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A MAGAZINE OF NEIGHBORLINESS
VOLUME
II
NUMBER
3
NOVEMBER 9, 1913
PRICE FIVE CENTS
.
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_.(~--~;~l . •.-. '• \/il
THE· AMERICAN GOSPEL DAY BY DAY
.
By MARY ANTIN
(.,
N
l.
H:IGHBORS, friends, brothers and
sisters-I don 't. knew what name to
give you, to make you realize that I
feel myself one with you, no matter
where I have lived since I left these parts.
I feel myself so much at home here, though
until yesterday I never was inside this hall,
that I am going to take you into my confidence. If you go to the theatre it is better
not to look behind the scenes; you would be
disillusi0ned. But when r take you behind
the scenes and tell you how I prepared myself for this appearance, I think your · confidence will be strengthened. I have been
speaking to all sorts of people and in all
sorts of circumstances for the past few
weeks, and wherever any number of people
takes the trouble· to come and hear what I
have to say I feel that I owe them· my best.
I have cared very mucl;l. every time whether
I have got my message to these people. But
to me this is the most important occasion
of them all. It means so much whether I
make it worth your while to <:ome out of
your way to hear me-you, many of whom
have so little allowance of leisure-your
precious Sunday evening out of all the wee!,
- I know it because I lived your life. And
..what did I do to prepare myself? I didn't
look into any books, for it is a testimony
of my life that I am bringing. And so I
went down to the beach and rested on the
rocks and consulted with the waves. And
here I am. And what am I going to say
to you? That which is nearest to my heart
-the fruit of all these years since I was a
little g.irl in Boston town.
And the great thing I have discovered in
these years. what is it? That we in Amer-
men are brothers and that we each of US ·
owe our neighbor the same chance that we
would like for ourselves. It is all there in
the Declaration of Independence, if we take
it literally enough. "All men are born free."
-you say, "and entitled to tlie same opportunities in life." And the scattered colonies
stood out for that as a people and announced their mission to the world. Nothing new haripened in this country until the
issuance of the Declaration of Independence.
For the first time a people demanded full
human - rights in the name of all humanity.
The wording of the Declaration of Independence is as universal as the wording of the
Ten Commandments. Never mind whether
the Puritans meant· it literally-perhaps
they did build better than they knew. But
we who live in~a later day may not give
their words a narrow application. What
would have become of the Children of Israel if they had tried to limit the Mosaic code to
their generation only? They made every
man and woman and <:hild responsible for
the fulfilment of t he whole law under all
<:ircumstances. The glory of the Jews was
not that they received the law, but that they
kept the law. The glory of the American people must be that the law· which was vouchsafed to their forefathers, they carried onward. It is only if we live for the idea that
all men are brothers that we bave anything
to boast of. We are responsible that onr
brothers have the same opportunities we
ask for ourselv~s.
Rabbi Hillei- l!OO years before Christ, told
~
a heathen who was willing to be converted
to Judaism if lle could get instantly a state-
ment of its creed: "What is hateful to thee,
do not that to thy fellow man, This is the
whole law : the rest is commentary.". And
the g,reat truth which came out of the East
as an ethical code, centuries later came out
of the West as a political code. And if the
law of Moses is holy, is not the American
idea holy ? We are the champions of an
ideal as a people. We cannot know ourselves as a nation apart from others except
as we are loyal to the ideal of our forefathers. Patriotism in Europe is expressed
by hatred of your next-door neighbor. Here
it is expressed by loyalty to the ideals of our
fathers-and that means the championship
of mankind, the identification of all the people of the earth as brothers and sisters,
Anyone who understands the doctrines of
the Declaration of Independence is a good
American, no matter where he hails from.
Citizenship in America is not a matter of
geographical accident. It is a matter of
conversion, A good Christian is one who
confesses Christ, and a good American is
one who acknowledges all men as ·his brothers and tries to give his neighbor a fair
chance. (Ar,plause, ) We have nothing but
this to ,g:o by. The constitution of the,
United States and the constitutions of the
various states are in the same relation to
the Declaration of Independence that the
huge writings of the Jewish Talmud are to
the Mosai-c code-they are commentaries.
How can we achieve such a program of
life? How shall we live so that everyone
gets a fair chance? Why, write a constitution-draw up directions how to get to the
rig.ht road. And it must be modified from
time to time. according to rirrnm~t,:,nrP~ .
!
"\
I have cared very much every time whether
I have got my message to these peojjle. But
to me this is the most important occasion
of them all. It means so much whether I
make it worth your while to come out of
your way to hear me-you, many of whom
have so little allowance of leisure-yo ur
precious Sunday evening out of all the w~r
-I know it because I lived your life. A'rrd
what did I do to prepare myself? I didn't
·iook into any books, for it is a testimony
of my life that I am bringing. And so I
went down to the beach and rested on the
rocks and consulted with the waves. And
here I am. And what am I going to say
to you? That which is nearest to my heart
-the fruit of all these years since I was a
little girl in Boston town.
