JEWS. 



457 



ish race. The agitation is directed mainly 

 against the Jews as a race, although many of 

 these have become Christians, and many have 

 abandoned altogether attendance at the syna- 

 gogues and places of Jewish worship. The 

 "Anti-Semitic League " is the title adopted by 

 the society inimical to and working against the 

 Jews ; and it includes men who, in other re- 

 spects, are antagonistic to each other in political 

 and religious opinion. 



2. Generally speaking, it is said, "Things in 

 Germany are unsatisfactory, and the Jews are 

 the cause of it " ; and, though there are Jews 

 in all European countries, their influence, it is 

 averred, is greater in Germany than elsewhere, 

 and the German Jews are more disagreeable 

 than those of other countries. There are said 

 to be 650,000 Jews in Germany, and only 50,- 

 000 in Great Britain, and the same number in 

 France. The Jews, both orthodox and reformed, 

 are, it is alleged, conceited and vain, and quite 

 lacking in modesty. They are also accused of 

 being irreligious, and especial haters of Chris- 

 tianity; as, in short, the most intolerant and 

 stubborn race on the face of the earth. Fur- 

 ther, they are charged with servility, self- 

 seeking, sensuality, and abhorrence of honest 

 work. 



3. One energetic writer denounces the Jews 

 in Germany as "dunces and destroyers of 

 human sociability and co-operation." Num- 

 bers of these are members of the bar, and, as 

 the intervention of counsel is compulsory in 

 Germany, these men gain by it in money and 

 otherwise. Bismarck, it is claimed, made use 

 of the National Liberal party to accomplish the 

 unity of the German Empire. The Jews were 

 largely members of this society, and, when Bis- 

 marck did not want its help any longer, the 

 Social Democrats charged that the Jews were 

 the ruin of the party. Various measures in 

 the direction of progress are due to the Jews, 

 and by these they have produced feelings of 

 hatred in the community. It is further charged 

 that the Jews have gained possession of the 

 press ; that they sway or manufacture public 

 opinion in a vast variety of ways ; and that 

 they are incapable of self-denying devotion to 

 the state in its civil service. In regard to the 

 economic life of the German nation, the Jews 

 are charged with having been more acute than 

 their neighbors, and with having made money 

 in speculation and the like when most of the 

 people were ruined. Hence, it is said that the 

 Jews have robbed the Christians. The law on 

 joint-stock companies, the introduction of a 

 gold currency, and the founding of the German 

 Imperial Bank, are all said to be in the Jewish 

 interests. Still worse, in the agricultural dis- 

 tricts, the Jews are charged with overreaching 

 the peasants, and trying to get their land from 

 them by obtaining heavy mortgages, foreclos- 

 ing them, and driving out the owners. The 

 Jews seem to be rich and luxurious every- 

 where, and can get the best of everything. 

 One bitter enemy says, worst of all, that nine 



tenths of the prostitutes in Paris, Vienna, Ber- 

 lin, and Budapest, are Jewesses. 



4. In regard to the practical measures pro- 

 posed by the agitators, in order to accomplish 

 their designs, one writer suggests that the 

 Jews be restrained in the matter of mortgages 

 on property ; that the regulations of stock-ex- 

 change transactions and joint-stock companies 

 be altered; that Jewish judges be appointed 

 only in proportion to the Jewish population; 

 that Jewish teachers be expelled from primary 

 schools ; and that, " above all, there be a 

 strengthening of the old^Christian Germanic 

 spirit." Another writer proposes to strike out 

 of the Jewish religious service anything that is 

 anti-national. If this be objected to by the 

 Jews, then crush the religion entirely. Also, 

 make all public appointments in proportion to 

 the population, and allow anybody to refuse to 

 be tried before a Jewish judge, and any judge 

 to reject Jewish evidence. It is further pro- 

 posed to " mediatize " the fortunes of wealthy 

 Jews (that is, in reality, to "confiscate" 

 them) ; to allow no Jew to be a mortgagee, 

 editor, or contributor to a public journal, or 

 to hold real property, or to immigrate into 

 Germany, or to teach in any except Jewish 

 schools. These are the extremest measures 

 proposed, although many, who deem Jewish 

 influence prejudicial to Germany, do not sym- 

 pathize with coarse invective and violent ex- 

 pedients. 



5. Naturally, the Jews in Germany are in- 

 dignant against the various charges put forth 

 by their enemies. A general denial is made, 

 and specific accusations are met with argu- 

 ment and evidence of facts. Some claim the 

 distinct! veness of their race as a right, and 

 ascribe to it a special mission and superior 

 powers. The majority of German Jews, how- 

 ever, think differently, and claim that the Jews, 

 in their native land, are really and truly Ger- 

 mans, or fast becoming such. Complaints 

 against Jewish usurers and promoters are 

 freely acknowledged ; but, on the other hand, 

 it is averred that exaggerated statements are 

 made in regard to these. As to the press, it is 

 stigmatized by the Jews as a myth, that they 

 have preponderating influence in this respect, 

 and various prominent journals are named as 

 having hardly any Jews on their staff. In 

 respect to the alleged general feeling of an- 

 tipathy to the Jews, writers in their defense 

 affirm that it is both extravagant and unjust 

 to charge them with being the causes of all the 

 evils of the times, or to defame them all as 

 speculators, usurers, or old-clothes dealers. 

 That German Jews are largely irreligious may 

 be admitted as true ; but, it is said, in reply, 

 Germans who are not Jews are equally open 

 to the charge of irreligion. And, finally, as 

 the Jews are found in all schools and parties, 

 in politics, art, and religion, it is not fair to 

 condemn them unqualifiedly, as is done by the 

 agitators. They have acquired their wealth, 

 it is claimed, by energy, skill, and habits of 



