The Universalist. [volume] (Chicago [Ill.]) 1884-1897, 1896-02-29

of the moral and social welfare Of the
citizens of Chicago, and in publishing
and distributing such lectures as in the
discretion of said trustees they may
deem best, my object in making this
bequest being to secure, under the di-
rection of such Committee or Board OF
Trustees, by competent persons upon
an anti-sectarian basis, the public dis
cussion of moral and social themes re-
lating to the daily life of the people of
this city, and at the discretion Of said
Board to secure the circulation of such
lectures among the people Of Chicago"
DIR. Ryder saw and foresaw. He saw
the daily life of the rapidly growing
city and detected in it grave social and
moral defects. He foresaw the great
and serious debate that had already
been called between the bottom and
the top of Ar erican society. He wished
to preserv. vt debate from needless
acrimony by injecting into it the voice
of reason and conscience, by contribut-
ing to it note of authority derived
from the conclusions of competent and
unbiased students of the industrial,
economic, social and moral life OF the
people. He could not decide how great
would be the need nor how serviceable
the influence of such discussions as he
would inaugurate. His effort was ten
tative; and if it proved, as he hoped,
greatly useful, he expected that his ex-
ample would be initiated and large pro-
visions be made at length by private
benefcence for such public education.
No one who has carefully observed
the movement of social forces in the few
years since DIR. Ryder's unexpected
departure from the scene, can doubt
that he planned in this matter more
wisely than he knew. AS the founda-
tion laid by John Lowell in Boston more
than fifty years ago has been during all
these years one of the chief sources of
that city's unique position and influence.
so the more modest foundation laid by
DR.. Ryder in Chicago is destined to be
fountain of knowledge and gladness in
the life of the newer and greater city of
the Central West.
The Trustees of the fund decided
that the income had now reached a
figure warranting the Inauguration of
the course. Accordingly, the first annual
series of free lectures on the Ryder
foundation was opened in Steinway
Hall the last week in January, and the
Rev. Washington GLADDEN., DID,, of
Columbus, o., was the appropriate choice
for the initiatory course. Passing
through the city at the time l was able
to be present at one of the lectures and
to have an interview afterward with
the lecturer at his room in the hotel,
from which / obtained first hand infor-
nation as to the subjects and objects of
the series. 1t is sufficient to remark
that DR.. GLADDEN. we'll fulfills in all re-
spects the requirement which was in the
mind of the founder, for lecturer in
this course. The Chicago public has
not yet fully awakened to the fact of
the existence of these lectures, nor, per-
haps, to their value. This was evinced,
not 30 much by the selection of com.
paratively small auditorium for the lee.
lures nor by the absence of many whom
one would have counted on seeing there,
| as by the fact that only two OF the city
papers reported the lectures, and these
very meagerly. But the clergy, the pro-
fessors, the students OF sociology, and
| leaders in all the varieties of economic
! and socialistic opinion wherewith the
prairie city abounds, we're present in
force; and what they heard was good
| for them.
An appropriate appendix to what is
said above would include mention of
the fact, known to most. forgotten by
some. that DIR. Ryder left by the same
testament which conveyed these gener-
GUS sums to Chicago, $4,000 to the Illi-
nois Universalist Convention for the re-
lief of destitute clergymen or the widows
of clergymen; $4,000 to Lombard Uni
versity for the aid of needy and worthy
students; $4,000 to the Universalist
General Convention for the education
of young men for the ministry Of the
Universalist Church; and to the Uni
versalist Publishing House, the Divini-
ty Schools of Tufts. Canton, and Lom-
bard, and to Buchtel College, as residu-
airy legatees under his will. the sum of
S32,S00 each. Thus did William Henry
Ryder, having served with unusual
ability and distinction his church and
city in his own generation, leave behind
him the means of a perhaps larger ser
vice to both in after times. Here was a
liberal who devised liberal things.
CANTON THEOLOGICAL SCHOOL.
| THF death of Edgar Willis Nye famil