And the great thing I have discovered in
these years, what is it? That we in America are the apostles of a sacred ideal, which
we need to realize and to take as a hqly
burden at the beginning of each day of our
-lives. Many talk of the privileges, but not
many of the burdens, of American citizenship. People have asked me if I have not
grown !"Omewhat disillusioned as the days
go by. No, on the contrary, the deeper I
look, the more am I filled with the conviction that this is the Promised Land of the
nations. But side by side with this has
· grown the conviction that a great many
Americans are not conscious that American
citizenship is a duty as well as an opportunity. This is the thing I must talk of w hen
I come before my brothers and sisters who
want to know what I am thinking.
And where do I get my sense of the burden of American citizenship? In a study of
American history no more than any boy or
girl gets that goes through the grammar
grades. I am not a profound student of
American history. It is so simple. Twice
in the history of the world has a nation
come into being as champion of an ideaonce when the Jews announced the law of
Moses and once when the Puritans announced the brotherhood of man. The Declaration of Independence is the fundamental
doctrine of state that the Americans can use
as a nation. Just as the Jews are always
repeating the law of Moses, so should we
.always he rehearsing our fundamental law.
And what is that? Merely the idea that all
*The speech and (]11estions anu answers reported by Miriam Allen <leFord.
./:~;=· .
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their words a narrow application. What
would have become of the Children of Israel
if they .had tried to limit the Mosaic code to
their generation only? They made every
man and woman and child responsible for
the fulfilment of the whole law under all
circumstances. The glory of the Jews was
not that they received the law, but that they
kept the law. The glory of the American people must" be that the law which was vouchsafed to their forefathers, they carried onward: It is only if we live for the idea that
all men are brothers that we have anything
to boast of. We are responsible that onr
brothers have the same opportunities we
ask for ourselves.
Rabbi Hillel, 200 years before Christ, told
a heathen who was willing to be converted
to Judaism if be could get instantly a state-
(I
IJ
American, no matter where he hails from.
Citizenship in America is not a matter of
geographical accident. It is a matter of
conversion . A good Christian is one who
confesses Christ, and · a good American is
one who acknowledges all men as his brothers and tries to give his neighbor a fair
chance. (Ar,plause.) We have nothing but
this to ,g-0 by. The constitution of the
United States and the constitutions of the
various states are in the same relation to
the Declaration of Independence that the
huge writings of the Jewish Talmud are to
the Mosaic code-they are commentaries.
How can we achieve such a program of
life? How shall we ·live so that everyone
gets a fair chance? ·Why, write a constitution-draw up directions how to get to the
right road. And it must be modified from
time to time, according to circumstances.
(Applause.) But when we want to know what
attitude to take in public matters, we must
THE PRAYER
go back for directions to the Declaration o!
We rejoice in the high privilege
Independence. I will c_ it our 1=-aw, as the
all
which is ours of joining together in
Hebrews call the Mosaic code their Law. It
fellowship with Thee, the God of our
is our moral, our sacred law. Take the
Fathers· the God of the Jew and of
problem of immigration. Originally it was
the Ch;istian alike. Our hearts are
not a problem. People coming to make
made to burn with-in us because of
their homes here were a perfectly ordinary
this unwonted benefit.
It is our
phenomenon; moreover, all men were free
earnest supplication that all thy chi!and equal, and if they chose. to change their
dren everywhere may be drawn close:r
residences we thought nothing of it. Then
and closer together in mutual tolerawe nicknamed it a problem, and called in an
tion, respect, and affection, while we
army of wise men and started to study and
still cling faithfully, each one of us, to
criticize the immigrants according to race
the vision of truth which is our very
and the contents of their pocket-books.
own.
(Laughter and applause.) By and by we beWe thank Thee that our blessed
came so muddled by people who organized
country has been made an asylum of
to protect the country from living out its
the o.ppressed and the dispossessed
destiny that now we do not know . where
from many lands. We pray with all
we stand. The trouble is, we have forgotten
the passion of our souls that we may
tel read aloud the Declaration of Independhave the grace a nd the patience, the·
ence once a day. (Laughter and applause.)
open-mindedness and tbe faith, the
The immigration question has been answered
courage and the strength, to realize in
long a~o. Who is the immi~rant? Way
full measure the great spiritu_l. _
a possiback h~ is a man a member ;'r the human
bilities that are ours._ Thou ·:hast__
._
famib,. And con'cerning such a one our
chos~n t? make. Am~nca. tlj_e -.yeat .- :, forefathers have left us. specific directions.
crucibl~ mto which is bemg- · poured
:·'" (Ap.plause.) Perha·ps·: he · is hungry not
the. brightest hopes and the. de~pest
. for the bread of liberty, but for the golden
desires of the youth of many ~h_mes:
platter on which it is served. Well, even -: ; --.
