Search America's historic newspaper pages from 1756-1963 or use the U.S. Newspaper Directory to find information about American newspapers published between 1690-present. Chronicling America is sponsored jointly by the National Endowment for the Humanities external link and the Library of Congress. Learn more
Image provided by: History Colorado
Newspaper Page Text
“Douma” for Russian People Although the press are far from believing that full and complete self-government has been granted to the Russian people, yet they seem to think that the Czar took a long step In that direction on August 19th when he issued his solemn manifesto an nouncing his plans to establish a “Gosudazst vennaitl Douma" or lower house of the As sembly with powers, rights, privileges and immunities embodied in a law project which he has ordered the Senate to formulate, to express his imperial will. This act of Czar Nicholas was taken in performance of promises made in the re script which he issued last March, and the date was selected, as it is understood, in or der to solemnize in a signal manner the first anniversary of his only son and heir. By the terms of this imperial manifesto the juris diction of the Dotinta will extend to the mat ter of taxation in provinces where there are no Zemstvos, as well as to the raising of taxes above the rate fixed by Zemstvos and City Councils. The Douma will also have the initiative in the matter of the repeal or modification of old laws and in the adoption of new laws. It will have no part in the im perial administration of public affairs, but it may call the attention of ministers and chiefs to the infraction of existing laws. Bills initiated by the Douma can be with drawn only by consent, of the general ses sion. Bills passed go to the Council of the Umpire, whose conclusions and those of the Douma are submitted to the emperor. Bills rejected by the Douma and the Council are returned to the minister who submitted them. In case of a disagreement between the two houses, the disputed matter may be settled by joint commission. Should the de lay be unreasonable the Emperor shall call attention thereof to the Council, who if no conclusion can be reached in another way may act alone. The Douma is dissolvable by the Em peror before the expiration of five years, and new elections can be ordered by imperial de cree. The length a.nd adjournment of ses sions depend on the imperial will. The Czar reserves entirely to himself the care of per fecting the organization of the Douma and also the right to alter it at any subsequent time. But at present it is to be composed of 412 members, Their qualifications and the manner of their election are explained in a report in the New York Tribune as fol lows: “Relating to the electoral system, the scheme provides that elections may be held, first, in the provinces and territories; sec ond, in the principal towns which are named. In Poland, Siberia, the Caucasus, Turkestan and some provinces special regulations will govern the elections. The total membership will be 412. of which twenty-eight will be returned by the towns. The elections in the provinces and territories will he effected by a provincial electoral college, chosen, first, by the land owners; second, by urban elect ors, and third, by delegates of the peasantry. Women, men under twenty-five years old, students, sailors, soldiers, bankrupts and persons convicted of crimes or desertion shall not have the right to vote. Governors and the police cannot vote when they are exercising their functions. Band owners, mine owners and owners of industrial es tablishments of a minimum value of $7,500 and clergy owning lands are qualified to vote in the electoral assemblies. “In the urban electoral assemblies own ers of land of a minimum value of $750 and THE JEWISH OUTLOOK owners of industrial properties of the first category are qualified. The peasantry elect oral assembly is to consist of two delegates from each canton, chosen by the peasants belonging to the cantonal and agricultural corporations. In cities which are named, owners of real estate of the value of $1,500, owners of industries of the first category, and persons paying taxes or rent of the tenth category are qualified to take part in the electoral assemblies. The urban and provin cial assemblies will vote for deputies to the Douma by secret ballot, which also applies to the subsidiary elections." —The Literary Digest. Jews and Intermarriage Mr: Balfour, who recently referred to the dangers arising front the refusal of Jews to intermarry, is little aware of the regrettable extent to which intermarriage has actually gone on. In the latest number of the "Jew ish Herald” which is just to hand from Mel bourne, we find a long editorial lamenting the grave prevalence of this practice in Aus tralia. “We cannot shut our eyes,” says our contemporary, “to the fact that, both from the religious and social point of view, the marriage question is assuming in the Jew ish communities of the Commonwealth an aspect of grave and threatening charac ter . . . for it is disagreeably evident that we are fast becoming a typical example and object-lesson for universal Jewry to point a moral and