New-York tribune., 1908-11-22
NEW SOCIAL IDEAL
Edzeard HooCard Griggs Attacks
PreUailing SnObbery.

Edward Howard Griegs told a well dressed audi
ence at the Hudson Theatre yesterday morning
what a hollow mockery modern democracy Is II
was the regular meeting Of the League for Political
Education and the speakers subject was The
New Social Ideal" He began softly and sweetly
pointing that only in modern times and only IN
America has denocracy-always a dream in the
hearts of a few-become reality. Then he pro-
ceeded to riddle the reality.
I'VE say that the Church is one institution which
welcomes rich and poor alike" he said. is tnat
true? There is indeed one Church where az grades
of and women pray together, but 1t isn't the
one most of you attend. Suppose a ragged. un-
shaven man-unkempt perhaps, from staying OUT
all night because he had no place to sleep-suppore
such a man came to your church to pray, would
he be admitted? needn't answer that question
Oh, know throw sops to our consciences by
establishing mission churches in other parts OF the
city and is all right for birds OF feather 10
flock together-if they want to- 1t is all right to
make social clubs of our churches-only, let US not
pretend that they anything else.
1--WE say our public schools at least are demo-
cratic There the children of the rich and poor
study together Well, won't remind you Of the
private schools there out isn't 1t true OF public
schools that they built In conformity with resi-
Dental sectons7 We build the best equipped
schools with the largest grounds, in the finer parts
Of the CITY, where they are not needed because
the children there have wide streets and space to
play In. We leave the old hretraps. with almost
no ground around them, in the worst quarters.
where the children have no space 10 play IN
compared with New York medieval city was
hopelessly unsantary but in the medeeval city the
aristocrat lived in one street, the common man In
the next or the aristocrat on the lower floor Of a
house and the common man on the floor above
There was easy communication Here we put the
people with a large mastery Of the fruits Of civ
lization in part Of the city. with wide clean
streets, and the people who caught in the trap
of civilization in crowded arless tenements where
they freeze in the winter and stihe in the summer,
and starve moro or less all the year round"
Social settlements. Mr.. Griggs said, were noble
protest against present conditions, but th1y were
merely eddy in whirlpool" 1t Is, too. only
the small, struggling settlements that do any good
when a settlement grows large and rfch, Mr.
Griggs continued, notice how the people drop
away They have a subtle sense that they are be-
ing patronized. Depend upon It. in q settlement the
best good TO the settler.
Nor does organized charity bring people to-
gether You write q check. paid agent receives
It. paid visitor dispenses the help II the chances
Of life made you poor would you want to go to
an organization that helped you because you were
deserving? Would you not rather go to friend
who loved your And K you went TO the organ!za-
tion wouldn't you slip over the line and
think that the world owed you a livng?
Mr Griggs Just touched the domestic service
problem, saying that when domestic helpers were
'impudent" It rather hopeful sign I'm
pudence may be a crude expression OF indepen-
dsnce, but IT Is expression. Nothing runs SO
smoothly Is slavery. Snobbery and servflity go
together.
"snobbery! We cannot keep children
from fits corroding influence. Let me give you an
illustration I live in town which until recently
has been democratic that snobs did not feel at
all at home there. Yet there finds ones
own daughter coming home from public school
saying that 1t doesn't very nice to have shop
keepers daughters playing the basketball team
LAS If II were not quite as honorable to sell good
beef a counter It Is to sell watered stock
in Wall Street. fine to be a carpenter as to give
lectures in New York. Indeed, when 1 see how
little talking accomplishes 1 feel that 1t IS better
to occupied in building good watertight houses