Jews Are Not Alone in Fight to Preserve Democracy, Schwellenbach Writes

The entire American people — and not the Jews alone — must defeat the forces of bigotry, hatred, and intolerance if democracy is to endure in America, Senator Lewis B. Schwellenbach (Dem., Washington) declares in the leading article of the November issue of The National Jewish Monthly, published by B’nai B’rith.

The author, one of the administration leaders in the U.S. Senate, assails countries where “constituted authority permits hundreds of thousands to be punished, not for what they have done, but for the fact that they were born of a certain race or believe in a certain religion.” He defines tolerance as the world which best sums up the prerequisites of democratic government, declaring that hatred, bigotry, indifference, greed, selfishness, and avarice “are the rocks upon which democratic ships of state have been shattered” throughout history.

“Holding these views,” he writes, “do you wonder that I have always considered that the portion guaranteeing religious liberty was the most important part of our Constitution? It is the outpost which we must first defend — if we are to protect our institution, democracy. It has been and it will be the first object of attack. Should we ever fail to protect it, the flood waters of intolerance would engulf us.

“I say to the Jews of America what I would say to any other group which fears the threat of bigotry and hate. You are not alone in depending upon the pathway lighted by the softened light of tolerance to lead you to the peace and happiness you deserve. We all must follow that selfsame path if democracy is to endure. You are not alone in the task of protecting and guarding that pathway. The duty of performing that task lies before everyone who wills that democracy shall endure.”