Help us by_ the alch_
emy of spiritual
so, is not that the pursuit of happiness?.:--::-~- ~- ·,t
forces to. bn_n~ forth m due ~eason t_he
The man at the gate asks nothing more than : ..__,".:l ·i,
.noblest_ m d1vidual and na_t!onal hfc
to win his way.
·
·. ~:;. "·
that this old world of ou~~- .l ias ever
It may be that living up to our law wiJI· .
seen. Amen.
- -· -··
.
·
·
invo l ve us in d"fli cu It"ie~. Th e Ch"ld ren o!
_
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(Contmued on Page 4.)
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FORD HALL FOLKS
2
vert the heathen and get them all on our
side.
Q: Was not Straus nominated to draw
the Jewish vote for Roosevelt! (Applause.)
A: Roosevelt appointed Straus to important office when he wasn't looking for ·
.
. t
votes.
Q: You lay great stress upon patriotism.
Q: Are you familiar with the na~1ona 1IS
Q: Is it not inconsistent to lay stress
Does not the American capitalist, in trying revival among the Jews? What is your on the -Mosaic law, and at the same ti:ne
to create war with Mexico, also lay ,great· opinion of it? Are you in sympathy?
favor men like Roosevelt and ·S traus?
stress upon patriotism?
A : I know it well, and it is one of the
A: If I were convinced of that I should
A: I do not understand patriotism to
most inspiring things that I have discov- not be supporting Roosevelt and Straus.
mewi the willingness to shoot down our fel- ered in recent years. (Applause.) I am
Q (:iVIiss Todd) : As factory inspector of
lo"'-men.
...
very much in sympathy with it, becaus_e I
Illinois all our factory regulations have
Q: Isn't it true that the Socialists relucsee in it an attempt to do that very_ thm?, come through organized labor. Do you obtantly recognize class lines only as facts of one-half of which we have to do m this ·ject to organized labor's voting for. its class?
existence, and seek to make one class elim- country.
(Applause. )
inating all classes? (Applause.)
Q (:\1r. Sackmary): What progress is
A: I do object to its voting as a class
A: I am longing for a program that will the cook making?
against other classes.
eradicate class. I do not want to recognize
A: I am glad you g.o t- interested in the
Q (Dr. Fleischer): The speaker has
classes as they exist.
cook. (Laughter.) It is better with her spoken as religiously about democracy as
Q: How is the brotherhood between a
than it was some months ago. Among other anyone I have ever heard. Since organized
good American and a bad American to ex- things she is married. (Laughter.)
reiigion is the most potent driving f?rce !n
press itself?
Q: 1f self-preservation is the first law,
hum'.1n exp~rience, would you not beheve 1~
A: By a brotherly chastising of the bad
American, in the hope of making a good can you blame the Americans for trying to 1:1a_kmg deliberately out of democrac!. a reprotect themselves against immigration?
hg10n, s~ that w~, t:1e J?eople, could ln e_ ~etAmerican of him.
A: I can't - lame them for reacting to an- te1:, makmg _n? d1stmct1ons bet"'."e~n rehg1?n
b
Q: Why is the immigrant a burden? Is
imal instincts, but I am asking them to and life, d1:ivu~g out every :e!1g1on not m
he not a producer?
take a spiritual view · of the situation.
harmony with 1t, so that rehg1~n. wou'.d be
.A.: I do not consider the immigrant a
our fundamental law and drivmg idea?
Q: Don't you think there are enough un(.
)
burden.
.
?
.-,,pp 1ause.
Q: Aren't the Irish as a race as downemployed peop1e h ei e now·
"
A: f do believe it. That is why I speak
trodden and despised as the Jews?
A: T.here are too ~any unemplo. e~. of the American gospel, and why I cling to
A: I am afraid they are, and that gives But I know wher~ there IS plenty of w?,rk. the :Mosaic law. They are to me one and the
us Jews and Irish another bond of sym(A number of voices: Where?) B! takmg same thing.
pathy.
som~ of these long, ten-hour-a-day Jobs, a nd
Q (Miss deFord) : Do you object to the
Q: Wouldn't literal application of the
cuttmg them up small. (Applause.)
.
restriction of immigration in cases of insanDeclaration mean the unrestricted immigraQ: Ought a Jewish employer to treat his
itY etc.?
tion of the Chinese, and haven't the Ameri- employees badly, as did one I know?
·.t I believe in the restriction of all imcan people a right to protect themselves
A: No; he was a bad _Jew.
iuigration that is inimical, but just such as
against the evil that would thus result?
