The daily morning journal and courier., 1907-12-12
PROFESS R KIM ON CIVIGS
AT GRACE P. E. CHURCH
Says Each Citizen Must Take an Active Part in
 Politics.

The December meeting of the Mems club was held in the parish house of Grace F, B. church last evening. Pres ident F, J. Chatterton presided and John Andrews was the secretary. It was announced by the president that Weather Forecaster L. M Tarr would be the speaker at the next meeting.
 Four propositions for membership were reported-P Paul Martin, John Ken nedy, L. P. Smith and Lewis Miller They were elected.
 On motion of Rev. George A. AL colt 1t was voted to hold the next meeting on Tuesday January ', so that 1t would not conflict with the mission.
 The president introduced Prof. Char les F. Kent of Yale whom he spoke of as being engaged in an excellent work in behalf of good citizenship. Prof. Kent spoke on How to Make Good Citizenship Effectual" He, said in part:
 "Theres are various ddehnitions of good citizens. The best explanation of good citizenship Is in a man like S. w. Langley, who lives among you, who has given of his time and his ability for the city. suppose that most of the voters vote at the elections, yet it Is doubtful if he attends city hall meet ings. The old Athenians were most given to attending public meetings. In that they were much ahead of our Am erican cities
 Perhaps you have attended some of our city hall meetings If you have, you have heard much complaint from the masses in a cry for better condi- tions. If we have graft in any city, it takes hold morally. It takes hold of the young and becomes powerful fac- tor in the religious life of the city
 "We have not as many difficulties in this city as in many other cities of the land One of our troubles is the fact that so many voters are banded to- gether in one system. The method here is to employ man for time on the streets long enough to get him identi- fled with a machine and then he is discharged and someone else is hired and the second man is identified with the same machine
 What we want is not a destructive force but constructive force. A de- structlve force will not stand. Then there is a question of getting some- thing better than the saloon. Is Chris tianity organized? No. And yet it should be organized. Graft and the red light district and saloons can be de- pended on to deliver their votes The good citizens are not organized They are not united, but divided.
 If the good citizens could organize, could we not place in the city hall some of the best and reliable citizens? 1 be- lieve we could. At first, then would ! be an attempt to merge lot from one party Into office But such system would fail. The second way is for tho good citizens to become good, efficient and organized citizens. Then. holding the balance of power, they could conn pei party to put up good, efficient can didates, At present citizens must stand by party leaders solely. When the of fee seeks the officials, as it did Mr. Chatf1eld two years ago, and when cit I izens will give their time to the city then. there will be big gain. It may not be that leader shall stand alone. and do not believe that that will be necessary in New Haven for the next ten years.
 We must have the aid of public opin- ion. If we have these elements, may we not have good and efficient city government? It is for such a work as this that our civic organization was formed. It was thought by us that we 1 should not organize during a heated l election, but after the excitement was l over. The feeling was that education was the only way to win out in the end, We began with series of meetings in Woolsey hall. We felt the need of get ting together shoulder to shoulder In Cincinnati they have a civic association and they have twenty cent dinners. where the millionaire meets with the poor man to discuss plans. and with the hope that that city will yet be wTested from the present ring rule If we do not get together and work educationally the immigrants who are coming here will swamp us. am not yet ready to speak of results in our city. But I believe the large body of our citizens are ready to cooperate and work for the benefit of the city. ] There Is the question of better car