The independent-reporter., 1910-09-15
''Do 1t Fer Rochester"

Writing under the above title in
the American Magazine for Septem-
Der. Ray Stannard Baker has story
hat every thinking citizen will find
we'll worth reading. Space permits
only brief excerpts, but these may
suffice TO give an idea of the great
Onward stride that the people there
have taken in the promotion of the
general welfare. He says:
Rochester is one of the brightest,
busiest and most attractive cities in
this country.
"A remarkable group of teachers
and preachers has indeed, found Il
corgenial atmosphere in Rochester,
men who dared break away from
traditions and stand for the truth as
they saw it,
As result of their labors the
people of Rochester are meeting on
common ground and really getting
together: a very wonderful and i'm
.ortant new step in our civilization
Beginning in 1907 the people began
to take possession of the school
houses for their own use as
community and social centers where
the people of the neighborhood could
meet in the evening, get acquainted,
organize clubs, conduce social en-
tertainments, plays, dances, concerts,
banquets, fairs, and, above all, EN-
GAGE IN THE FREE DISCUSSION
OF PUBLIC QUESTIONS. The
school house thus became the public
l,. oil hn
Common Ground for the new sort of
democratic association.
The social center was not to take
the place of any existing institution;
it was not to be charitable medium
for the service particularly OF the
poor it was not to be a new KIND
of evening school; 1t was not to take
the place of any church or other In
stitution of moral uplift; 1t was not
to serve simply as an Improvement
Association by which the people in
one community should seek only the
welfare of their district; 1t was not
to be a Civic Reform organization,
pledged to some change in city or
state or national Administrations
was lust to be the restoration to its
true place in social life of that most
American of all institutions, the Pub
lie School Center, in order that
through this extended use of the
school building might be developed,
in the midst of our complex life, the
community interest. the neighborly
spirit. the democracy that we knew
before we came to the city
"One of the chief secrets of sue
cess of the movement has been its
platform of open and free discussion
of all subjects, not even politics and
religion being tabooed The dread of
free discussion of politics and re-
ligion in public buildings has long
been one of our national bugaboos.
The two most vital links between men
are thus barred from free considera-
ton. But in Rochester the clubs
have invited in each of the political
candidates Democratic,
Prohibition, and Socialist-to present
his case, followed afterwards by a
discussion.
Governor Hughes, who delivered
an address before the League of Civic
Clubs, said of the movement: 1 am
more interested in what you are do
ing and in what 1t stands for, than
in anything else in the world You
are butressng the foundations of
democracy
Civic friendllness develops in the
Centers. AS President Rush Rhees
of the Rochester University said:
believe in the Social Center because
it gives to us an opportunity to con-
slider our problems together; and |
trust that from these Centers may go
RI Of nf tho nIblip VOL
fare that shall be felt in the finding
of the right solution of how to pre-
serve liberty through government