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
Th e Jewish Outlook Vol. V. No. K * True Americanism Rare Among Clergy Dk. MacArtiiur Takes that Stand in School-Bibee Controversy “Comparatively little true Ameri canism seems to exist in New York City, and there is less of it anion" Protestant clergymen than there is in any other class,” was one part of the verbal hot shot tired by the Rev. Dr. R. S. Mac Arthur yesterday before his class on “Current Events,” in Cal vary Baptist Church, in West Fifty seventh street. New York. lie took that view of the clergy because “some of them assert the Jews have no right to say what we shall do in our own country. ’' On the previous Sunday, in a dis cussion of the Christmas celebration in the public schools. Doctor Mac- Arthur had suggested that instead of having the Bible read in those places a text hook containing extracts from the Bible, the Koran, the Talmud, and even from atheistic writings that were moral in their teachings should he used. A majority of the class were opposed to that, and the subject was carried over to yesterday. The contention that the Jews had no right to say what should he done here might do for other clergymen, said MncArthur. hut it would be tin pardonable'arrogance for him to say it. He bad come to America only in IBfi? MTn rf hit ancestors was AtUStr iean. and he had no right to attempt to dictate to Jews who were here be fore him. ,IKWS AS I'IONEEKS. “The singing of Christmas carols in which the name of our Lord ns the Christ is used should not be permitted in the public schools,” the clergyman continued. “The Christian has no more right to say that the Jewish children shall be taught his religion in schools for which the Jew is taxed than has the Jew to dictate to the Christian. The same condition con fronts the English Protestants, who differ in heir belief from the Eng lish church. The first white man to put foot on the American continent was a Jew; the first man to catch sight of the land was a Jew: Jews furnished the money for Columbus to make his voyage of discovery, and the first Jews came to New York in 1655.” Dr. Wendell C. Phillips said our traditions were important, and be would dislike to see Ibis country forsake so valuable a one as the read ing of the Bible in the schools. DOESN'T WANT A lIOIXJKPODfIK. “I find myself in no sympathy.” said Phillips, “with the hodgepodge suggested by Dr. MncArthur to tnko the place of tin* Bible. If we are not Charles Lounsberry, a Chicago law yer. who at one time ranked high in iiis profession, died an insane patient at the Cook county asylum at Dun ning. Although this man died abso lutely destitute and penniless, he left the following “will T. Charles Lounsberry. being of sound and disposing mind and mem ory, do hereby make and publish this. Weekly Journal Devoted to the Communities of the Rocky Mountain Region to have the Bible in the schools, let us have nothing in its place.” ‘‘We do not and should not give religious training in the public schools,” said Professor Walter Fas ter of the Stuyvesant high school. ‘‘The ideal of education is to develop the mind, heart and character of the child, but the drift recently has been toward industrial training in the schools in an effort to fit the student to make a living. A few verses read every morning from the Bible and a few Christinas carols sung once a year cannot be called religious in struction. We should not give relig ious training in the schools because it is contrary to the fundamental principles upon which the govern ment rests. “If there is to lie a solution of the problem the churches must find that solution, and it devolves particularly upon the Protestant churches, for the Catholic and Jewish children are not neglected in this respect. The churches, not the schools, are the proper forces to undertake the relig ious training of the child.” KINDS DISCUSSION SIL.UY. In his sermon at night Dr. Muc- Arthur asserted all forms of sectar ianism must be ruled out of the pub- Tur'schobisr ' -' “ J"**' •»****« “It has been a long time,” the clergyman went on, “since there has been in the daily papers a discussion so supremely silly as that over the question of singing Christmas carols in the public schools. Certain excit able Brooklyn clergymen are largely responsible for the latest feature of this discussion. They were brave Don Quixotes, rushing as heroic knights errant into the thick of the light which grew out of their own heated imaginations. Certain Jewish writers of letters showed equally bad judgment and an equal lack of charity. They wrote letters which were threatening and defiant. In certain letters the bully was more eon spicuous than the gentleman. This spirit did great injustice to the cause these Hebrews championed. The re sult is that religious bigotry and racial prejudice have been aroused on both sides. “The men who advocated tin* sing ing of Christmas songs in the public schools would better save their pious tears for genuine evil in American life rather than pour them out in co pious floods over imaginary ills. Un der the American flag Christianity must demand no more rights for it self than it is willing to bestow upon other faiths.” A Unique Will my last will and testament, in order, as justly as may Ik\ to distribute my interest in the world among succeed ing men. T leave to children, inclusively, but only for the term of their childhood, all and every, the flowers of the fields and the blossoms of the woods, with the right to play among them freely according to the customs of Denver, Colorado, December 20, 1907 Bernard Shaw Attacks Max Nordau Mr. <i. Bernard Shaw, who, in an article in the fortnightly review Miirz, had violently attacked Dr. Nordau, claiming to have demolished the au thor of “Degeneration” twelve years previously. Dr. Nordau repudiates the “demoli tion,” and humorously upraids Mr. Shaw for not having informed him of the annihilation, lie goes on to rebuke the English dramatist for certain anti-Semitic expressions used in his article. He writes: “You begin by calling me ‘one of those remarkable cosmopolitan Jews who combat modern civilization.’ and you repeat a little later that I ‘at tack civilization.’ and also speak a second time of the ‘revolutionary at mosphere of Jewish cosmopolitanism.’ I do not pretend to understand what a ‘revolutionary atmosphere,’ is. more especially not ‘the revolutionary atmosphere of Jewish cosmopolitan ism.’ The meaning of this inconsc quental phraseology is your secret. I do understand, however, that you seek at the very outset to make capi tal out of my origin for the benefit of the countliss enemies of the Jews. You were obviously so vividly con scious of the weakness of your other attacksrmtryrtu krtnginT then a little with the always effective anti-Semitism. But if you make a start with anti-Semitism, why so mild ly? Houston Stuart Chamberlain will smile contemptuously nt you and your modest coptatio malevolent ice. A French pornographer. who has since died, began some years ago in the Paris Otlrn one of those performances which used to precede the matinees of classical pieces, with the words: ‘Max Nordau. a Ghetto refugee, who has written in .Tfidiscli jargon a book ‘Degeneration.’ That was a bit better even though it brought the speaker interruptions which were not flatter ing. Cornelius Gurlitt proved in an essay with a professorial seriousness which you. my good Mr. Shaw, will never attain, that I could have no ap preciation of art and poetry, because f am descended from a long series of Talmudists. That was good. You should liavi trumped over Vanor and Gurlitt. You should have said, ‘How can a usurer and coin-debaser grasp a despiscr of property like Ibsen’s Brand? What docs a deicide under stand of Christian mysticism? How dare a Jew. who at Easter-time kills Christian children and drinks their blood, speak of Wagner’s Good Fri day music?’ Then T should lie struck a straight Mow in the face and could children, warnin" them at the same lime against thistles and thorns. And T devise to children the hanks of the brooks and the "olden sands beneath the willows that dip therein, and the white clouds that float hiarh over the jriant trees. And T leave to children the Ion", Ion" days to he merry in. in a thous and ways, and the ni"ht. and moon, and trail of the milky way to wonder at. but subject, nevertheless, to the ri"hts hereinafter "iven to lovers. Fifth Year not reply. ‘Cosmopolitan Jew’ and ‘Jewish cosmopolitanism’ are too thin, too weak. To this moderate perfidy the answer is too easy. ‘Cosmopoli tan’ is the worn-out missile of anti > .11 it ism. In order to polish up the somewhat stained phrase it is some times converted into ‘unpatriotic.’ I should have thought you would have been too proud to use it primarily for reasons of style. You know nothing of my patriotic convictions, and I am at any rate sure that I am hv far not so disloyal to my country as you and not a few of your Irish compatriots are towards yours. Hut. what, on earth has cosmopolitanism or patriot ism to do with a psychological and psychiatrical examination of perni cious tendencies in art and literature? You might just as well speak of cos mopolitan hydraulics and patriotic anatomy. You arc quite the sort of pci-son to do so. and you do sometimes. ‘One of tleise cosmopolitan Jews who combat modern culture.’ This sen tence is very comprehensive. So there is a number, a group, perhaps a tribe of cosmopolitan Jews who combat modern culture. ‘One of those . . .’ So the cosmopolitan Jew who combats modern culture is a type, known and classified genus, to which one has only -ta-veter fwgeveryom* WHIIDW 'wh*t"HT meant. To my shame T must confess that this type, with which you are ap parently quite familiar, is completely unknown to me. The anti-Semites have hitherto always accused the Jews of greedily assimilating the culture which they (the Jews) had not cre atisl. of immoderately revelling in it; they have accused the Jews of being intruders on this culture. Haunters of it. boasters of it; they have accused them of wanting to wrest the leader ship of this culture for themselves, of perverting and spoiling it through their unsolicited collaboration. It was left for you to discover ‘those’ Jews who comlmt modern culture. With your leave, good Mr. Shaw, the Jew. cosmopolitan or not, has a thousand reasons for furthering modern culture with passionate zeal, and not one for combating it. Every retrogression of civilization is felt, by the Jew in ill treatment, robbery and murder, or at least, in the appearance of hostile wri ters. Confess, good Mr. Shaw, that this can give no pleasure to the Jews, be they ever so cosmopolitan.” In conclusion. Dr. Nordau warns Mr. Shaw that if in twelve years’ time the spirit should move him to demol ish him again he will not reply. ‘‘Life is to short. ’ ’ he says, ‘ ‘ and your arti cles are to long.” T devise to boys, jointly, all the use ful idle fields and commons where ball may Ik- played; all pleasant waters where one may swim; all snow-clad hills where one may coast, and all streams and ponds where one may fish, or where, when the grim winter comes, one may skate, to have and to hold these same for the period of their boy hood ; all meadows with the clover blossoms and butterflies thereof: all woods with their appurtenances, the (Continued on page 5.)