Editor’s Table

458 IMPROVEMENT ERA. in early March of over one thousand. The deserts of sage will soon be transformed into fruitful fields and gardens. Condition of the Jews in Morocco. The ninth volume of the Jewish Encyclopedia, which has just issued from the press, contains the following account of the condition of the Jew in Morocco: From the cradle to the grave he is despised and vituperated, an apology being necessary for an allusion to him in polite society. Every possible indignity is heaped upon him, and he enjoys neither social nor civil equality with his neighbors; they tolerate him only because he renders himself indispensable, and knows how, under the most unfavorable circumstances, to amass wealth, which he is always ready to put out at exhorbitant interest, and of which he may be ultimately despoiled by powerful officials. He is known as a "dhimmi" (plural, "dhimmiyyab") or tributary, since he is only tolerated on that basis, and special contributions are wrung from him on every possible occasion. In most of the towns of Morocco the Jews are forced to congregate in the "Mellah"—in which they are confined at night by gates beyond which many of the women never pass. Those Jews who do so must needs walk barefoot, even riding being forbidden to them within the walls, certain streets approaching mosques and shrines are interdicted altogether. Outside the walls Jews may ride any animals but horses, which are considered far too noble for such despised individuals. In order that they may never be mistaken for their betters, a dark colored gabardine, with black skull cap and slippers, is compulsory for the men. The women, however, may dress as they like, which in some cities means, in the streets, placing a sheet over their heads to hide their faces in the Moorish fashion, and in others following closely the style adopted by their neighbors when indoors. In the Atlas district, if a village has not a Jewish quarter, there is generally a companion village at a stone's throw, and devoted to the "tributaries," who are the peddlers, the craftsmen, and the muleteers, if not the farriers, of the district. The condition of the Jews in such villages is even worse than of those in the towns; for it lies between that of serfs and that of slaves. Some are under the binding protection of the local sheik, others pertain to private individuals, who have practically the right to sell them. They may not marry or remove their families till they have received permission from their so-called protectors; and without this protection they would not be safe for a

TOPICS OF MOMENT. 45& day. * Centuries of this oppression have naturallyhad a very deleterious effect upon the characters of the victims, who are cringing, cowardly creatures, never daring to answer back, and seldom standing erect, a people demanding the utmost pity. The iLorals of this people, save in the matter of drunkenness, are certainly above those of their Mohammedan neighbors, and in consequence they are remarkably free from the diseases which their neighbors bring upon themselves. This is to some extent accounted for by the almost equally prejudicial system of child marriages, which prevails in the interior, where they usually take place at the age of six to eight. The little bride comes home to the house of her husband's parents, and her changed condition is made known by the kerchief with which henceforth her hair must be hidden. At twelve she may become a mother; but her husband, usually her senior by a few years, may by this time have become tired of her, and, if he can afford it, may. put her away and take another. Bigamy is not common; and the descendants of the families expelled from Spain permit it only wftien the first wife consents. The efforts of France to bring Morocco within the sphere of its influence may do much to alleviate the condition of the Jews there. The Mohammedans of Morocco are Arabs, and much more severe on the Jews than the Turks, who are a different race. The Jews have always found a large measure of freedom in Constantinople. The Polish Jews and those from Spain are much more intolerant toward each other than the Turks are toward either class. Capture nf Mukden. The greatest battle of the world's history, has been fought at Mukden, the capital of Manchuria, from February 20, to March 10, under Generals Oyama, and Kuropatkin. The Japs under the former were victorious, and succeeded in completely routing the Russians, who sustained a loss of 155,000 men and 500 guns with all the great stores of ammunition, food and horses. The Russians fled to-Tie Ling followed by the Japs with disastrous loss to the former. It is said that the Japs had at least 400,000 men in the field, and that the Russians numbered over 327,000.

EDITOR'S TABLE. TEMPORAL AFFAIRS. When President Brigham Young founded Utah, he and his associates devised plans to aid the people in temporal affairs, in addition to giving them the spiritual instructions needed. His actions were not altogether new to the Saints, for they had already learned, in Kirtland, in Missouri, Nauvoo and Winter Quarters, that there could be little spiritual advancement without providing some temporal comfort. They had learned by hard experience that in this world the temporal and spiritual go hand in hand, and that faith and works are close and inseperable partners in practical life. So, from the beginning, the Latter- day Saints have been a practical, working people. They have been builders of cities, pioneers, found ers of settlements, colonizers and redeemers of deserts. And as President Brigham Young taught them temporal as well as spiritual salvation, so has each of his authorized successors, who has held the sacred trust of leader of this people, in this regard, followed in his footsteps. As he taught co-operation in mercantile affairs, in irrigation, farming, manufacturing, so have the authorities who have succeeded him, and, while remembering their spiritual, at no time have they lost sight of the temporal salvation of the Saints. In fact, from the first organization of the Church, its leaders have sought to provide labor for the people, by initiating enterprises of various kinds, and by establishing public works. The methods have necessarily differed as conditions have varied, but the idea has remained the same. Just now much is being said about the wrongfulness of the

EDITOR'S TABLE. 461 Church authorities interfering, or even taking part, in temporal affairs. Whereas, formerly it was pronounced a great blessing to the people, when they were poor and stood in need of assistance, of credit and financial aid, such action is now cried down by our enemies, as ruinous to progress—the commercialization of a sacred organization! The Latter-day Saints with their leaders have often been commended for their thrift and industry in building cities and inaugurating enterprises; for improving their temporal surroundings and their financial situation, providing labor for the unemployed, and for leading out in the establishment of -industries. Men have praised us for our practical qualities. But a new cry seems just now to have arisen against this idea, and, strange to say, the chief objector to the authorities of the Church mixing in the affairs of the world, is one who only a few years ago was the chief promoter in saddling upon them financial burdens which were so placed, at that time, for the benefit of the people. For some reason, personal it may be, he was anxious to have them placed back of some of the leading enterprises of the State—the great power plant in Ogden, Saltair, a railroad thereto, the first sugar company. Largely through the instrumentality of this same strenuous objector, they were involved in great debt, and the authorities, notably President Woodruff, were made to sweat blood to meet the bonds placed upon him. The legacy has been transmitted. Some of them died with its heavy weight still bending them down, and the burden is by no means yet lifted. But it was thought a blessing in those days to help the people, by reviving business, providing work, opening markets for farm products, creating new enterprises, and establishing industries And so it was to many. In truth, the people of the state are still reaping great benefits from the establishment of these industries. Even to this day, but for the willingness of the authorities to bear the responsibility of failure, some of these valued industries would never have been established. Countless thousands of dollars have been returned to the farmer because of the sugar industry, in the increased value of land and farm products. It can be truthfully said that every financial plan undertaken by the Church authorities has been inaugurated for the sole purpose