Q: Didn't we g.et our ideas for the Dec- ~ we should place upon our own citizens if
A: We have to accept the conditions at laration of Independence from the French- · thev wished to move around the country.
?
any cost. We are here, not to watch over
A : Very likely. But I don't care where
Q: Where does the saloon stand in its
our own interests, but over those • f all man- they came from as long as we hold on to influence on class hatred?
O
kind. (Applause.)
them.
A: I don't know, but I belie,e in Tidding
Q: If the signers of the Declaration
Q: What do you think of the chances of
this land of everything that harms its peocame to life again and viewed modern con- workers in this country when they have to pie.
·
ditions like Tammany and Standard Oil, fight for their existence, as they are now
Q : Can this country, in view of events ·
what do you think they would say?
doin.,. in Colorado, where the troops are
like those in Colorado and ·west. Virainia ,
~.
~
A : I wouldn't like to introduce the vo- shootmg t hem down ?
•
realh- be consl"dered mu ch in advance of thacabulary they would use. (Laughter.)
A: The troops are doing it according to Euro.pean countries? ( Annl:oin~" \
Q ( :\fr. Sagerman l : Is not the class
law. If ,·ou don't like the nrn r-"~~ mPr1 rl
THE QUESTIONS
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A quie~
plause th!
day nigh-I
he3.ring ~
woman s(
said she ti
but she di
way. Thi
wom3:n s~
occasion
prayers
Whoever l
Hall thinli
very mucJ
1
Did yo
Mary An
thou2:h ti!
with-her;j
her messj
twenty mil
applause.
tions, for
dience se
anything
crowd. act,
tening to
it was as
patriotism
company
It was
immense
day night.
man v outs_
doors had
at half-past
a longer lil
that ho;~
ahead or
l
lP~~
th~ n
I
inating all classes? (Applause.)
A: I am longing for a program that will
eradicate class. I do not want to recognize
classes as they exist.
Q: How is the brotherhood between a
geod ·American and a bad American to ex·
press itself?
·
A : By a brotherly chastising of the bacl
American, in the hope of making a good
Ameri-can of him.
Q: Why is th·e immigrant a burden? Is
he nc.t a producer?
A: I do not consider the immigrant a
burden.
Q: Aren't the Irish as a race as down·
trodden and despised as the Jews?
A: I am afraid they are, and that gives
us Jews and Irish another bond of sympathy.
Q: Wouldn't literal application of the
Declaration mean the unrestricted immigration of the Chinese, and haven't the Ameri·
can people a right to protect themselves
against the evil that would thus result?
A: We have to accept the conditions at
any cost. We are here, not to watch over
our own interests, but over those of all mankind. (Applause. )
Q: If the signers of the Declaration
came to life again and viewed modern conditions like Tammany and Standard Oil,
what do you think they would say?
A: I wouldn't like to introduce the vocabulary they would use. (Laughter.)
Q (Mr. ·Sagerman): Is not the class
struggle trying to wipe out classes now in
existence?
A: I honestly do not think so. As Jong
as w.e as one part put ourselves in opposi·
tion to another part, that is inimical to
brotherhood.
Q: Do you think the working out of the
American ideal can - est be accomplished· in
b
a society where the few control the things
that are necessary to the happiness of the
many?
~
A: Certainly not ; but we propose to put
the few in their place. (Applause.)
Q (Miss Rogolsky): Is not much objection to immigration due to the. jealousy
aroused by the fact that the immigrant rloes
not take advantag,e of the opportunities offered him and then sets himself up as an
enlightener of those native Americans ,vho
have not done so?
A: Yes, I am very much afraid it is.
Q: How Jong must we give the American
ideal a trial?
A: I haven't set a time limit; but we
ought to get bigger ideas of time. We
haven't used all the instruments we have.
I shall ·not be here to see myself justified,
and you won't be here to say, "I told you
so."
Q: Wbat do you mean by opportunity
and cbance for all? The exploitation of the
many by the few?
A : I certainly do not ·mean that, and I
am finding fault with the state of things as
it now is.
.
Q : If the ideal of America . is what vou
say, · can't w·omen _. help fulfill it?
(Apnl ~ nc: i=i )
~ l .\lr.
~a cRmary J : "'11a.L 1H v5.1 e:'.'~ .1...,
the cook making?
A : I am glad you g.o t- interested in the
cook. (Laughter.) It is better with her
than it was some months ago. Among other
things she is married. (Laughter.)
Q: If self-preservation is the first law,
can you blame the Americans for trying to
protect themselves against immigration?·
A: I can't - lame them for reacting to anb
imal instincts, but I am asking them to
take a spiritual view of the situation.
Q: Don't you think there are enough unemployed people here now?
