The times. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1897-1901, 1900-03-26
THE SOCIAL REFORM union
Rev. Dr.. Kents Sunday Morning
Sermon at the Peoples Church.
The History of Its Origin-Its Aim
and Nctbod-Thc Platform The
Hope of Its Promoters for the
Retirement of the Condition Of the
Nasses-The Buffalo Conference.

The subject of the Rev. DR.. Kents ser
mon al the Peoples Church in Typograph-
! ical Temple, yesterday morning was The
| Social Reform Union--Its Aim and Meth
| Cd" Dr. Kent said:
The Social Reform Union is one Of the
practical results Of what is known as the
Buffalo conference. This conference was
! held from June Is to July 4, 1899. I will
! state briefly how II came to be called the
object OF those who called It, the earnest
character but divergent views Of the men
invited, and the great Importance of the
work accomplished.
Private conferences held by Rev. B. F.
Mills and a few friends in 1896 and 1897, for
the purpose Of discussing social and politi-
cal subjects, proved so interesting, and
seemed so full Of promise to Mr.. Eltweed
POmeroy that he was greatly disappointed
to find that none was called for 1898 He
determined. if possible, to revive the in
terest and have one held on larger scale
in 1899. Mr.. y. 0. Nelson, of ST. Louis,
approved the suggestion, and together they
secured the promise of help from Mayor
Jones. Of Toledo. Mr. James II. Ferris, OF
Joliet. III: Rev B. F. Mills, and Edwin D.
Mead editor of the New England Maya
zine" were also interested, and the six
constituted themselves a business commit
tee to plan aud organize the conference.
/ This was no holiday task Ii was important
that every phase Of reform should be rep
resented in the conference. and equally i'm
portant that the men representing each
phase should be able to present its claims
in a candid. courteous. and fOrceful manner.
The selection OF such men required vast
amount OF delicate and diplomatic corre-
spondence. referendum votes Of the conf
mittee being taken on all points. During
the season OF 1898 the names of seventy
one men and women OF prominence were
secured who agreed to act as an invitation
or general committee.
Mr.. PomerCy was made secretary Of the
Business Committee. and its only officer.
All invitations were issued through him.
II any member Of the Business Commit
tee objected to a particular person being
invited, the invitation was not sent until
voted on and approved by the Business
Committee. -Four qualifications were re-
quired of all who were invited. First,
they must be progressive; then they must
be sincere. courteous, and able. Having
these qualifications the committee did not
care what they believed politically. eco
nomically. or religiously. Three hundred
and eighty-six persons actually attended
the conference.
The Programme.
THE programme was arranged to com
bine the voice OF some master of each
subject with perfect freedom Of speaking
from the floor The opening speakers were
limited to twenty minutes, and those who
followed to five. After the first three days
there was no set programme. The Bust
ness Committee ceased to dominate the
conference. and spontaneously ruled the
hour. But freedom did not result in dis
order The conference chose its own chair
man and secretary, made its own rules,
heard the report of its own resolution
committee, and passed or defeated resolu-
ti0ns as the majority willed.
Almost every conceivable reform was
represented from the extreme OF social
ism 10 the war against the trusts And
through the advocates Of each were earnest,
forceful. and pungent in their presenta-
lions. all was done in such good spirit. ana
with so much OF mutual respect and re-
gard that the conference was really re-
uarkable for the harmony Of feeling, de-
spite the differences Of social and eco
nomic belief Among the more important
outcomes Of tie conference, apart from its
immediate educating and liberailzing in
fiuence, is the projected College Of Social
Science, with its correspondence and pub
LEGATION department.
The executive committee have employed
Prof John a. Commons, Prof Frank Par
sons. Willis j. Abbott, journalist; Prof
d. II. Ward. Prof Edward w Bemis, and
Prof. Thomas Z. Will The college has its
81 af :
in St Louis, and ITS Western in Man
haitian. Kan Some $4,000 was subscribed
at the conference for the support OF the
work and small number Of pupils are
already under instruction.
But the movement of greatest promise and
importance is that of which 1 am TO speak
esnecislly this morning The Social Re
form Union This is meant to embrace all
the active reform forces Of the United
states 1t seeks to unite all reformers on
their points of agreement and then educate
the country on these measures Its fitness
TO accomplish this end is indicated by the
fact that the platform on which it goes be
fore the country was adopted without dis
senting vote by the best and most repre-
sentative conference Of refOrmers ever
gathered in this country.
How the Battle Can he Won.
The union. as far as possible, is nom
partisan and educational. The feeling is
that of the men who hold to the principles
set forth in this platform. and can be or
canized into one great body and set to
work educating others; the battle for re
form can be surely won. It cannot be won
by any guerrilla method Of warfare. So
long as the several divisions Of the re-
form army remain independent Of each
other each waging its own fight in its own
way. and especially so long as these divi-
sious spend their strength in assailing eacn
other the enemy will hold possession OF
the field We must combine TO educate. SO
long as We emphasize our differences IN
stead Of our agreements we simply breed
confusion in the popular mind. But when
We emphasize our agreements, and leave
our differences for future adjustment it
will readily be seen that We have common
cause, and the things in which We agree
will more readily command attention.
we do not want blind and irrational
partisauship We want intelligent loyalty
TO principles and ideas. Once secure this
on the part of the plain people and the
party that is needed will speedily appear
All other parties will be remanded to the
rear II is proposed to bring about this
Intelligent loyalty by organized educatona!
effort: by making men acquainted with the
best that has been thought and said on so
cial and economic themes. and by giving
them such a knowledge Of the essential
conditions Of social order and social har-
mony as will make the building Of State
as simply comprehensive as the building
Of a house.
The Platform.
The platform unanimously adopted at
the Buffalo conference is not complete
statement Of the thought of any section |
Of the reform forces II is merely prac-