New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1902-03-27
WORKING WITH THE MASSES
GROWTH OF THE PEOPLES INSTITUTE
THOUSANDS ATTEND LECTURES.

The saloon is very inadequateiy satisfying the
social needs OF the working man, but when self
controlling clubs like that OF the Peoples Institute
at No. PAL East FOurteenth-st are widespread the
solution Of the saloon closing problem will be be-
gun. This was the belief expressed by Charles
| Sprague Smith in address on Working with
the People before the Household Economic Asso-
| citation in the Berkeley LyCeum yesterday While
every member OF this club, he said would resent
legal restriction IN the of his beer not mem
Der would consent to drop of sptrituous liquor
crossing the threshold of the clubhouse nor to the
entrance anything else that would lower the
tone Of the organization.
The club has between two hundred and three hun
dred members OF the wage earning class compris-
! ing both men and women. They represent all races
all faiths and non-faiths and all political parties
Between nifty and one hundred OF the members are
at the clubhouse nightly, and It is like one big
family in which dissension is unknown. Like the
main organization. the club Is based the general
| principle Of the brotherhood of man. Among the
various enterprises Dante and Shakespeare sec
| tons bicycle and other recreation divisions
Dances are held Saturday evenings. when the
young men ana women meet
Tho club is entirely seIf-contro!ng and self
sustaining, and there rules excepting those
established by It's members.
The Individual transformations that have seen
| go on there arc tremendous" said Mr.. Smith. 1T
| ie the purpose OF the Peoples Institute to carry
| the club movement widely throughout the city"
The masses know OF sociology than the
classes Mr.. Smith said. In the minds and hearts
| Of the people OF the masses is the chart OF the
Aauons future. In answer TO the vexed question.
! What shall we do with the who will
| longer TO the churches?" MI Smith called
attention TO the fact that the Peoples Church.
| In Cooper Union. every Sunday evening there are
! always at least sixteen hundred men and women,
the majority Of whom could not be induced to en-
| ter church.
Tho objects OF tho Peoples Institute, started
four years ago, were remove the misunderstand-
! inss between the classes TO throw light ques-
tons OF the day and TO give to the Of the
| people opportunity TO study democratic principles
! and problems. II began with distrust both
sides The well-to-do doubted II the people could
! do the work contemplated The people
| control that would be evidenced. The first work
was the study of democracy, and in the first
| the attendance at lectures aggregated about ten
| thousand persons. The average attendance each
science and discussions questions Of the day. is
| between four thousand and seven thousand men.
! with small sprinkling of women. During the last
| season, from one hundred and twenty thousand 20
| one hundred and forty thousand working people at
! tended the various courses Only serious work IS
| undertaken. No light entertainments given.
~ mpnOny concerts the people enable the poor
! est among them to hear the best music A nom
NAL charge Of . cents is made for series of five.
! - Upon the boards Of managers and control Of the
/ Ieoplc'S institute working The work costs
Sl,"J a year. and only lack Of funds prevents 1t
Smith.
or dies a State. said 1T will progress demo
crauCaly die politically The American Re
public, socially speaking means nothing II means
making the real in political institutions correspond
pie in democratic principles is therefore. OF
the most important preparations for tho future"