The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1918-11-09
TOPEKA STATE JOURNAL
NFO r M A TON
Blu RE AU
FREDERIC J. HASKIN, Director.
Wa shin Ufnn n q
LETS TALK IT OVER"
Washington. D. c.

this city to direct campaign of in
formation for the labor department.
He proposes to do this thru the me-
dunn of the public forums which he
has established in all parts of the
United States, and he expresses the
opinion that after the war these for
and a new Importance in helping to
settle all the momentous questions
THAI will then come up for decision
The public forums. in case you have
never attended one of them, are places
where men of all creeds, religious and
political, get together to discuss their
differences Everyone is invited to
attend these meetings. and men of all
sorts are invited to address them, from
anarchists to millionaires, and from
free thinkers to priests.
"In the FORUM" Doctor Coleman
explained, 1.-The auditor must listen pa
tiently while the speaker makes
case for himself or his cause. Then
every one is permitted to throw ques-
tons at the speaker for an hour, and
| the merits of the speakers theories
may be pretty well tested by his re-
plies. The speaker may not convince
| his Questioner, but if he knows his
subject. he will make him think. After
all, that's the purpose Of the forum
| to make men think.
3
| formation will be brought about in
this country. Just what, the transfor-
| nation will be depends upon what ele-
ment controls the government. How
are people to know which theory OF
| reconstruction is best Tor them unless
they understand all theories and think
about all of them?"
Doctor Coleman warmly resents the
| idea that the forum is passing fad"
Ii
calls it putting the materials of de-
mocracy into the machinery of de-
mocracy."
| You cannot" he maintains, tell
whether apples are good or bad if you
keep them in a hamper. Roll 'em
out and look 'em over"
The first public forum was estab-
lished at Cooper Union, New York, on
November "a. 1897. 1t was popular
almost at once with the serious
minded young men of the last gener-
alton, who frequented the Union, but
it did not attract much attention I'M
| til some years later when Doctor Cole
man inaugurated a second forum at
Ford Hall, Boston.
Immediately it attained wide
spread popularity in Boston. Tho
Ford hall is owned and managed by
the Baptist church, representing
mainly the moderately wealthy and
i well-to-do elements of the city, men
and women of all classes and creeds
4 flocked to attend the meetings. They
heard such topics as Catholicism, So
cialism, Tariff Reform, Silver Coinage,
Agnosticism, Imperialism, the Refor-
nation and Trades Unions. discussed
with clearness and intelligence, and
went home thinking about them.
Doctor Coleman. about this time,
abandoned his business as a publisher
in the interest of the forum move
ment. 1t was an ideal he had cher
ished from his early youth, founded
on belief in the merits of the Athen-
ian Council, the Roman Forum, and
the New England Town Meeting. He
was president of the Associated Ad-
vertisem ant clubs, and used this office
to awaken interest in his project
1.-The FORUM he stated, sis no par
tisan, sectarian or idealist. It has.no
doctrine to spread, no dogma to
preach, no motive to instill.. It's aim
is to make public all doctrines, dog
mas and motives, and to let them be
judged.
The Jews of Boston were the first
to respond to the movement. For a
long time young Jews. formed the
greater part of the audiences at Ford
Hall. Later Rabbi Levi of Temple Is
rael, the most fashionable synagogue
of the city. opened a Sunday night
forum. Several other Rabbis of re-
formed synagogues followed his ex-
ample. Meanwhile several protestant
pastors in New York had opened up
their pulpits to forum speakers. Y.
NJ. C. AS in various cities had also
taken up the movement.
Doctor Coleman approached Car
dinal, then Archbishop O'Connelli OF
the New England archdiocese, to get
| members of the Roman Catholic clergy
as forum speakers. The cardinal
finally consented and various priests
and prelates made addresses at Ford
Hall and elsewhere. Soon the Catho-
lies themselves established a forum
under the name Common Cause So
ciety Doctor Coleman recalls meet
ing which over-crowded Ford Hall to
hear member of the Holy Cross col
lege faculty lecture against Socialism.
I'VE had to fill the aisles and more
than half the platform. Father Cas-
ton had scarcely room to move. Most
of the audience was made up of So
cialists, and there was fair sprinkling
Of the wilder sort. Some of them ]
recognized as professed anarchists,
II could see them twitch, and their
eyes CLEAN when Father CASTOR
started gravely but energetically to
attack the MARKHAM doctrines one by
one. But there was not a single in
terruption until the priest finished
talking. The minute he had done So
an avalanche of questions struck him.
1t was a situation calling for adroit
ness. Father CASTOR answered the
questions politely and |skillfully. After
the meeting I met a Socialist leader
of my acquaintance: OF course, he
didn't convince me- he said, but he
made brilliant argument. What q
great Socialist he'd makei'"
Doctor Coleman says his greatest
difficulty has been to induce rep1 e.
sentatives OF the wealthy conservative
element to speak at the forums. For
many wears he endeavored to persuade
John d. Rockefeller, jr.. to make an
address, without success.
Whatever the merits of the public
forum. there is no doubt that it Is
steadily growing in popularity. More
than 10000 persons crowded on Bos.
ton Common to hear former Presiden'
Taft deliver his recent flight to a fin
ish" address. A series of patriotic
addresses is being given under tn,
auspices of the forum and all of then