Die Welt

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No. 5. / Vienna, February 1, 1901. / Fifth Year

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An Open Answer to Herr G. C. Polak!

Paris, January 27, 1901.

Much esteemed Herr Editor!

To the first prostitute of the pen or loutish blockhead that comes along I do not, of course, concede the right to disturb me in my labours and to draw me into public colloquy with him. Such rabble may conduct itself as it will, or as its nature compels; I take no notice of it, and only wonder that persons who assure me of their good will towards me should expect me to enter into dealings with it.

It is another matter when a man like yourself, much esteemed Herr Editor, demands an accounting of me. To you I am ready to render answer.

To be sure (I confess it) not without embarrassment. From the whole form and from certain turns of your open letter to me I am bound to conclude that you intend to contradict me; yet after twice reading your article with the closest attention I have not been able to discover against what your contradiction is actually directed.

You say: "What I wish to dispute is your conclusion that the Jews should renounce their political rights, and should not accept offices and posts of honour outside the Jewish community." You add: "I hope to prove that this opinion is erroneous by reason of the incorrectness of your premises."

That, honoured comrade in conviction, you really had no need to prove to me. For I have proved it to myself, and, I believe, to others as well. But I ask myself where you may have found the "conclusion" which you cite as mine. I have never written it, never spoken it, and never thought it.

I say word for word ("Die Welt," No. 50): "In the highly civilised countries, where the Jews possess political rights, they should exercise them with wise and tactful reserve." Does that mean that the Jews are to renounce their political rights? Do you not yourself say: "I grant that one must make modest use of one's rights"? Where, then, do you see a contradiction between us? I am able to perceive only the fullest, almost the literal, agreement between us.

I say further, word for word: "If it be desired to honour some particularly eminent Jewish merit, to make some particularly superior Jewish wisdom serviceable to the general interest, then let the Jew in question be asked for his co-operation in the administration of the affairs of State, but let him never offer himself; and if he consents to devote his powers to the State, let it be done with especial emphasis upon his Judaism." Does that mean that the Jews "should not accept offices and posts of honour outside the Jewish community"? Do you not yourself say: "Certainly, we have no need to beg for posts as judges or as officers. We shall obtain them if we come forward with self-respect. It must become possible to be an official who can satisfy his specifically Jewish duties. That too will come, when the Jews show themselves as Jews." Once more: where is the contradiction between us? Again I see only the fullest agreement, almost down to the very turn of phrase.

Whom were you combating? Me, evidently not. You say we are to give up nothing of our rights; I say the same. You say we are to make modest use of our rights; I say the same. You say we are not to beg for posts as judges or as officers; I say the same. You say we are to accept offices that are offered us; I say the same. You say that the Jew, when he accepts an office offered him, should show himself as a Jew and satisfy his specifically Jewish duties; I say the same. Well then? . . .

What were you combating? My three articles in the "Welt," evidently not. Perhaps those who have slavered over these articles? Upon that I have no judgment, for I do not read the scribblings of hired penmen,