A : There are too many unemployed.
But I know where there is plenty of work.
(A number of voices: Where?) By taking
some of these Jong, ten-hour-a-day jobs, and
cutting them up small. (Applause.)
Q: Ought a Jewish employer to treat his
employees badly, as did one I know?
A : No; he w~a bad Jew.
Q: Didn't we_,~"et our ideas for the Declaration of Independence . from the French?
A: Very likely. But I don't care where
they came from as long as we hold on to
them.
Q: What do you think of the chances of
workers in this country when they have to
fight for their existence, as they are now
doing in Colorado, where the troops are
shooting them down?
A : The troops are doing it according to
law. If you don 't like the process, mend
the Jaw.
Q: Doesn't the citizen who voted for .
Taft because he wanted to be left alone owe
that state of mind to the Anglo-Saxon in
him?
A : It was a part of his bad inheritance,
which he ought to get tid of.
Q: What do you think of a class of people refusing to give jobs to other people
because they are Jews?
A: That they are bad Americans, according to definition.
Q: If we, the people, rule the government, who rules the government of New
York State?
A: I am not good at conundrums.
Q : Do you believe in the distribution of
immigration, so as to avoid congestion in
big cities?
A: Yes, just as I believe in putting a
house in order.
Q (Mr. earthy): The American ideal
seems to have resulted in the selfishness of
the American people. What reason have
you for thinking that history will not repeat itself?
A: I am not sure that there is more
selfishness in this country than elsewhere.
Q: Can the Jews in America keep the
Sabbath holy when the Jewish Sabbath is
Saturday?
··A: They can do it here just as they have
elsewhere, at great inconvenience and cost
and sacrifice.
Q: With one class trying to control
ever:vthing and another trying to get an
equal onportnnity, how are you going to ad-
in~t t hinE:s?
A.
l.
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against other classes.
Q (Dr. Fleischer): The speaker has
spoken as religiously about democracy as
anyone I have ever heard. Since organized
religion is th e most potent -driving force in
human experience, would you not believe in
making deliberately out of democracy a religion, so that we, the people, could live bet-.
ter, making no distinctions between religion
and life, driving out every religion not in
harmony with it, so that religion wou1d be
our fundamental law and driving idea?
(Applause.)
A: I do believe it. That is why I speak
of the American gospel, and why I cling to
the Mosaic Jaw. They are to me one ·and the
same thing.
Q (Miss deFord): Do you object to the
restriction of immigration in cases of insanity, etc.?
A: I believe in the restriction of all in::migration that is inimical, but just such as
we should place upon our own citizens if
they wished to move around the country.
Q: Where does the saloon stand in its
inf! uence on class hatred?
A: I don't kno w, but I belie,e in Tidding
this land of everything that harms its people.
Q: Can this country, in view of events ·
like those in Colorado and West Virginia,
really be considered much in advance of the
European countries? (Applause.)
A: ··we are not nearly all that we ought
to be. And that is why we are discussing
these things. But I do think it is in this
country that "we, the people," has got themeaning it has to day. ,Ve have got to start
here in our spiritual. heritage.
Q (same): Isn't the great opportunity in
this co untry due to our great natural resources?
A : Xo. Russia has greater natural re
sources. (Applause.)
OTHER MEETINGS.
Boston Public Library: Monday, Kov. 10,
at S P. M., "Welfare Work for Wild Birds,"
b,· Win th rop Packard. Thursday, Nov. 13,
at S P . :\L, " The Land of Shakespeare," by
Edmund H. Garrett. Sunday, Xov. 16, at
3 P. :i\I., " Italia.n Opera : Old and Kew," by
Henry L. Gideon.
School Voters' League, at Ford Hall, Satmda:r, Xov. 15, at 10.45 A. M., "The Outlook
for the Family," by Rabbi Stephen ·S. Wise, ·
50 cents.
The Sunday Commons, at Huntington
Hall, Sunday, Nov. 16, at 3.30 P . M., Dr.
Charles Fleischer.
Lo'l\·ell Institute, at Huntington Hall,
:\Ionday, ~av. 10, and Thursday, Kov. 13, at
S P. M., "The Sea in English Poetry," by Alfred Xoyes; Wednesday, Nov. 12, at 5 P. M.,
"Alexander Pope," - y Prof. G. H. Palmer;
b
Tuesday, Nov. 11, and Friday, Nov. 14, at
S P. M., " The Influence of the Bible on Civilization;· by Ernst von Dobschiitz.
Boston School of Social Science, at Lorimer Hall, Monday, Nov. 10, at 8 P. M. , "Efficiency: Human vs. Machine," by Miner
woman sitting on the platf
occasion who was heard to
prayers wouldn't hurt n
,Vhoever supposes that the I
Hall think all alike on any :
very much misled.
