New-York tribune., 1908-02-17
SOCIAL FORCES UNITE
BIG NEW ORG4NiZi1iON =
Jfinisters. Labor Leaders and Diners
TO Meet at Hotel Isf0r.

nd
,os,-s and various other ethical and sociai "oih-
- -, eoei,e this morning a call TO the hist
,eneral conference Of a League OF Ehlcal an"
Snciel Forces" This meeting VIII De neiu " -, ~,
Hotel Astor on Thursday. February - gnu
a,, ,be first public work of an orSaflzA%'4oii
s,ot t,s been I'm the process of formation foF
o,er a year and has almost unprecedented oied"'"
and purpose -, ,a,-,o
According to the call to the meeting the league
hos baen formed vhh view 10 'unlung al u'e
-. ,,-f,1.ia end without church and synagogue
81 a fellowship CT service for the ethical ana sooi
retterment Of the community bishop Greer s'lu
last night he would preside az fhe fee'1iis Hie
,,,eak and desired TO assist in the NoTh VI 'he
la,,,a a. much as possible. The other speakers
have not vet been announced but they VIII ihcluue'
!, is said a representative labor leader So'iIS
a Jew and probably representative o1 'i'e
Romen's organizations -,
.r,- the 1le men and women who form the
general committee OF the league and VINO nav
signed the call the first meeting are blsnoP
Potter. President Charles cuthbert nan ol W
Union Theological Seminary. Mrs Anna ""ii'ii
Snencer Of the Society for Ethical culture An
drew Carnegie George Foster Peabody. Dr. LYMAN
Abbott Charles Sprague Smith. OF the Peolple IN
stitute: Dr. Charles F. Aked, Alfred D. Doui'Uli 1
labor leader; John Spargo the socialist MISS Iiele
sraro+ or the Won1en's Trade Union League Seth
low President Butler of Columbia, President I'm
Lev Of the College Of the City Of New York I'M
migration Commissioner Wafchorn. Marcus NJ
Marks and DIR. Samuel SChun1an-
797ong4, ten or more conferences have been held
bv the orginators of this league in the last twelve
months not actually organized nnlll 'dHu
srv q 1t has been decided that for the present
the movement considered a part OF Inc "oth "t
tho peonle-s Institute owing 10 the fact that the
institute already in intimate relation Win 'i'e
eocial-ethcal movements outside the churches anu
also in similar relations with the churches- n
great part of the work of organizing the league
also has been done by Charles Sprague Smith, the
managing director Of the Peoples institute As
such he is the managing director oh 'iie
league.
The work OF the league will consist. in the first
,Iscr of conferences between the leaders Of all
the different elements in the city for an exchange
Of knowledge and opinions, and possibly Ior con
certed action such measures as ali may aslee
on In the second place. meetings will be arranged
by the league in churches, halls. etc, where the
congregations or audiences listen to speakers
representing classes and elements OF the city ne
differing from those they would ordinarily have
the opportunity of hearing.
No satisfactory name has been finally decided on
for the league. According 10 all the members OF
II seen tv a reporter for The Tribune. ii is en-
-irelv original in the elements Of society II repre-
sents and in the work it hopes TO accomplish Dr-
Thomas c Hal. OF Union Theological seminary
who with DIR. G.. w. Knox and Charles Sprasue
Smith may he said TO be the founder of the Or
Eaniza1ion. says that the nearest approach 10 II
heretofore was the Congress of Religions at 'he
Worlds Fair in Chicago.
Mrs Anna Garlin Spencer. assistant leader OF
1he Society for Ethical Culture and an associate
director Of the School Philanthropy says that
the league combines features Of any numneF OF
ORGANIZATIONS.
-.7lis movement is strongly organized. and prom
ises To accomplish really good. effective WORK
sid Mrs. Spencer 1t means a permanent hodH
Of cooperative leaders working together II IS
somewhat similar in one Of its phases TO 'he N"
Forum but the Civic Forum is merely a pnhHc
platform This league will go wherever the people
are Al live and earnest church workers want 1"
-sI,e hold Of social questions and labor leaders
want TO present their views TO the more conserfa-
1re classes Of society. In this way the league VIII
attack social problems from both sides
Marcus NJ Marks who represents especially 'le
business world the executive committee OF me
league said in regard to the league:
II IS truly American in the broadest sense Of the
word IT marks the beginning of an era when Jew
and Gentle rich and poor. conservatives and so
ciaIsts employees and workmen, will work together
for the social service Of humanity In the hHuca-
tinnal Alliance. Of which ! vice-president; in
the University Settlements, in the various churches
and svnagogues. all move around in little CIR
cles Some Of these circles are larger than others
almost all Of them are out OF touch with the
other circles near them. This movement brings
them all together. and should broaden the visions
and work Of all persons connected with it
Every Church except the Roman Catholic is rep
resented in the league. According to both Dr..
Thomas &. Hall and Mrs. Spencer, there is every
probability that that Church viii have a repre-
sentative soon
IT would be nlanifestlv unwise AT present said
pr EIaIl fer a Roman Catholic to identify him
self with The movement. But the Roman Church Is
a social force OF the first magnitude. and I think
that ii comes to understand just what
modernism il will enter into this movement espe-
cially with all strength
To me the league seems TO fill very important
place in the religious and social work Of this city"
continued Dr. Hall THE churches coming TO
realize that they great social force, but that
there other social forces at work such as the
public schools the labor unions, social meetings.
the single movement and philosophical n
archy. and that these forces together with the
settlements and political organizations. are
making. consciously or Unconsciously, for
world
To me- the hane of every ethical movement has
been hard a priCu dcgmatism The only possible
ea'egusrd against this is for men 10 have such
faith In their own solutions for social problems
thai They viii listen quietly TO other men with
s<usl faith and equal earnestness. If this organi-
sst'on accompiishes anything along this line Will
more than justify its existence
Correspondence has already been carried on with
church and social workers in other cities. and
there is every probability that similar leagues will
be organized in number OF other cities I'm this
country.
The officers Of the league elected at the meeting
January u. are: Charles Sprague Smith. man
aging director: Marcus II. Marks treasurer DR.
George W Knox is chairman. Alfred J. Bouton is
Vice-chair1nan and F. Conant is secretary Of the
executive committee. which is composed. in addi-
lion 10 them Of Professor John b. Clark of CO.
Iumba University. DR. Henry s Coffin the Rev
Frederick Lynch. Marcus NJ. Marks Miss Helen
EIarot. the Rev. Samuel Mason North DR. Samuel
Schulman. Charles sprasue Smith, John Sparyo
Mrs. Anna Garlin Spencer. the Rev. GAYLORD 5
White and the Rev Merle St. Croix Wright
UNION MEN ACCUSE CITY OFFICIALS.