt with Americans, Irishmen, Germans, Africans, Englishmen, and men of other nationalities, regardless of what-that nationality was. In its satire it has spared neither therich, the prominent nor the powerful. To this rule of impartiality there has been one ex- ception. That exception was the Jew. Lire regarded him and his characteristics as humorous material in the same way it did similar things in every other race. A few years ago the Jews brought their own supersensi- tiveness repeatedly to the notice of LiFE. You cannot picture a Jew without making him Jewish any more than you can picture an Irishman without making him Irish or a negro without making him black. You cannot picture a parvenu American without making him vulgar and ostentatious. Lire had done all these and many similar things without protest from those described. The Jew has been the only one to show re- sentment. Entirely without self-interest, only because it did not wish to inflict pain, Lire varied from its policy of im- | IFE is primarily a humorous journal. Sometimes, partiality. It-practicaly-made the-Jew exempt from -its. - fun-making and its satire. It expected and desired no recognition of the fact. Lrre was content to ignore the Jews and be ignored by them. Not so the Jews. They have made Lire the target of a silent boycott. To be boycotted by the Jews them- selves was a matter which did not affect Lire greatly. It was content with the patronage and support of Americans, whether of native or foreign birth and ex- traction. These have never failed to recognize its Americanism and its impartiality. But when the Jews go beyond withholding their own patronage and seek to intimidate other supporters of this journal, it becomes time for Lire to assert itself in its own defence. Advertisers in Lire have been notified that by using its columns they would alienate Jewish trade. We regret to say that in one or two instances American business men have been so timid as to yield to this kind of threats. Other and more insidious methods have been used by Jews to keep from LirE some advertising it would naturally receive. The condition of Lirr’s ad- vertising pages, however, evidence that the great majority of American business men are not the sort to yield to underhand threats and coercion. A campaign of lying, anonymous letters addressed to many persons having business and other relations with Lrrr, has been carrried on with a view to inspiring bitter- ness against its editors. Jewish newsdealers have sought to interfere with the sales of the paper. The efforts of the Theatrical Trust composed of Jews to throttle its criticism is a matter of public record. Lire is declaring no war of retaliation on the Jews. It is not afraid of any Jewish boycott, open or secret. While it believes that the racial clannishness of the Jews is a grave danger to American institutions; nationally, socially and especially in the legislative and judicial branches of our government, it.is not Lrre’s function to wage warfare against them. Lire has sought to spare the sensitiveness of the Jews by refraining fromthe ridicule. they invite. Lire’s disinterested consideration for the Jews has not been appreciated. Therefore Lire sees no reasoh why he should dis- criminate in favor of the only people who are seeking to injure him. H -L1FE-returns.to- its-former-position: of absolute im- partiality. Comicbooks.com