* * *
Did you mark the pecu
Mary Antin had on the
though there was the de
with her, and the warmest
her message, she had s
t,:wenty minutes before there
applause. And when it ca
tions, for another considera
dience seemed almost dum·
anything like it before at
crowd acted more like a <
tening to a sermon, and wel
it was as impressive a mesi
patriotism as could have be
company of people.
*
*
*
It was really heart-sicke
immense crowd outside the
day night. There were mo
many outside as there wen
doors had been shut. They
at half-past five. At half•P~
a longer line than· I had ev
that hour. The -doors wer,
ahead of time, and the h:
less than five minutes.
even holders of platform t
get in.
*
*
*
It has be1m ;;:ug-.gested ma
ought to move to a larger
think so, although I wish
fifty per cent. larger. WE
any ordinary auditorium w
to move, and in a very mu,
would lose a good deal of t
which has become such a
our meetings. And what w
had any more questions th
as we certainly would ha·
audience'? As it is now, w,
everyone who wants to p
chance and get through - y
b
*
*
*
*
:t
Instead of seeking; a Jan
have another forum like
abundant room for several
in the different centres of
magnificent opportunity th
gathering of the people in
trict · with a hall in the ne:
Dudley Street Terminal!
the opportunity? There is
investment for money, tim
the interest of the welfare
Boston. WiJJ some church
hood grasp the situation
awake, public-spirited grou
hold of it? 1
One man of v
and resources could do it.
Dr. L. C. Barnes of ~ew
kno,vn Baptist missionary
stand-up seat in the gal
night. He was very entl:
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FORD HALL FOLKS
3
--\
·'
':iem all on our
inated to draw
t! (Applause.)
Straus to imn't looking for ·
: to lay stress
the same time
d 'Straus?
f that I should
:1.nd Straus.
ry inspector of
g;ulations have
r. Do you obg for its class?
ing as a class
speaker has
democracy as
-ince organized
riving force in
not believe in
imocracy a recould live bettween religion
eligion not in
g.ion would be
driving idea?
, why I speak
vhy I cling to
1e one and the
object to the
:ases of insanion of all im; just such as
,n citizens if
1e country.
stand in its
i,e in Tidding
arms its peoew of events ·
rest Virginia,
jvance of th~
e .)
1at we ought.
re discussing
it is in this
has got thE:'
~ got to start
1 po rt unitY in
AS IT LOOKS TO. ME
\
By GEORGE W. COLEMAN
Director of the Ford Hall Meetings
A quiet little old lady objected to the applause that was given the prayer last Suuday nigh.t;. Maybe she was more used to
hearing people shout Amen.
A young
woman social worker sitting next to her
said she thought the applause was all right,
but she didn't see any use in pr:iying, anyway. They both reminded me of the good
woman sitting on the platform on another
occasion who was heard to remark: " Them
prayers wouldn't hurt .nobody nohow."
Whoever supposes that the habi tues of Ford
Hall think all alike on any subject has been
very much misled.
* * *
Did you mark the peculiar effect that
:Mary Antin had on the audience? Although there was the deepest sympathy
with her, and the warmest appreciation of
her message, she had spoken at least
t:wenty minutes before there was a sound of
applause. And when it came to the questions, for another considerable spell the audience seemed almost dumb. I never saw
anything like it before at Ford Hall. The
crowd acted more like a congregation listening to a sermon, and well they might, for '
it was as impressive a message on religious
patriotism as could have been given to that
company of pe.ople.
* * *
It was really heart-sickening to see the
immense crowd outside the doors last Sunday night. There were more than twice as
many outside.as there were inside after the
doors had been shut. They began to gather
at half-past five. At half-past six there was
a longer line than I had ever seen before at
that. hour. The doors were opened a little
ahead of time, and the hall was filled in
less than five minutes. At seven o'clock
even holders of platform tickets could not
get in.,
*
"
*
It has beP.n· rng-.g ested many times that we
ought to move to a larger hall. I do not
think so, although I wish Ford Hall were
fifty per cent. ];H!:!'Pr ' "A ···-··''
work we are doing and told Mary Antin
how he had been recommending her book to
audiences all over the country.
* * *
How eager the folks were last Sunday to
talk with the speaker at the close of the
meeting. It was difficult to clear the hall.
*
*
*
*
*
*
*
*
*
*
* '*
It was an entirely new experience to Business :.VIanager London to find his edition of
For cl Hall Folks completely exhausted ·before the meeting was over. A second edition has been printed, and those who missed
getting a ·c opy last 'Sunday can procure one
at t he next meeting. To reach a circulation
of eight hundred or more with the second
issue of the season is most gratifying.
·when shall we be able to push it up to a
thousand? Can we holp.. it at eight hundred?
