New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1884-04-20
MIR. ADLER SCORES 4 MISS.

Mr. Felix Adler as a rule talks very senslbly
about questions of social reform, but the wiseot
men have their limitations, and occasionally
demonstrate their humanity by declining into
error. Thus Mr.. Matthew Arnold relates that
at one time he was under the influence of a
writer whom he still regards as the incarnation
of sanity and sound scnse, namely, Benjamin
Franklin. But presently he came upon pro-
posal made by his favorte for new version
of the Book Of job. Franklin thought the
language OF the old version antiquated and OBJ
soiete, and this is the way he wanted to re-
wise it, For the well. known verse. And Satan
answered the Lord and said: Does Job fear
God for nought fr-the philosopher would
have substituted: Does Your Majesty i'm
agine that Job is influenced entirely by personal
respect and affection ~ Upon reading this, Mr.
Arnold SAYS the empire OF Benjamin Franklin
over his mind vanished; he had found the
limitations Of his late master In the same way
il may be said that Mr.. Felix Adler reached his
limitations in his Sunday discourse upon do
nestle economy. His talk was ingenious, as
usual, BUTT was impracticable. His idea of an as
socation of families in one large building or
series of buildings, with common kitchen and
common art-rooms and play-roomS for the
children, ia one of those visionary pictures
which require for their completion the elimina-
ton OF all the myriad complicated and subtle
influences that combine to make mp human ma
ture as 1t IS. The iallacy Of all such expert
ments consists In their evasion of the con-
trolling truth that the society OF to-day Is
necessarily the direct outcome of tho society OF
yesterday.
The refomcr, inspired by hope and magma
ton, is inpatient of slow and gradual changes.
lie desires to sever connection with the past at
a single blow and to found new social system
Immediately. Nh Adler has conceived a sort
of Phalanstory, lite in which would be doubt
lcssly beautiful, and fall ofswcctncss and light,
II only-ala, for those dismal ifs "a number
of things could be avoided which mankind have
hithe not found IL possible to avoid. Ex-
peliou. proves that as yet humanity lacks he
moral strength TO endure very close or constant
contact with itself. The ge-arousness of the
race has narrow limits. The best that it produces
demands partial or complete isolation. Its
soundeot and sweetest characters are formed in
the family circle. That institution has given to
civilization whatever it possesses of permanent
virtue and worth. The citizenship upon which
alone stable States can be reared is the product
of the family circle. There is the workshop in
which manly and womanly exceliences are
silently forged by daily precept and hourly ex-
ample and if even with the help of this specially
fitted instrument, in which the most potent in
hdences are brought and kept together, and
exerted in the most effective way, progress has
been 80 SLOW, it cannot be hoped OF expected
that better results would follow a change, re-
curing the abandonment OF many of the
strongest helps to culture, and making necos-
sary contact with other agencies whose tend
ency thus far is known to be disturbing
Mr. Adler has in truth been led astray by
bright dream. And while his theory of domcs-
tic economy is utterly impracticable when ana
lyzed, it is plain that actual experiment upon 1t