adorn a tale. It is be yond dispute that mixed marriages are be coming so common in our midst as to pass almost without notice, and that in families and among a class of people where formerly such a thing would have been undreamt of.” Similar testimony was borne in our columns last February a year ago by the Rev. J. H. Landau, ex-minister of the Sydney congre gation. Mr. Landau stated that intermarriage was the great and burning question of Aus tralian Judaism. He quoted Mr. Coghlan, the well known statistician of New South Wales, as saying that “more than one in five Jewish married persons” have married out of the pale. Mr. Landau asserted that there are very few families in Australia in which some member “or often members” have not contracted marriage with a member of an other faith. “Intermarriage,” added Mr. Lan dau, "is not a question to be merely de plored; it is a question that must be met, if the community is to be preserved.” It is common knowledge that the same question has arisen in countries nearer home —in Germany, for example. Indeed, if Mr. Bal four wishes to know the extent to which in termarriage has proceeded in England its self, let him consult the book of the chron icles of the English peerage. We do not in tend to argue that this state of things is a desirable one. There are grave and weighty reasons why it is not; among which not the least is the great unhappiness that so often results from mixed marriages. Mr. Landau explicitly pointed out in our columns that the Australian intermarriages are as a rule “most unhappy in their results,” that they are deplored by non-Jews as well as by Jews and that the ecclesiastics of the Ro man Catholic Church, the church whose members have, curiously enough, been most concerned in these Australian mixed mar riages, have been especially outspoken in their opposition. We think that Mr. Balfour and other statesmen would do well not to intrude the state on to the domestic hearth but to leave affairs of the heart to be settled in accordance with the dictates of the heart. In these strenuous days of the twentieth century the state has work enough to do in other walks of life. —Jewish Chronicle. Zionist Bulletin “Zion Day” was observed by the Zionists of Pittsburg on August lGth, when, under the auspices of the Zionist Council, a cele bration was held at Kennywood Park. The annual outing of the Cleveland Zion ists took place on Sunday, August 15th, at Warrensville, Ohio, where a number of Zion ists have established a farm. Various games and contests constituted the main features of the day. Rabbi G. Silverstone of Belfast, who has been well known in England as a Zionist agitator, has arrived in New York, where he intends to establish his residence. The Degel Zion Share Club of New York, at a meeting held on August 10th. resolved "That subscribers for Jewish Colonial Trust shares on instalment, who are in arrears with payments, shall pay balances on shares by August 14th, after which date all pay ments not completed will be given over to the national fund.” The Degel Zion meets the second and fourth Thursdays of every month in the Clinton hall, 151-3 Clinton street. On Au gust 27th the society gave an outing to the children of the Hebrew Kindergarten of 87 East Broadway. The Young American Zionists held an open meeting on Thursday evening, August 24th, at the corner of Moore street and Graham avenue, Brooklyn. It was erroneously reported in last week’s bulletin that Dr. Saphir collected 400 roubles for the national fund from among his Jewish comrades in Manchuria, whereas the correct amount is 4,000 roubles. Another error occurred in the paragraph relating to the B’nai and B’noth Zion Kadi mah, the last part of which should have read: At the same meeting, August 6th, the sum of SSO was voted to inscribe in the golden book of the national fund, Mr. and Mrs. A. Nathanson, married on August 12th. Obituary One of the old Jewish settlers in this city passed suddenly away on last Friday. Samuel Engel died at the age of fifty-two years. Heart failure was the cause of death. Friday afternoon the deceased was at his office at 1G34 Curtis street, apparently as well as he ever was in his .ife. At 4 o’clock the following morning his wife, alarmed when she received no reply, hur riedly summoned aid, only to find that he was dead. He had been in business in Denver for thirty years and was considered one of the wealthiest men in the city. The funeral took place from his late residence, 1075 Santa Fe avenue. Rabbi .Friedman and Denver Dodge 171, I. O. B. B„ had charge of the services both at the house and the grave. A wife, a son, Edward Engel of New York, a sister, Mrs. Samuel of this city, and a host of life-long friends, survive to cherish his memory. THREE GATES. If you are tempted to reveal A tale some one to you lias told, About another, make it pass, Before you speak, three gates or gold: These narrow gates—First, “Is it true?” Then, “Is it needful?” In your mind Give truthful answer. And the next Is last and narrowest —“Is it kind?” And if, to reach your lips at last, It passes through these gateways three. Then you may tell the tale, nor fear What the result of speech may be. 7