Foreign Language Press Service

The Acquittal of the "Anarchists" (Editorial)

Daily Jewish Courier, Mar. 10, 1914

The acquittal last week of the two "anarchistic" young men, Wishnevsky and Bernstein, who were accused of inciting riots, brought to a close a tragic act in the tragedy of the Jewish unemployed workers.

It is only natural that among the 41,000 unemployed in Chicago this winter, a certain percentage were Jews. But it is not natural for the Jews to be at the apex of the leadership that created disorder. And the truth of the matter is that they weren't.

The various arrests, which were made in the Jewish district, were merely made to divert the public's attention from the real situation. The meetings that were broken up were the regular peaceful meetings held by the constantly dissatisfied group in the Jewish, as well as non-Jewish, district. The speakers reiterated their same old line, and there was no reason for arresting the 2speakers and breaking up the meetings. But there was a reason for instilling the thought into the general public that the foreigners are the dissatisfied ones, and that is why menacing anarchists, who incite riots, were suddenly discovered among the Jews. Thus, these peaceful meetings were suppressed and the speakers arrested.

The Jewish public provided for the Jewish unemployed much better than others. The large newspapers, however, ignored this. This is not what they were in search of. They wanted a victim, so the West Side in general, and particularly the Jewish neighborhood, is the place.

There is an old adage! Trouble can always be found among Jews.

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