Page:The History of a Lie (1921).djvu/39

 turer should be no better than an ordinary worker. The means to accomplish this may be the unlimited freedom of trade. The manufacturer will take the place of the artisan as he does not have to work, only to speculate. The children of Israel can adapt themselves to all branches of work. Their capital and dexterity will be the substitute for right. Transforming the artisans into our factory workers, we will be in a position to direct the masses for our political purposes. Whoever resists this system will be destroyed by competition. The senseless and ungrateful masses will not support the artisans in this struggle, if commodities are reduced in price to a certain extent.

“A noisy approbation of the new Sanhedrin showed that the soundness of this advice had long been appreciated and even applied in practice.

“‘Now it is my turn,’ said the representative of Levi—‘I speak in the name of the tribe of Aaron. The natural enemy of the Jews is the Christian church. Therefore we must try to humiliate it, we must instill into it free-thinking, scepticsm, and conflicts. Therefore we will, first of all, start a war on the clergy, we will try to arouse suspicion against it and ridicule it. The main pillar of the church is the school. Therefore we must gain influence over the young. Under the guise of progress and the equal rights of all religions, we will destroy the study of religion in Christian schools. Then the Jews may become teachers in all schools; then religion will be taught at home. And as there is little time left for that, the spirit of religion will gradually decline, and eventually it will be destroyed altogether. Agitation for the appropriation of property belonging to the churches and schools, the transfer of church property to the state, or (what is the same) into the hands of the Jews, will be our reward!’

“Again approbation followed the words of the man who had spoken. Nobody contradicted him and he announced:

“‘Representative of the tribe of Isaachar, it is your turn!’

“Now an old, trembling voice spoke:

“‘Let our brethren strive for the abolition of armed force. The coarse military art is not for the sons of Israel. Not everyone can be a Gideon! The army is for the defense of the throne and the school of narrow patriotism. Not the sword, but reason and money must rule. Therefore at every opportune instance, it is necessary to help the downfall of the military class, to arouse