78 RUSSIA THEN AND NOW 



effort I might make to apologize for some of our 

 own municipal and State politics and the conse- 

 quent evils and abuses that are even now being 

 endured by our sovereign citizens. 



The Jew in Russia is not to be understood as 

 identical with the worthy examples of that race 

 who have become good citizens among us. Our 

 treatment of the Japanese in California and of the 

 negroes in some of our Southern States would seem 

 to suggest to us the justice of making full inquiries 

 before passing judgment on the Russian people for 

 their hostility to a certain class of Hebrews. 



Pierre Botkine, Secretary of the Russian Lega- 

 tion in Washington, in an article in the Century 

 Magazine entitled, "A Voice from Russia, " makes 

 a noble defence of his country against the charge of 

 religious intolerance and persecution on the part 

 of the Orthodox Greek Church in the explusion of 

 Jews. He says : 



They have not been expelled, as has been charged, 

 but have been restricted as to localities of domicile 

 and as to kinds of occupation ; they have abused their 

 privileges as traders and as lenders of money to the 

 poor until they have become dangerous and prejudi- 

 cial to the people. The peasants, in their weakness 



