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 ANTI-SEMI T ISM

479

higher episcopate, who felt assured that any perman- have been so passionately cultivated, has been regarded as ent encouragement given to the anti-Semites would one of the paradoxes of our latter-day history. As a strengthen the parties of sedition and disorder in the end. matter of fact, it is more surprising that it was not adopted Cardinal Schoenborn was despatched in haste to Rome to earlier. All the social and political conditions which expostulate with the pontiff, and his representations were produced anti-Semitism in Germany were present in France, strongly supported by the French and Belgian bishops. but in an aggravated form due primarily to the very The mischief was, however, done, and although the pope republican regime which at first sight seemed to be a sent a verbal message to Prince Liechtenstein excluding the guarantee against it. In the monarchical states Franceanti-Semites from his blessing, the elections resulted in a the dominance of the bourgeoisie was tempered in great triumph for the Jew-haters. The municipal council a measure by the power of the Crown and the political was immediately dissolved by the Government, and new activity of the aristocracy, which carried with them a very elections were ordered, but these only strengthened the real restraining influence in the matter of political honour position of the anti-Semites, who carried 92 seats out of a and morality. In France these restraining influences were total of 138. A cabinet crisis followed and the premiership driven out of public life by the republic. The nobility was entrusted to the Statthalter of Galicia, Count Badeni, both of the ancien regime and the empire stood aloof, and who assumed office with a pledge of war to the knife politics were abandoned for the most part to professional against anti-Semitism. In October the new municipal adventurers, while the bourgeoisie assumed the form of an council elected as burgomaster of Vienna Dr Karl Lueger omnipotent plutocracy. This naturally attracted to France (b. 1844), a vehement anti-Semite, who had displaced all the financial adventurers in Europe, and in the train of Prince Liechtenstein as leader of the party. The emperor the immigration came not a few German Jews, alienated declined to sanction the election, but the council repeated from their own country by the agitation of Marr and it in face of the imperial displeasure. Once more a dis- Stoecker. Thus the bourgeoisie was not only more powersolution was ordered and for three months the city was ful in France than in other countries, but the obnoxiousgoverned by administrative commissioners. In February ness of its Jewish element was accentuated by a tinge of 1896 elections were again held and the anti-Semites were the national enemy. The anti-clericalism of the bourgeois returned with an increased majority. The emperor then republic and its unexampled series of financial scandals, capitulated; and after a temporary arrangement, by which culminating in the Panama Krach, thus sufficed to give for one year Dr Lueger acted as vice-burgomaster and anti-Semitism a strong hold on the public mind. Nevertheless, it was not until 1882 that the anti-Jewish handed over the burgomastership to an inoffensive nominee, permitted the municipal council to have its way. The movement was seriously heard of in France. M. Paul growing anarchy in parliament at this moment served still Bontoux (b. 1820), who had formerly been in the employ further to strengthen the anti-Semites, and their conquest of the Rothschilds, but had been obliged to leave the firm of Vienna was speedily followed by a not less striking con- in consequence of his disastrous speculations, had joined quest of the landtag of Lower Austria (November 1896). the Legitimist party, and had started the Union Gendrale The zenith of their power was reached in March 1897, when, with funds obtained from his new allies. M. Bontoux at the general election for the Reichsrath, twenty-eight promised to break up the alleged financial monopoly of the Jews and Protestants and to found a new plutocracy in its anti-Semites and forty-one German clericals were elected. Since then a reaction of sanity has gradually but surely stead, which should be mainly Roman Catholic and aristoasserted itself. For five years the anti-Semites have (1901) cratic. The bait was eagerly swallowed. For five years the governed Vienna, and, although they have accomplished Union Gdndrale, with the blessing of the pope, pursued an much mischief, the millennium of which they were supposed apparently prosperous career. Immense schemes were unto be the heralds has not dawned. On the contrary, the dertaken, and the 125 fr. shares rose gradually to 3200 commercial interests of the city have suffered and the francs. The whole structure, however, rested on a basis rates have been enormously increased (Neue Freie Presse, of audacious speculation, and in January 1882 the Union 29th March 1901), while the predatory hopes which Gdmirale failed, with liabilities amounting to 212,000,000 secured them office have only been realized on a small and francs. The cry was at once raised that the Krach was select scale. The spectacle of a clerico-anti-Semitic Tam- due to the manoeuvres of the Jews, and a strong antimany in Vienna has strengthened the resistance of the Semitic feeling manifested itself in clerical and aristobetter elements in the country. Time has also shown that cratic circles. In 1886 violent expression was given to Christian Socialism is only a disguise for high Toryism, and this feeling in a book since become famous, La France that the German Radicals who were originally induced to Juive, by M. Edouard Drumont (b. 1844). The author join the anti-Semites have been victimized by the clericals. illustrated the theories of German anti-Semitism with a The fruits of this disillusion began to show themselves in chronique scandaleuse full of piquant personalities, in the general elections of 1900-01, when the anti-Semites lost which the corruption of French national life under Jewish six seats in the Reichsrath and the clericals four, while influences was painted in alarming colours. The book the national German Radicals, rallied again into an inde- was read with avidity by the public, who welcomed its pendent and anti-clerical party under Ritter von Schonerer, explanations of the obviously growing debauchery. The gained thirteen seats. Three of the constituencies^ lost to Wilson scandals and the suspension of the Panama Comthe anti-Semites were in Vienna, and the total poll in their pany in the following year, while not bearing out M. favour all over the city showed an enormous reduction. Drumont’s anti-Semitism, fully justified his view of the The elections were followed (26th January 1901) by a prevailing corruption. Out of this condition of things papal encyclical on Christian democracy, in which Christian rose the Boulangist movement, which rallied all the disSocialism was declared to be a term unacceptable to the affected elements in the country, including M. Drumont’s Church, and the faithful were adjured to abstain from following of anti-Semites. It was not, however, until the agitation of a demagogic and revolutionary character, and flight of General Boulanger and the ruin of his party that anti-Semitism came forward as a political movement. “ to respect the rights of others.” The chief author of the rout of Boulangism was a Jewish The last country in Europe to make use of the teachings politician and journalist, M. Joseph Reinach (b. 1856), of German anti-Semitism in its party politics was France. The fact that the movement should have struck root in a formerly private secretary to M. Gambetta, and one of the republican country, where the ideals of democratic freedom ablest men in France. He was a Frenchman by birth and