New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1893-04-17
nov TO SECURE REFORMS ~ NEU- YORK
DIFFICULTIES IN THE WAY PROFESSOR ADLER
ARE>IGNs T\MM>NY HALL

Trof's Felix Adler lccturcd Yesterday morning In
Chlckcrng Hall before the sodety Of Ethical Culture
IN The Difficulties Of Reform IT. New York OBJ
reform movement. he 81 d. were encountered
everywhere. on" OF the greatest obstacles WAS Lack
Of unity The lack Of unity he added among other
things manifests Itself disstrously m city
government our municipal government Is II standing
rcproach republican institutions. Why are
badly governed The fault lie, chiefly with the
called eiucatd cl,s-es. They too much cngro,scd
in leir nnnlis TO civ, anything but
GtnI attention to their duties rs citizens.
They are dIsorganizcd ana cppD>ci to them
Is IN organization that /, complete and
perfect Of It's Kind By TIL, organization
have been reduced TO state Of s"rvitnde. We
have nor" Influence In selecting the chiefs Of our
city government than II were In the heart of
darkest Africa. We might well save ourselves the
troubl. OF going 10 the polls. The only power
have Is the capacity to threaten insurrrctiOn, and
thus guard ourselves against some infections. for
instance. the proposed Central Park speedway, but
for any direct influence, we have none. And this
is because disoreanlzcd and they organized.
Organization wins every time. The leader Of that
organization. In article In THE North American
Review recently compared II 10 n military Organi-
zaon lighting mob. lie nlcns the eslu uted classes
TO a mob. and he Is perfectly right. The mob acts
spasmodlcally Twenty years ago the club that rules
this city was the most di>crcditcd, the most dis
graccd organization I'm existence. But II rose up
smiling again ana crushed all other rival organizations
IN It's own party. Now II Is the undispntcd master
Of New York. Even II the result II gave us were eX
ccllcnt would stu be ntolcrablc evil for this
should not only De u government for the people,
hut by the people. But II Is only so to limited
tent for the people, Is insanccd hy the horrible
condition OF our streets In the past months by the
condition OF our wards on the Islands. by the Health
Department, by the lower courts From all these
arise the paralyzing chluvia OF political influence
II STAYS the hands OF best officials: and we have
officials not n few, who nble md well lntentioned
should he fought. not by individuals or by associa
done In Glasgow, where the tenement rookerles have
been cleaned out and proper dwellings provided for
the poor, and to a certain extent In Liverpool and
London. But what would he snld II II was proposed
that present rulers should tear down and rebuild
our tenement house districts. or take direct charge
OF the liquor traffic In the city
social reform added the Professor "s,oud 90
hand I'm hand with political reform. Against or
ganlzation we should pit organsatlon-thc organiza
ton OF the better elements. How can Il be done
Not by Understanding the strength OF the enemy
for It has strong points and good points with the bad
II Is In sympathy with the common folks n Is demo
cratic, Il does not shrink from the aborng man, II
fraternizcs with the foreign-born. and has always
stood against acknowledgment.
1T hns its social features-its clubhouse I'm every
distrct-and II exncts work all the year round from
its followers, who paid In spols We must dis
abuse our minds OF the idea that we can succeed by
= single, grand united rally. The reform must be