New-York tribune., 1909-02-04
THE BIBLE CLASS DIMES.
Young John ID. RoctefeIIer's Pupils
Hear Imported Speakers.

Leslie Is. Shaw. ex-Secretary OF the Treasury
Serene S. Pratt. secretary of the Chamber OF Com
merce, and John Kendrick Bangs were the pr1n-
cipaI speakers at the annual dinner of John D.
Rockefeller frs Bible class held IN the rooms Of
the Aldine Association. No III Fifth avenue last
night. One hundred and fifty OF the members OF
the class and their guests attended
The Rev c. F. Aked. pastor OF the t1tth Avenue
Baptist Church, of which young Mr. Rockefeller Is
a member. acted toastmaster, and introduced
Mr Pratt as the first speaker. Mr. Pratt said that
while he did not believe there were SO many peo-
pie attending church in the present generation
there were many more persons practising practical
Christianity in everyday life than ever before The
forces Of individual liberty and organized effort he
believed could accomplish great things II they were
amalgamated, but If opposed TO each other in the
extreme the one might destroy the other He said
that the growing problem how to prevent
mans individuality from being swallowed up by
organized effort He deplored what he called the
modern tendency to overload the government with
too many functions and cited the suggestion. which
he said had been made recently, TO have even a
state supervision of homes.
Governor Hughes has recently asked" he added,
where the line is to be drawn between the rights
of the individual and the community. IN answer
10 his question I must say that don't know but
in cases where q doubt exists we should give the
benefit TO the individual"
MI Shaw who followed Mr. Pratt, said he con-
Cured in the opinion of the preceding speaker that
the world really getting better. He turned
with a smile to John d. ROCkeTelieT, ana Sdiu
that he had come the dinner to see what kind of
q class It was that he had been hearing so much
about.
4 don't see anything very wrong with IT," said
Mr. Shaw. smilingly.
Well they have a leader now, answered
Mr. Rockefeller. who IS now the president Of
the class
We arefonly satisfied with the highest ideals IN
public life nowadays continued the speaker. We
are teaching our public that they must not
think, but must use the public telephone TO ask
US what we want done. If they guess what we
want done We guess they get out The standard OF
public life is now much higher. While a. Washing
ton I had the opportunity of meeting many prOmi-
nent public men Intimately and I formed en-
treIy different opinion what the press reports
would have one believe There IS a constant cry
that the Senate is corrupt, but don't believe 1t.
Mr. Bangs said he wished there closed sea-
for writers and that readers were compelled to
the Bible. He said he suggested to Mr..
Carnegie some months ago that he appoint COM
mission 10 decide who wrote the worst six books
each year and then to offer the authors money TO
refrain from writing for the rest Of their lives.
The Rev. DR. ". S. Richardson made brief
speech and there were remarks TO the members Of
the class by DR.. Aked
Mr.. Rockefeller said that It too late TO detan
his hearers with a speech and he confined himself
10 q story about young whom he said he
felt Ike:
The young man asked his father what to say to
his fancee when he gave her a ring, and his father
suggested: When this you see, remember me-"
The young man. in presenting the ring, said
when this you see, remember father"