New-York tribune., 1908-11-08
RIIS ON CITIZENSHIP
14sks americans to Purify Public
Office and Fight Hvhite Plague.

Jacob A RHs rtarted his talk on After the
Election" yesterday morning before the women
members of the Leagus for Political Educauon N
the Hudson Theatre by saying that he supposed
they were all happy. that even Mr.. Bryan was
happy at the thought that he would never again
be called upon 70 make such superhuman efforts
in the cause Of the people The address was espe-
ciaIly devoted to the duties of citizens Of New
York to remove conditions that were far from De-
ing ideal, and laying stress upon the necessity
Of enforcement Of the tenement house laws He
quoted from the findings Of the Municipal Research
Bureau to show that the demands of the law were
not obeyed- Mr. Riis said. after depicting the
happiness OF Bryan:
happy looking forward to four laborious years In
me me w nN5 House' with not overrnuch credIt ZOE
man who elories in duty faithfully And I
task nearly ended and well done No One lives in
this generation, and may not in the one to come,
VINO VIII see a man laboring more faithfully 10 set
the ideals Of the nation high and succeeding so
well; and now he is TO haze his holiday with the
SO long, waiting for what coning-and may
all good luck go with him his hunting trip.
Mr. Riis said that he knew that Governor Hughes
was also happy, and then referring to Judge
Lindsey, OF Denver. read a message from the
Judge. telling of his victory. Mr.. Riis asked what
had been learned from it all, and took the city to
task, saying:
We cannot escape the responsibility of our citi-
zenship. No graver trust has come to mankind
for we begin to make out at last that il in
wolves the whole question Of the stability Of our
political and civic institutions, Hberties-of
civtlizatio Itself as we know it. From the cities
come the waves of discertent which threaten that
civilization.
Mr.. Fsiis disagreed regarding the remedies pro-
posed by Socialist and other minority parties, but
said that It woIId be well to learn from them that
there discomfort. The cause Of complaint
should be removed In the turmoil of the political
fight it should be lost sight Of ne said that 1t
the process Of casting out the devil, not put
ting him in the nigh seat He said:
The devil has his foot between the door and the
Jamb now, but out he will go, out Of City Hall and
State Han, wherever he is, II we pun togetner
with will. The who fine 10 lend a
hand in that fight. take him away from me. He
is not worth his sa't as an American
Of the failure TO enforce the tenement house law,
he said that if the men could not compel it, the
women could. The ten thousand deaths year
from tuberculosis. he said, were almost wholly
needless and declared;
Shall We let that be the last word? Or shall We.
all of US, and women, enter the Red Cross
crusade and plaster letters over with Christ
mas stamps month means OF telling all
the world that we are In this ught to a nnlSh-a
finish of the white plague WAen we we're ADOPT
ing the tenement house law, ali the sel-F brutal
interests that in the nelghborS ne-1 only a
chance making more for themselves opposed
They were false advisers and false prophets, as
the building OF the tenements since with homes
for q million shows. They are always false.
Attacks on the tenement house law, Mr. Riis
said would no doubt be made IN the next Leg1s-
Iature and he cited instances TO show how effective
legislation had nullified by the insertion of 4
discretionary clause. He demanded the abolition
of the pigsty, dark tenement and the brood II
/ produces