New-York tribune., 1906-11-12
WHATpROMPTS REFORM
DR.. Butler Says Self Interest Often
Primary MotiUe.

The opening meeting OF the ninth season OF tho
Peoples Institute was held last night In the iarse
hall OF Cooper Union. The programme consisted Oh
vocal and instrumental music and addresses by tho
Rev. Thomas X. Slicer John De Witt Warner ana
Nicholas Murray Butler president of Columbia
University. The chairman Of the meeting was
Charles Sprague Smith
The first speaker was the Rev Mr.. slicer, who
told OF the need OF harmonious action in eorts 70
bring about reform Referring to professional re-
formers he said that they solo players OF UNI
versal discomfort who want to right all things TOT
their personal benefit.
President Butler spoke the future Of democ-
racy, laying particular stress the need OF con-
structve reform in opposition 20 those who wish
TO force destructive policy on the people In the
name Of reform. He said in part:
This is the best time to discuss pgoGS sn auss
i is always the best tlu time to discuss such ques
tlons after a contested election: The issues, tne
Us from the platform and the press are still
fresh IN our minds Now that the question OF ss sne
QUESTIONS and issues apart from party prejudice ,S
country was a wilderness. Then It became The
Mecca Of thousands and tens Of thousands from
many, of thousands OF The best. the most progress
sive sr and the most energetic people They fotked k
might. rs under nd their own Institutions work opt the
While all this was going on. certain tendencies
It. No one. for instance. could have foreseen the
introduction of steam. the building of factories
ended working in the home; the linking together cf
the people and the country by the railroads the
trolley and the press The presuppostions which
gan to change. It took a long time solve these
elementary problems. the problems such as slavery
and the development Of the country and they never
would have been solved had not the people stood
behind their leaders in the accomplishment of these
practical tasks
When these things had been done we found tha.
of spede 4sd eTeGsd and h4 3f & e barrier
that our fathers could have done aught else with
time, there spreading all over the country
popular education and growth in popular intelli-
gence And from this came the greater power to
anaIyze conditions and causes. power a thousand
times greater. With education and popular intell-
sence has come the desire to submit individual
ideas to national discussion.
China. there is growing desire to know how to
get away from these special privileges. There are
vious. which leads to greed and the desire 10
tear down and DESTROY. The second is to keep your
heads clear your eyes open and your hearts ten
Even when we desire to build up we often lose
sight Of our individual responsibility. We talk in
general terms; we want society or The state to do
the building up. And when we begin to think of
society and the state. with capital s. take
step backward. The constructive movement must
are only the individual In the aggregate. and are
what the individual himself is. The first step is
to ask whether We have or seeking some special
interest ourselves. We should reform ourselves
before try to reform others. A corporation IN
itself is not ethically or legally wrong The word
Corporation Is a stencil in our nostris simply
because in so many Instances 1t has to mean
abuse or individual opportunity
THE Development of True Democracy" was the
subject of Mr.. Warmers address He said that
during the last century democracy as opposed to
monarchy and oligarchy had been triumphant be-
yond cavil