The New York herald., 1920-01-25

Women packed the lower part Of the
Hippodrome yesterday morning, the oc-
casion being the ceremonies in connection
with the laying of the cornerstone of the
Civic Auditorium, at No. 1l3 West Forty
third street, and afterwards more than
three hundred of them went to the site
where New York city's Town Meeting
Hall is to be built They stood ankle deep
in slush with the sleet blowing against
them while Theodore Roosevelt placed to-
gether with mortar and trowel the first
granite blocks TO be used in the construc-
ton of the hall,
The ceremonies, which were attended
by many men of prominence, were con-
tinued in the afternoon at the Astor
Hotel where luncheon was served to
100 The principal feature OF this gath
ering was the raising of $150,00o to help
pay the mortgage on the Town Meeting
, Hall, the idea of which has long been
cherished by Robert Erskine ELY, and
which is the outgrowth of a meeting held
twenty-five years ago va group OF SIX
women who wanted a place where free
dom of speech could be protected
meeting was a speech on the use OF a
Town Hall and "Parlor Anarchists or
Socialists" delivered by the Rt Rev
Charles Sumner Burch, Episcopal Bishop
OF New York
Applause for bishop.
Coming. as it did, on the heels of his
rebuke to Dr. Henry Stickney Grant, of
the Church of the Ascension, for the lat
ters use Of the church for meetings oi
the Public Forum. Inc, the Bishop 5
speech was listened to with profound at
tention and punctuated with applause
when he dealt the ''parlor reds par
> ticularly severe blow.
THE Civic Auditorium is non-partisan
and it does not cover any particular re-
liCious belief" declared Bishop Burch
when defining the objects OF Dr. Ely
dream, now about TO be realized. 1T IN
cludes everything that makes TOR true,
devoted. loyal citizenship in these United
States of America. And never was there
time when We Americans. If we arc
Americans, needed more to heed the
voices that tell us that we should make
a clear distinction between freedom OF
speech and the abuse OF that freedom
(applIuse) which dcscends into license 10
give utterance to opinions that are sub
vcrs C or law and order. that make Tor
disrespect disregard and irreverence for
constituted authority.
81 take il that there is no one connected
with this movement who wishes 1t 10 DC
otherwise. Now il this Political League
for Education means anything IL means
n forum-call il a town hall, call II a civic
forum call it what you please-where
there may be the free expression of opin-
ion on religious. on social, on economic
on artistic. on all other subjects which
concern YOU and concern me. so long ana
only up TO tho point where those EXPIRES
sions Of opinion do not become subversive
Of what our government is endeavoring
in it's rightful province to do.
This Civic Forum is primarily, / be-
lieve, a place where men and women may
come to express their individual opinions
They may be critical Of the government
under which they are trying TO fulfil their
offices Of American citizens. individual
American citizens. Very often you and
I find faut with what the government
NAV be doing. but If you are not loyal
to that constitutional government YOU are
not true, loyal Americans
Never Aliens 10 the Government.
ut doesn't make any difference who Is
In the White House, who is in the Cabinet,
who constitutes the lower house or the
upper house Of Congress-they represent
tho United states and it is for us TO yield
obedience and allegiance to them to the
utmost expressing our criticism when we
feel that criticism is due, of course, but
never expressing or doing or even harbor-
ing any thought that shall make us aliens
10 what our government is endeavoring to
do
II am little more afraid Of those who
are born right here in New Amsterdam
and who constitute today what some arc
pleased 90 call our parlor anarchists or
Socialists.' / am more afraid of them
than l am Of the aliens those who. per-
haps. have lived over here twenty-sevcn
years and who never have preached any
thing but sedition; who don't care for our
government and who show and speak
openly their disrespect for our laws, for
our institutions ] say am more afraid
of those parlor anarchists, OF those parlor
Socialists, than ] am Of the alien Socialist
who has never taken out his first papers.
''Now, some OF US disagree on this, and
We have n perfect right TO disagree; but J
for ono hope and trust that this Town
Meeting Hall. this League for Political
Education. which every ono OF us needs.
shall stand for tho principle that not one
OF the aliens who have come over here for
the open door shall he permitted to stay
here and preach anarchy and sodtlon."
The Bishops attack on seditious aliens
was received with loud applause. Like
sentiments were uttered also by Or. Ste
phcn s. Wise, another Of the morning
speakers, who said!-"rhe motto OF the
League for Political Education ought TO
he-perhaps Il is--'Let the other side be
hoard: let the others sides be heard lf
unaracious I might venture the suggestion
that think IT. isa pity.that Mr.. Elv about
two or three weeks ago did not establish