21 THE JEWISH CHRONICLE 1 1 • Restrictive Laws Against Jews Erased From Russian Legal System 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1b Jewish Lawyers Searched Statute Books for Obnoxious Acts- - Equal Rights for All Basis of Government. The announcement of the provi- sional government of new Russia re- pealing all restrictive laws against the Jews means an end of centuries of oppression and suffering. It means an end to the horrors of the pale. It means an end to religi- ous, political, educational, and social discrimination. It means, finally, an open door to freedom and oppor- tunity- on a plane of equality with their fellow-men. To accomplish this revolution in the status of Russian Jewry, the min- istry of justice, in co-operation with a committee of prominent Russian Jewish lawyers, made a thorough search of the statute books of the land and eliminated therefrom every law, every provision, every clause, that might directly or indirectly re- sult in some form of discrimination against the Jew. It was a stupendous task, involving the abolition of hun- dreds of laws which through ages of oppression had accumulated in Rus- sia against the Jews as a race. Baron Fedor Gunzburg,' attached to the Russian commission, brought with him for the perusal of Jews in this country a copy of the official proclamation of the provisional gov- ernment repealing the anti-Jewish laws of Russia. The proclamation was originally printed in the official organ of the government, Viestnik Vremmiennavo Pravitelstvo. Under the heading, "Decision of the Provisional Government. Repeal of Religious and National Restrictions," the proclamation reads as follows: "Being conclusively convinced that in a free country all citizens should be equal before the law, and that the conscience of the people cannot be reconciled with limitations on the rights of citizens based on their re- ligion and origin. "The provisional government de- crees: "All existing legal restrictions up- on the rights of Russian citizens in connection with this or that faith, re- ligious teaching, or nationality are re- voked. "In accordance with this: "I. Repealed arc all the laws exist- ing for Russia as a whole, as well as those of separate localities, the limita- tions concerning: "1. Selection of place of residence Phone 1 on S. STOCK AND C( 1815 Dime Savi DETROIT, A. C. Kalbf SASH, DOORS Alt HUBBARD AVE. AND C S and change of residence or movement. "2. Acquiring rights of ownership and other material rights in all kinds of movable and immovable property, mid likewise in the possession of, the use and the managing of, all prop- erty, or receiving such for security. "3. Engaging in all kinds of trades, commerce, and industry, not excepting mining; also equal partici- pation in the bidding for government contracts, deliveries, and in public auctions. "4. Participation in joint stock and other commercial or industrial com- panies and partnerships, and also employment in these companies and partnerships in all kinds of positions, either by election or by hiring. "5. Employment of servants, sales- men, foremen, laborers, and trade ap- prentices. "6. Entering the government serv- ice, civil as well as military, and the grade or condition of such service; participation in the elections for the institutions of local self-government and all kinds of public institutions; serving in all kinds of positions of government and public establish- ments, as well as the prosecution of the duties connected with such posi- tions. "7. Admission to all kinds of in- stitutions of learning, whether private, government, or public, and the pur- suing of the courses of instruction of institutions and receiving these scholarships. Also the pursuance of teaching and other educational pro- fessions. "8. Per forming the duties of guar- dians, trustees, or jurors. "9. The use of languages and dia- lects other than Russian in the pro- ceedings of private societies, or in teaching in all kinds of private edu- cational institutions and in commer- cial bookkeeping." Paragraphs II., III., IV., V., VI., VII., and VIII. proceed to enumerate and cite, section by section, paragraph by paragraph, each and every law that was in existence coming within the broad terms of the repeal enumer- ated above. The enormous number of the citations and the minuteness of their character testify in themselves to the thoroughness with which the Jewish restrictions were carefully searched out, so as not to leave the slightest question as to the exact laws which were abolished. Paragraph IX. of the repeal states the following: "The force of this decree is extend- ed to embrace the corresponding re- strictions which have been enacted in relation to foreigners, not belonging to the citizenship of the countries with which Russia is at war, in con- nection with their faith, religious teaching, or nationality." In other words, • all restrictions against Jews in Russia from non- enemy countries, though they may not be Russian citizens, arc likewise abolished. With reference to the extensive ground covered by the repeal Baron Gunzburg said: "The repeal made by the provision- al government represents a repeal of every law in existence which it was possible to find discriminating against the Jews. Naturally, since the con- stituent assembly which will soon convene will enact all the permanent laws, this provisional government is technically not permanent and re- mains in force only until the constitu- ent assembly officially enacts its laws. "But since the greatest particular- ity was resorted to in the repeal of these laws against the Jews, it is en- tirely probable that the constituent assembly will simply re-enact the re- peal of the provisional government. At any rate, there need not be the slightest fear that there will now be the smallest political discrimination left on the law books of Russia. 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