New-York tribune., 1908-02-22
TAKE aFREEMAN'SOATH"
LED BY BISHOP POTTER.
FIRST Totcrs and 'Floaters' Szcear
to Protect Ballot.

Some two thousand young and moderate
sized representation of shabby old characters from
the lodging houses along the Bowery at what was
called voters festival. under the auspices OF the
| Peoples Institute. in Cooper Union. last night at
the suggestion OF Bishop Potter Joined In taking
the 'eFreemans Oath of 1894 The citizens pledge
administered by Bishop Potter and subscribed 10
by the mixed audience OF first voters and "hoaters
was as follows:
do soemny bind myself that viii give my
vote and suffrage as | shall Judge In mine own
so help God
Before asking those present to subscribe to this
pledge of good citizenship Bishop Potter spoke OF
the august responsibility resting on voters, and
said il at present exercised without proper
training soberness and thought He expressed
himself In profound sympathy with the move
ment and admiration for those who had set it on
foot
Professor Charles sprague Smith. after explain
ing that Senator Nathaniel A Elsberg. Rabbi
Henry s. Wise and Robert WatchOrn. Con1n1s-
sioner of Immigration. who had been advertiSeS
speakers for various reasons were unable 70
attend announced that their places would be taken
by Robert Erskine Ely. the Rev. DR.. Layton Will
Jams and Lincoln Steffens.
Professor Smith said that It was the second an
nual voters festival held in this city. and that
the idea originated six years ago in Boston. where
similar festivals were held. He also said that the
people awakening to a consciousness Of their
power and standing together brothers
He said also that President Roosevelt had di-
rected him tell the young voters that he wanted
them to pledge themselves to good citizenship
Mr.. Ely said 1t was very easy for any body Of
take the ''Freernan's Oath" but it not
by any means easy to get them TO stand by It
He also said that he thought IL a cheap thing
for man to die for his country and that real
patriot the who lived for his country
He in addition told the young voters to
take pledges unless they prepared stand
by them.
Harry Barlow read the greetings by the
Boston Equal Suffrage Association for Good Gov.
ernment, in which the hope expressed that
the joint example set by the two cities might be
followed in the other cities Of the coun-
try
The Rev Dr. Williams after making pointed
comparison between President Washington and
John Jacob Astor, describing the former estab-
fishing freedom and the latter stunning politics
and centring his whole energies in the accumula-
ton OF large fortune. said:
venture to believe that to-day large number
of people are pursuing the same course Mr..
Astor, and that the evils Of which complain
true, and that is why We prize it so highly Pa
triotisTn has, has its place in the h9me and counting
have a city in which no man should be out OF
The country needs a new birth OF freedom. I
would like the vision Of the New Jerusalem to be
eve that we are coming to realize that the ideals
of the Father of the Country are our idols and
wealth.
Mr.. Stefens said that Tammany Hall and the
Republican party both belonged TO men who con-
trolIed the businesses that were corruptins, and
that Mayor Mcclellan not the Mayor OF this
city but only filed the chair He said also that
when one boss was beaten another boss took his
place and that. in his opinion the only way TO
begin a lasting reform by taking away those
Observation-Disclosures and public utilttes-Uhich
corrupted the cities and states