Some one remarked to me that it was a
great sight to see the young women taking
part _ naturally and fearlessly in the quesso
tionnaire. She was herself a woman of. middle age and confessed that she could not
possibly rise to. her feet in the midst of a
thousand people and ask the speaker a question, and yet she ·greatly envie·d those of
her own sex who were getting that training
early in life. Our forum is a great training
school in a variety of ways.
The chorus made an excellent showing in
response to the. unexpected call that was
made upon them. They are well entitled to
the reserved seat that is theirs because of
the . service they render. They meet for
practice every Sunday at half-past six, and
are eager to . increase their numbers.
"Uncle Dudley" of the Boston Glob e editorial column gave a handsome report of the
meeting, as usual.
hadn't done anything. That idea of not
going into politics carried to its logical conclusion means eventually not even voting.
It is unfortunate that the so-called best people are proverbially the most difficult class
to get to the polls on election day.
Providing the taxes are kept down, the
average citizen seems not to be particularly
interested in politics, so long as he is ,let
alone. We all want the privilege of citizenship, but most of us shy at the corresponding burdens if anything out of' the ordinary
is asked of us.
It is true that most of us are obliged ~
give· our full time and energy to our own
affairs. If we vote intelligently and . conscientiously that is all that can reasonably
be expected of us. But thousands of men
who have generous margins of · time and
strength never assume any civic burdens
whatever. Some give themselves most generously to church and philanthropic endeavors, but shrink utterly from all save the
simplest political duties.
It is difficult to see how we can get good
government when so few of the ablest and
most disinterested men are willing to make
sacrifices for it. When such men do give
themselves· to -politics, however, they do it
with an earnestness and devotion that carrfes strong conviction with it.
This fact was signally illustrated in the
recent state campaign as I write these
words. One of tc;f{ candidates for governor, :Mr. Bird, t 'hough a man nearly
sixty years of age, never until about a year
ag.o took any personal share in active politics. And yet be made a state-wide campaign of speech-making that broke all records and finished in perfect physical con- ...._
dition. Whatever was his. fate at th.e polls,
he has given to Massachusetts men a noble
example of true citizenship.
. If each one of us would do · all he could,
whenever he could, with the welfare of the
people as the first consideration, we should
very speedily get the most efficient and intelligent government. We get what we deserve. Let us deserve very much more than
we are getting.
MRS.
PANKHURST
· TREMONT TEMPLE
OUR POLITICAL OBLIGATlnP\1<::
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.... ---crowd acted more like a congregation listening to a sermon, and well they might, for it was as impressive a message on religious
patriotism as could have been given to that
company of poople.
*
*
*
It was really heart-sickening to see the
nerseu a woman or middle age and confessed that she could not
possibly rise to her feet in the midst of a
thousand people and ask the spealrnr a question, and yet she greatly envied those of
her own sex who were getting that training
earl:r in life. Our forum .is a great training
school in a variety of ways.
c1vilua.u t::.
;::,ue . ,vas
immense crowd outside the doors last Sun* * *
day night. There were more than twice as
The chorus made an excellent showing in
many outside as there were inside after the response to the unexpected call that was
doors had been shut. They began tci gather made upon them. They are well entitled to
at half-past five . At half-past six there was the reserved seat that is. theirs because of
· a longer line than I had ever seen before at the . service they render. They meet for
that hour. The ·d oors were opened a little practice ever y Sunday at half-past six, and
ahead of time, and the hall was filled in are eager to increase their numbers.
less than five minutes. At seven o'clock
* * '*
even holders of plat{orm tickets could not ··
"Uncle Dudley" of the Boston Globe ediget in.
~
torial column gave·a handsome report of the
* .* *
.
meetip.g, as usual. It has befm zu?gested many times that we
ought to move to a larger hall. I do not
OUR POLITICAL OBLIGATIONS.
think so, although I wish Ford Hall were
--Don't go into politics," is the advice often
fifty per cent. larger. We would overflow
any ordinary auditorium wherever we were given by· good men, especially church men.
to move, and in a very m·uch larger hall we Their point of view· is something like that
would lose a good deal of the family feeling of Mary Antin's neighbor, who preferred
which has become such a .vital element in Taft in the last national election because he
our meetings. And what would we do if we
had any more questi-ons than we· ha.ve now,
as we certainly would have with a larger
Ford Hall Folks
audience? As it is now, we can hardly give
everyone who wants to participate a fair
Edited by Thomas Dreier.
chance and get through by ten o'clock.
