The Washington herald., 1907-07-17

institution that is strictly American in its
conception and development 1t is esti-
mated that more than two million people
Will listen 10 the political reformers, sci
ent.sts. moralsts. entertainers, and trav-
elers who viii speak at the 600 assemblies
that will be held-this summer. Time was
when the orator was confined 10 the pull
pit and the campaign stump, but the
Chautauqua has changed that, and the
man Of eloquence now has broader field
10 work in and a more remunerative re-
ward for his labor
The first meeting Of this kind was when
Bishop John H. Vincent called a meeting
of Sunday school workers 10 assemble Mt
Lake Chautauqua in the summer Of 1874.
The meeting was so successful that il
was made an annual affair -Four years
later Bishop Vincent introduced the four
years course Of home study and reading.
The Circles" which took up this course
Of reading grew so rapidly that there were
500 members the first year Meanwhile
the attendance at Lake Chautauqua in
creased and the course of study there was
extended almost TO the measure Of a uni
VerSity. other assemblies began TO ap-
pear and in ten years there were a score
of them. The growth was gradual until
about six years ago, when, in the Middle
West, particularly, the summer assem-
blies sprang up by the dozens.
Chautauqua Institute the parent assem-
bly,, located by the lake which has given
its name to the whole movement, IS the
largest of them all. The summer popula-
tion of 5000 is all drawn by this attrac-
tion, although many do not follow the
work of the course. Others, like WinOna
Lake, Ind, and Monteagle, Tenn. have
session extending through the en-
tire summer, and maintain schools at
tended by thousands. The greater num-
Der Of assemblies, however, have short
sessions OF from eight days 10 three
weeks duration. In these there is no
course of instruction beyond the Bible
hour in the early forenoon, and the
Round Table In the afternoon. which is
an open discussion free TO ALL The fea-
ture Of these assemblies is the lectures.
The late sam Jones said: we haven't
enough religion TO run a camp meeting.
and the county fair has played out. So
NN VI EtllilAt Nlli ulti lt litiS- lllutttl- Tile
Chautauqua has taken the place of the
camp meeting and the county fair. In a
Missouri town of a thousand inhabitants
a thousand season tickets were sold to the
Chautauqua, and on the day William
Jennings Bryan spoke there were 3.0Ol
single tickets sold. Farmers and their
families come for many miles and camp
IN tents 10 attend the session. At Huron.
) OAK, nearly "a thousand country peo-
pie We're eucamped at the edge Of the
city on the hot, treeless plains, under
going great inconvenience just to be
able 10 obtain the entertainment and
instruction offered by the local Chau-
tauqua assembly
Thus these assemblies have supplanted
the camp meeting and the county fair.
but they are as far ahead Of those older
American institutions as electric lights are
superior 10 tallow dips A village of a
thousand people organize a Chautauqua
assembly. Many OF its most enterprising
people, especially the women. have been
taking the course Of Chautauqua home
reading for years and are familiar with
the work of the movement. They talk
and raise enthusiasm The country side
IS interested. and season tickets are sold
long In advance TO insure against financial
disaster. Finally. the Chautauaua week
comes. The big tent is erected. and the
country people arrive and go into camp.
What are they OffcTed2 The earnest elo-
quence of an uneducated Camp-meeting
eNnorteT! No. The excitement Of a race
between mule and "a calf on the fair
grounds race track2 No
They hear Mr. Bryan on "The Value
of an Ideal" or Senator La Toilette ON
political reforms. or Gov Folk on cor
Tuption in office. or Tom Lawson on
Frenzied Finance" Perhaps il NAV be
"a debate between Champ Clark and Gen.
Grosvenor on the tariff question: bet
Ter debate than can be heard in the Halls
OF congress Maybe they will listen to
tA-'oN. 81 John or George r. Stuart on
temperance reform Sunshine" Hawkes.
may be there to delight the audience old
and young, with his quaint optimistic
humor or George r. Vending may thrill
ms hearers with his eloquent lectures.
FtIhapS Senator Bob" Taylor will ex-
mort 10 laughter and tears by his humor-
Gus ana pathetic pictures Of Tennessee
Hie. Maybe Ben Tillman Will fire the
people by his passionate exposition Of the
race issue. Next day, perhaps. Booker
Washington viii tell of the work at
Iuskegee Institute. Interspersed between
lnese intellectual treats will be a concert
or TWO by some good orchestra, a travel
lecture with pictures, or some other
lighter form Of entertainment.
such a week IS marked bv red Iatte-z =,
the calendars Of that little village and its
surrounding territory How could such
lecturers as these have been brought TO 50
small town without the Guantanamo
II would be impossible. And likewise II
would be impossible for the people there
10 90 TO place where such lectures can
oe heard Dwellers In large cities who
think these things would be a bore b.,-o
no notion of the enjoyment which tbav
aHord 10 the people Of smaller cities and
OF the country. The city dweller sati.
ated with entertainment of every sort
often locks upon the lecture as p refine
ment of cruelty which his wife has in
vented through the medium Of the
woman's club 10 punish him for his sins
Yet any thorough student OF American
lie VIII tell him that if such an intaIIec
tual feast as the Chautauqua affords dos
not appeal TO him as it does to his conn
tIy cousin, the reason is that he isn't as
vi PItP"iSu 10 receive H. The man in
the country town and on the farm has
more time than the city man. and he uses
II in reading. Pick up any farmer and Dit
nm against any wholesale merchant in q
poIllcal argument and regardless Of the
merits OF the controversy. the farmer vri1
nave nm up tree in a few minutes. The
farmer Is better informed takes ooe
or TWO daily papers and several weeklies
lie reads every line in them. and talks II
al over With his neighbOrs. That is the
reason members of Congress with rural
constituencies have 10 be so much moro
na-.-uL L--- LLair ..--- call.-------- -