Every evening, Wilmington daily commercial., 1918-11-09
Let's ak 1t Over
BY Frederic J. Haskin

| medium of the publID forums which ne
| has established in all parts Of the United
| States and he Expresses the opinion that
after the war these forums are going to
| have q new function and Il new impor-
tance in helping tn settle all the moment
ous questions that will then come ul
| for decision.
The public forums, in cnsc you have
never attended one Of them. are places
where men Of all creeds. religious and
political. get together 10 discuss then
/ differences Everyone is invited to at
| tend these meeting, and men Of all sorts
are invited to address them, from an.
archista 10 milionalres, ard from free
| thinkers TO priests.
| In the forum" Or Coleman explain
| ed, the auditor must listen patiently
| while the speaker makes a case for
| himself or his cause Then everyone IS
permitted 10 throw questions at the
| speaker for nm hour and the merits OF
the speakers theories may be pretty
we'll tested hy his replies, The speaker
may not convince his qIestioner, but
If he knows his subject, he will mako
him think After all that the purpose
of the forum to make men think.
ma NsFonuATIoN DUE.
formation will be brought about IN
this country Just what the trans
formation will be depends upon what
element controls the government. How
are people to know which theory OF
reconstruction is best for them unless
they understand Nil theories and think
about NIL of them7"
Dr Coleman warmly resents the idca
that the forum is passing fad or an
"educatiOnal campaign" lie calls II
putting the materials of democracy
into the machinery Of democracy
You cannot he maintains, tell
whether apples are good or bad If you
keep them in n hamper. Roll 'em ont
and look en- over"
The first public forum was esiab-
hlishcd at Cooper Union New York
on November "a 1897 H. wos
popular almost at once with the
serions-minded young men of the last
generation. who who frequcnted the
Union. but il did not attract much
attention until some years later when
DR. Coleman inaugurated second
forum at Ford Hall, Boston.
ATTAINs POPULARITY.
Immediately If attained q widespread
popularity IN Boston, Though Ford
Hall is owned and managed hy the
Baptist Church representing mainly
the moderately wealthy and well-to-do
elements Of the city, men and women
Of all classes and creeds focked to attend
tie meetings They heard such topics
as Catholicism, Socialism, Tariff, Re
for1n, Silver Coinage, Agnosticism, I'M
perialism, the Reformation and Trades
Unions, discussed with cIearness and
intelligence. and went home thinking
about them.
Dr Coleman, about this time abandon
ed his business a. q publisher III the in
terest Of the forum movement IL was
an ideal he had cherished from his early
youth, founded on belief in the mer-
its Of the Atbenian Council, the Roman
forum and New England Town Meeting
He vas President Of the Associated
Advertising Clubs, and used this office
to awaken interest II his project.
The forum, be stated, is not
partisan, sectaIlan or idealist Ii has
no doctrine TO spread, no dogma to
preach, no motive to ins1ill Its aim
is to make public all doctrines, T dognas
and motives, and TO let them be judged
The jews of Boston were the first
TO respond 10 the movement For q
long time young Jews formed the greater
part Of the audiences at Ford Hall
Later Rabbi Levi Of Temple Israel,
the most fashionable synagogue OF the
city, opened a Sunday night forum.
Several other RabblS OF reformed svna-
gogues followed his example Mean
while several protestant pastors in New
forum speakers. y VI G. As in
h.4I i
movement.
CARDINAL o'CONNELL HELrs.
DR. Coleman approached Cardinal,
then archbishop, OConnell Of the New
England archdiocese to get members
OF the Roman Catholic clergy rs forum
speakers The cardinal finally consented
and various priests and relates made
addresses at Ford Hall and elsewhere.
Soon the catholics themselves established
q forum under the name Common Cause
Society DR.. Coleman recalls u meet
ing which oVercrowdcd Ford Hall to
hear Il member Of the Holy Gross College
faculty lecture against socialism
We had to fill the aisles and more
than half the platform. Father CASTOR
had scarcely room to move Most of
the audience was made up of socialists.
and there was fair sprinkling OF the
wilder sort Some OF them | recognized
as profcssed anarchists
could see them twitch, and their
eyes gleam when Father Castor start
ed gravely but energeticaIly to attack
the MARKHAM doctrines one BY one.
But there was not single interruption
until the priest finished talking. The
minute he had done so, an avalanche
of questions struck him Ii was n
situation calling for adroitness. Father
Castor answered the questions politely
and sklllfuIly After the meeting |
met Il socialist leader of my acquaintance.
Ot course he didn't convince me. he
said, but he made brilliant argument.
What a great socialist he d make
WEALTHY CONSERVATIVES SHY.
Dr Coleman saws his greatest diffi-
Guilty has been to induce representatives
OF the wealthy cons rvativc element 10
speak 1t the forum For many
Years he endcavored 70 persuade Iohn
ID, Rockefeller, Jr, to make an address
without success.
Whatever the merits of the public
forum there Is no doubt that il Is steadily
growing IN popularity More than 20
600 persons crowded on Boston Common
10 hear former President Taft deliver
his recent fight To IA finish address
\ series Of patriotic addresses Is being
given under the auspices Of the forum
and all of them have attracted huge
crowds. \ good many pastors have
found the forum an excellent means fox
church attendance
No wider diversity of pDiulQD could