THE JEWISH CHRONICLE
The only Jewish publication in the State of Michigan
Devoted to the interests of the Jewish people
Vol. I. No. 8
DETROIT, MICH., APRIL' 21, 1916
$1.50 per Year
Single Copies 5 Cents
JEWISH IMMIGRANT
.fin _fippreciation
By Congressman George Huddles-
ton of Alabama.
The city of Birmingham, in
which I reside, has a Jewish popu-
lation of between three and four
thousand. Quite a number of these
are French, German, Bohemian and
Austrian Jews and their descend-
ants, and have been in America for
20 years or more. The remainder
of our Jewish population is Rus-
sian in origin, with a few from the
Balkan countries.
While residing in that city for 25
years and being actively engaged in
practice as a lawyer, it has been
my good fortune to associate inti-
mately with its Jewish population.
Prior to my retiring from practice
I had a large clientage among these
people ; in fact, most of them were
my clients. In representing Jewish
clients I necessarily became inti-
mately acquainted with them, with
their racial characteristics, with
their families, and their domestic
affairs. I formed many warm and
lasting friendships with Jews.
During the latter years of my
practice I had associated with me
as a junior partner one of the
brightest of the young lawyers of
my city. He was a Jew, of Ger-
man extraction, and was in every
respect a splendid type of the
American Jew ; refined, honest,
courageous, brainy, and kind.
The warm friendships which I
have among the Jewish people have
brought me into close relations with
them. I flatter myself that I know
the Jews. I think I know their
good qualities ; I am also conscious
of their weaknesses, for, of course,
like all humanity, they have their
weaknesses.
I have visited many Jewish homes
as a guest. I have partaken of
their generous hospitality, have sat
with them at the family table, have
eaten the wholesome, kosher food,
as well as the splendid fare found
on the tables of those who are not
so strict in the orthodox faith. To
be honest I believe I like the kosher
victuals best.
From my own knowledge of the
Jewish race, which, as I have stated,
has been most intimate both as to
the reformed and orthodox faiths,
I assert that the Jews constitute a
most important element of our citi-
zenship and one which America
could illy afford to be without.
There are many who admire the
financial instinct of the Jews, and
those who are ignorant of the real
soul of the Jew imagine that money
is the big thing in their lives. But
I know the Jews well enough to
know that this is not true. The big
thing in the life of a Jew is his fam-
ily life—his wife, his children and
his home. I assert that there is no
element of our people in America
who have such tender and devoted
domestic relations as our Jewish
population. Strife and discord
never enter the true Jewish home.
Also, I would pay tribute to the
Jews' benevolence, to his fraternal
instinct and to his love" for man-
kind ; and there is the poetry of the
Jewish soul, its music, its art, its
inspiration.
In November, 1914, after I had
been elected to Congress, and just
before I was to leave my city for
Washington to take tip the study of
my official duties, I was the guest
at a dinner given by my good friend
Himon Abromson. The pleasure
of the occasion was very great. I
was well acquainted in the home of
my friends, who is a Jew. The
other guests were Jews, and all
were of the orthodox faith and all
my intimate personal friends.
Mr. Abromson was born in Rus-
sia of poor parents, and came to
America alone and practically des-
titute when little more than a boy.
By industry and honest and fair
dealing he has made a success in
our country, has amassed a compe-
tence, and now, in his middle man-
hood, is a substantial property
owner and has a prosperous busi-
ness, but still continues to reside in
the modest home in my city which
he has occupied for a number of
years. I look upon him not merely
as my warm personal friend, but
as a splendid citizen, a man of ex-
emplary habits and character and a
solid and substantial man in every
respect, whose word is as good as
his bond.
As we set at the table and par-
took of the palatable kosher food
at the November dinner, our host
related to his guests some of his
experiences as a boy in far-away
Russia, and told us • of his early
struggles and of the hard life of
Jews in that land of oppression.
After discoursing upon this subject
for some time Mr. Abromson arose
to his feet and, addressing his re-
marks to 'me, said: • .
"We have elected our friend to
represent us in CongreSs at Wash-
ington, and in a few days he is to
go away to take up his duties. He
is known to every Jew in this city
as the friend of the Jews, and they
are his friends. We have ore ap-
peal to make to him—that is, that
in his public life he will not forget
the sufferings of our kinsfolk in
Russia."
Naturally I was much touched
by the incident. I could not have
done less than to make an appre-
ciative response. I then stated to
my friends who were present, for I
understood the full significance of
what had been said:
"I will never vote to keep the
poor, persecuted Russian Jews out
of America."
The pledge which I gave on that
occasion was given deliberately and
is a sacred one in my eyes. I shall
not violate it.
When the Burnett immigration
bill was presented to Congress I
was anxious to observe its provis-
ion as applicable to the Russian
Jews. I had heard much of the
literacy test and read this with
some apprehension. This test pro-
vides that no immigrant over 16
years of age shall be admitted who
can not read in English, Hebrew,
Yiddish, or some other language or
dialect as much as 30 ordinary
words in plain type. This provis-
ion, while not harsh, is modified by
the provision that any immigrant
now in the United States or who
may hereafter be admitted may
bring in or send for his family
whether they can read or not. How-
ever, the provision of the bill upon
which I set most store is that which
provides that all immigants shall be
admitted when they come to this
country to avoid religious persecu-
tion, wVether such persecution be
by 0 kl acts or by laws or govern-
mental regulations. I was glad
when I found this provision in the
Burnett bill, for I realized that un-
der it all Jews could come in and
that only the ignorant of other races
would be excluded. Nearly all
Jews,. even those who have had the
poorest opportunities, can read a
little Yiddish. There are very few
of them who would be excluded as
unable to read. However, the pro-
vision as to religion persecution
opens wide the door to Jewish im-
migrants, and all Jews who wish
may come to America.
It is the source of great pleasure
to me that 1 am able to keep my
pledge to my friends among the
Jews and at the same time to per-
form my duty toward the working
classes of the country, and because
of the provisions of the Burnett
bill, which are so liberal toward the
Jews, I will support that measure.
There can be no doubt that as a
general proposition immigration to
our country should be restricted. I
do not look upon the literacy test
as being fair in all respects. .I do
not look upon it as being effective,
because it will not keep out those
who will come into competition
with skilled labor. It will keep out
only the common laborer, and I
very strongly believe that the com-
mon laborer needs protection as
well as anyone else. Still the re-
striction will help some.
The first duty of a member of
Congress is toward those who are
already in America, and their wel-
fare should be his first concern. I
am willing for the foreigner to
come when he is honest and re-
spectable, but no criminals should
be admitted. I do not think that
we should admit foreigners in such
floods as would drown out Ameri-
can ideals and institutions. I think
we should admit them in such num-
bers only as we are able to digest
and to assimilate into American
citizenship.
The interest of the immigrant
who is already here and who has
identified himself with our country
demands that immigrants shall not
be admitted in such numbers as to
reduce him to destitution by compe-
tition in labor and to destroy his
opportunity to make a living for
himself and to have a future in our
great new country.
Mendel Beilis in Distress.
Mendel Beilis, the victim of Rus-
sian cruelty, who has been in Jaffa
since he was discharged by the
Kieff court, wrote a pitiful letter to
the editor of the New York Morn-
ing Journal, in which he says that
he is absolutely penniless and has
not even enough for one day's sus-
tenance. He appeals for some help
for himself and family, so that he
may be saved from starvation.