New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1904-12-13
A FUNCTION OF SETTLEMENT.
To Give Immigrants True Conception of
Americans, SAYS Mr.. WELLER.

One Of the Social Settlements most VALUABLE
functions Is to give the foreign immigrants true
conception Of what Americans are Ike Lawrence
WELLER told his class at the School Phanthro-
by yesterday.
There vas once Russian lad who had read
Emerson and Lowell and no became such tre-
mendous icealist and enthusiastic over America
that he decided TO come this country He was
poor and friendless. and landing ne at once SET
out for the colony Of his own PEOPLE or the East
Side. He walked up the Bowery. terribly depressed
so these are the Americanss' he cried. Late
at Social Settlement. he found that there are
Americans Of the Emerson and Lowell stamp.
And there q Bohemian mother who came 10
che Of the Settlements. put her little girls into
the kindergarten. She greatly surprised TO ind
the young women OF the Settlement speaking an
other foreign Language and asked them what II
was. They told her English the language of the
country.
Why said she. German issthe language OF this
country
Small wonder she thought 50. All her neigh
bors spoke German the street signs were in Ger
man. German would carry her all over the city
When she landed she spoke only her native Bohe-
miau. but she had discovered that German
the mother tongue Of America had been faith
fully studying K since
Mr.. WELLER said thar he had felt like criticsing
the Settlement movement on its civic side but
that criticism was less true than three years
ago
T don't want the Ser Elements to 20 into politics.
he on. but 90 want them 10 go into civics
1 think they should teach civics to their boys
clubs and II the local politician is INSCRIPTIONS
and corrupt / think the boys should know
An this was forcibly brought home the
exciting municipal election OF 1901. There
young mems club IN of the Settlements whose
members knew pretty well, and / said OF
them. whom will call Sam:
this tme?'
.. Yes. sir said Sam, but 7 guess I'm the only
one in the class is
DO the others sell their
1t was embarrassing question. The young
fellow shifted from one fooI another then back
before he replied:
Well. they don't cali II selling their votes
You see, they argue this way; there's this money
Is going to be given away. and they might just as
well have Il as somebody else
Now. mustn't blame the Settlement entirely
for this, Mr. WELLER went If It hadn't been
for the Settlement those boys might have been in
jail to-day, for they tough lot when they
came in and they in the main lot OF nice
follows to-day. But If the Settlements had begun
realize earlier their responsibility the civic
side. il would have been advantage
ments should deliberately try acquire the Ian
guage of their neighborhOod,' Ny WELLER told
story OF East Side clergyman OF his acquaint-
When he first settled his church he
found his native English speech Ineligible 10 the
Americans and Irish Of the neighbOrhOOd. BY and
by he had 10 learn German; then, the popuIa-
last time 1 him. in East Side trolley
ne had an Italian primer with him: He said
Italian had become Indispensable TO him
Mr.. WELLER closed by asserting that the Settle
ment the most hopeful and the
/ most democratic movement in America to-day.