New-York tribune., 1901-01-14
FELIA ADLER ON REFORM.
MISTRUST OF REFORAfERs HE THINKS
THE REASON FOR FAILURE.
SAYS THEY COULD LEARN MUCH FROM
POLITICIANS IN DEALING WITH
FOREIGN ELEMENTS.

FOREIGN ELEMENTS
Felix Adler spoke yesterday morning before the
Society for Ethical Culture at Carnegie Music
Hall. on The Degradation of Great Cities and the
Remedies" Dr. Adler is member of the Com
mittee of Fifteen. and this gave his words added
importance He said in substance:
Emerson said that he dared to dip his pen in the
pot So We who believe in democracy dare to por-
racy because. without making any optimistic pro-
fessions we believe there is an uplifting power in
What is a good city? Is it city where all the
city OF saints? \ good city is like, good man.
scrbed as thoroughly good0one that IS sN without
passions that mslead him, above temptation and
hidden, If there is such man, white all through
has got Very deep into @ e Most of the f hters s
IN the work of this world have been more or less
no difference between George Washington. with a
& devil a chained up within him-a devil of temper
in in, Washington is chained And it is precisely
top and the devils are chained What is bad city?
Newly In New-York, Philadelphia, Chicago
charge of the bank. That is all the trouble In this
f the %ho r PTone OF m law e is h fe hands on OF
And many of those who at present feel most out
not without guilt themselves. II Is because the
the WopidIV ropded draw that the nrnsent e,st Of
Indignation has come.
Under, government that is more or less auto
cratic the great city is usually capital and the
of m9rg a4e & we Keen % at thai the
and by lower classes | mean the criminal classes.
to the aristocracy. and the aristocrats their
power.
NEW-YORK ALONE IN IT'S POSITION.
Why is It that nowhere is there such a strain
are are an an sorts of TeasonS Some say, The masses
Very well educated on the intellectua side who are
among the greatest knaves that exist.
We are also told that one remedy for the present
Inevitably political reform is bound with social
tries should not be excluded from the city entirely
! substituted. And there is no reason for waiting
! for the millennium before introducing such
! Why there not free reading rooms. the same
so5 in m dist district It would do for
lshed ~ every district than could be accomplished
But at the root Of all the trouble is partisan die
| tatorship7the boss system. as it is called. am
! are so many of them everywhere. They grow out
| of the natural conditions of affairs.
But the power of the boss rests the income
which he controls. This Is in the first place from
control by the civil service regulations. The ia
the fact that as this particular source Of income
! was taken away another one came up through the
control over corporations. In most cases the cor
poratonm ~ officers do not Themselves have clean
paid for or in other respects they profting at
! The third source of the power of the boss is
crime He IS gets s, sqppes. from the jailbrds We
|
citadel II we wish TO destroy the power OF the boss
SOME MISTAKES OF REFoRMERs.
But all these remedies are slow. Is there no way
| by which do something without waiting for
| education and improved conditions effect their
work? In the first place, IT must be said
| not very courageous people. We ignore evils; we
do not always face them. But it is due to the fact
| that the reformers themselves have somehow in
! spired mstrust that we have lost ground once
again. That awful cry. ITO hell with reform!'
! stn rings In my ears. There is in 1t hatred.
bitterness. that reminds Of the worst phases of
/ the French Revolution Why is II that We create
| mstrust? Is IL time for to ask that ques-
| tIon? Let have good government: vote with
| Usi" say the reformers And with what scowling
hatred and bitterness is that invitation greeted
| The reformerS of this city present a sublime
spectacle OF ignorance with respect TO their sur
| roundinRs. This is great cosmopolitan city, with
German. bohemian. Italian. Russlan-Jewish cities
! in it, well American city. Each one is
| influenced by its natural leaders. The two
organizations opposed to reform have the sagactty
! TO appreciate this And they select from these
| scrupulous. but who thoroughly identified with
What we need in this city is brain. We have a
form clubs and civic reform clubs all along Fifth
| ave We have university settlements the East
| Side. But there Is no single club or organization
where the leaders OF all sections meet, learn TO
! know and TO respect each other. There are all
sorts of clubs but not of the sort that need
| 10 hold aloof Let US not repeat this mistake of
! having reform movement accentuate the i'm
/ portanCe OF class. II any class does claim
! supremacy II will be punished at the polls every
time. This IS my mind the deepest reason for
not malign the people and say they are incapable
| of responding TO noble appeals. They seem In
! capable because they dtstrust you and think You
| going 10 form a third organization. with the
| same motives the other two Remove that dis
| trust by contact. contact with the merchants and
| other populations We will find that among these
| other populations there is power of conscience
| quite as powerful II not more powerful than
| u-h al