Ashland tidings. [volume] (Ashland, Or.) 1876-1919, 1913-06-09
"a MACHINE DEMOCRACY"

daughters-those girls who don't sit
in the parlor reading novels, but who,
like dad, are doing something use
full every minute-that recently
called the social center a machine
of democracy"
And, now that state after state is
authorizing the use of school build
ings for social centers, maybe we'd
better once more refresh our recol-
lection of just what a social center
is.
It's a saffron-hued, jelly-boned
baby that hasn't got bleached out yet
nor "set" in it's final shape, but the
idea is clear. The idea is to create
place and a plan and a spirit at
and by and in which all the folks
of a neighborhood can get together
and then, just.as folks get together
in peoples club without dues and
fellow with each other and talk over
the common interests and find out
again, amidst the many influences of
present-day life that tend to set up
cliques and classes and various divid-
ing lines, how much more we all
have in common than apart.
Ever studied the youngsters at a
playground? Sallies ma may not
call on Mary's ma and Tins old man
may be in Jail, to the scorn of Will
lies papa, a well-dressed pharisee.
But Sallie and Mary and Tim and
Willie don't let that interfere with
ring around the rosy" or lone old
cat. There aren't any cliques on
well-ordered playground.
Well, that's the spirit of social
center. It's to get the grown-up chill
dren-the folks who foolishly let
differences in incomes, in where
their forefathers came from, in
the streets on which they live,
differences in things, separate them
into the wholesome practice of
coming together on one level and
knowing each other, as folks.
If you've never tried the expert
ment you'll be surprised, after it's
first shock has passed, how exquis-
itely, humanity pleasant it is-how
stimulating and how instructive.
It's mighty good thing to do, too,
which is why the baby hasn't got it's
teeth cut yet
It's mighty hard thing to do, too,
which is why there were lots of peo-
pie who thought it was wicked for
folks to meet freely in their own
buildings, the buildings their taxes
had built, and talk things over and
quiz candidates and check up public
officials and even challenge the boss.
In the first place, it wasn't conven-
tional. Then, too, it created dis
turbance." 1t gave the fellow who
wasn't satisfied a chance to say so.
And so it came to pass that the
social centers of Rochester after
showing in a dim way what great
service they might render, fell into
control which put gags on their ex-
preston and binders on their eyes
until now they're not much more
than timid pink teas.
But the idea doesn't die. Strangle
it here, it pops up there. And gets
bigger every minute, as all good
ideas do. Because, as the presidents
daughter sasy, it offers a machine
of democracy" and democracy, the
soul of America, must have a ma
chine of it's own-a machine that
the little, special interest machines
cannot capture or cripple.
So, look out for the social center
for the free school house turned
into place where, after school
hours, citizens can play and mix and
null over the problems that citizens
in democracy have to face. If you
haven't got one in your neighbor-
hood yet, get one. It's worth while.