Pueblo chieftain., 1921-02-10
Csy Frederic J. Haskin.)

New York City, Feb. New York
now has n town hall. where any or
ganization or society that wants to pro-
mote or suppress something can go
and tell the world about IL. Do you
wish to convert your followmon 10
ycgctarianism; are you against com
pulsory vaccination in the schools, Is
your hobby prison reform. or cooper
ativc economies. or better pubic oou-
cation? Then tho town hall is at your
disposal. wherein to pour forth your
great idea or grievance.
OF course, there are few strings
to 1t. You have to pay a rental OF
SIS to cover the cost OF light and
heat, and II you must have ushcrs TO
scat your non-payinE guests, thc
charge is $50 You must also prove
the merit and sincerity OF your cause
to the renting committee. and prom
ise to conduct your meeting in po-
lite and orderly way, especially when
casting aspersiops on tho United states
government. Aside from this rcstrci-
ton, however your speech can be alb
solutcly free. For it was to cncour-
ago free speech that the town hall
was built.
Unlike mos. other town halls. SO
thickly scattered thruout tho provinces
this ono is not a municipal institution.
II belongs to the League for POLITICAL
Education, a large New York orsanl-
zation containing over 5000 members.
who believe that nations greatest
safety valve is discussion.
open discussions are conducive TO
mutual goodwill" says tho league, "as
we'll as fair play. They result in few
er misundcrstandings Of public opinion,
because 1t has always been true that
discussion rationalizcs everything 1t
touches.
The object of the town hall is best
described by one OF the leagues most
prominent members, Mr.. Henry w.
Taft.
What is needed in this age ac-
cordng to Mr.. Taft. lis some reliable
basis for forming opinions upon sub
jccts which more or less directly ar
feet our wcll-bcing in the community.
Many OF us have plenty OF education:
some OF us perhaps too much. There
arc lots of things that VIC ought 10
unlearn.
'In a republic 1t inevitably happens
that public attention is constantly d.
rcctcd to matters connected with prob
lens OF Government which include eco
nomlcs. Industrial. financial. and pure
ly political questions. We wish 10
givo the opportunity for free discus
sion of such matters as these partic-
ularly. We would found a later Fam
euil hall, a modern Roman forum,
Cooper union, with an even broader
purpose. We would have fairly pre-
scntcd both sides in such controversial
matters as free trade and protection.
without advocating either. but VIC do
insist upon free trade in ideas.
Call for Free speech
I've believe in free speech. VIC de-
plorc repression. But We want the
truth. We respect the man who hon
estly holds views we disapprove. II
is in the spirit OF these expressions
that We open the town hall.
"If our representative institutions arc
to be pcrpctuatcd, We must be vigilant
in dcvising methods by which the in
dividual citizen may be kept informed
as to tho duties OF citizenship and be
stimulated in their performance. But
II is not now possible to gather to-
Eethcr all of tho citizens of re-
public In ono grand mass meeting. We
cannot in this age repeat the assem-
blics OF tho Greek states or OF the
New England town. Some substitute
must he supplied.
And so We arc establishing a town
hall to keep alivo tho spirit OF our
ancestors and as contribution which
will better enable us to meet the vi
tai. II not cpochal, crises which mod
dice. "'' "
"a single town hall can hardly fill
tho need of this great city. 1t con-
tains, however. the germ of an idea.
and We hope IL will be the model for
other similar Institutions not only
thruout this city, but also thruout the
land
Mr.. Taft was quito right when he
said that ono town hall IL not enough
Several would not even he enough.
one on every other block would scarce
be too many to meet tho clocutiorary
needs of New Yorkcrs. For with New
Workers. talding Us an obsession More
talking. prepared and imrromptu, goes
on every night in New York than in
any other city in this country-public
talking, that is Every high school
auditorium has it's lecturer; every club
it's public discussion corner. nearly
every church its civic forum, and in
addition the city Is fllcd with small
halls whose platforms are never vnc-