UBLISHED weekly by the Ford
* * *
Instead of seeking a larger hall, why not
Hall Associates, whose work
have another forum like ours? There is
is to create, assemble, · and
abundant room for several such enterprises
'listribute ideas that will help
men and institutions grow more
in the different centres of Boston. What a
helpful in serving society, and which
magnificent opportunity there is for such a
will promote "peace on earth, good
gathering of the people in the Roxbury Diswill toward men." It is the official
trict with a hall in the neighborhood of the
publication of the Ford Hall MeetDudley Street Terminal! Who will grasp
ings, ,which are held, under the directhe opportunity? There is no better field of
tion of · George W. Coleman, every
investment for money, time and strength in
Sunday e;yening during the months of
the interest of the welfare and IJTOSperity of
October to May, in Ford Hall, AshBoston. Will some church in that neighborburton Place, Boston, Massachusetts. ·
hood grasp the situation or will a wideAll buriness communications should
awake, public-spirited group of citizens take
be sent to Miss Mary C. Crawford,
hold of it? 1
One man of vision and courage
Treasurer Ford Building, Boston,
and resources could do it.
·
and all comm uni ~ations intended for
.
* * ~
the editor to The Thomas Dreier SerDr. L . C. Barnes of New York City, a wellvice, University Pres-s, Cambrid·ge,
known Baptist missionary secretary, had a
Mass.
iI
stand-up seat in the gallery last Sunday
night. He was very enthusiastic over the
P
--··-•--..,,_...,
..._..,...
.:=,v,· ·
ernor, :IIr. Bird, though a man near]?
sixt>· >·ears of age, never until about a year
ago took any personal share in active politics. And yet be made a state-wide campaign of speech-making that broke all records and finished in perfect physical condition. Whatever was his• fate at the polls,
he has given to Massachusetts men a noble
example of true citizenship.
If each one of us would do all . he could,
whenever he could, with the welfare of the
people as the first consideratfon, we should
very speedily get the most efficient and intelligent government. We get what we deserve. Let us deserve very much more than
we are getting.
-
MRS. PANKHµRST
TREMONT TEMPLE,
Saturday eve., Nov. 15~ -at 8
Tickets at Tremont Temple and at Herrick's
S l.50, S l.00. 75 cents, 50 cents and 25 cents
SEARCHLIGHTS.
By Geori;e "'· Coleman.
Ikrc is n book of human-interest essays that
hreatbc forth neig-hborliness, good-will, and understanding- of the problems of every-lay folks.
Mr. Coleman has put much of himself into these
18'.l pages. The edition is limited. PRICE, 75
Cents, Postpnid.
THE THOllIAS DREIER SERVICE,
Uni~·ersity Press, Cambridge., l\Iass.
10 to 20 Per Cent. SAVED
On Your Buying by Using a
" Co=operative CI nb msconnt Card "
At ASSOCIATED STORES
Cards Can Be Procured of ·
J. LONDON, 316 Huntington °Ave., B.o ston
CONSUMERS CO-OPERATIVE CO.; 149 Trement Si.
ADVERTISING IN FORD
IIALL
FOLKS.
The Ford Hall Folks llfag-azine is to devote a
part of its space to ad verti15ing-. This innova..tion is simph- a means to he1p meet the necess:1ry current expenses of the publication.
The
many improvements have increased the cost of
the mag-azine.
One-half a png-e-consisting- of 15 -spaces-1
inch in depth and 2½ inches in width, is the
maximum space which will be _;i,en over to ad·,ertising :it any one tin1e.
For information re~arcling nd,ertising space
-apply to JACOB LONDOX, Ford Building, Boston, ~lass.
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FORD HALL FOLKS
4
THE STORY OF FREDA
ROGOLSKY
By Mary C. Crawford
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Also from Polotzk and from the Pale
comes Freda Rogolsky who has found in
the Ford Hall Meetings what Mary Antin
found in Boston's public schools. ·Freda
came to America "the year McKinley was
shot." That anyo:ie s hould have killed the
good man who was presiding over the ·des.
\
tinies of her " Promised Land" was as incomprehensible to h<!r as apathy towards
our American institutions is to Ma r y Antin.
Freda's father had come over two or three
years in advance of his · family, and they
c·o uld not obtain passports. So there was a
wild rush in t he dead of night across t he
plateau whi ch separates the German and
the Russian frontiers and even a sho r t detention in prison before Freda, in disguise
(because she was using someone else·s pas~port), attained safe ·harbor beneath t he German flag. Then, two weeks in Germany
and four weeks in London preceded the
long sea voy~e, after which the little girl
landed in Boston and began her education
as an American citizen at a West End
school, which then bore the name of Emerson and now, remodelled, bears that of
Elizabeth Peabody. This was fitting, because the Elizabeth Peabody Settlement
House, of whose classes Freda soon availed
herself, and to whose staff she is now attached as a paid w.orker, was to mean much
to her-almost. as much as Ford Hall,
which the eager child earlv discovered-and
. because of which her educational career
came abruptly to an end soon after she had
been graduated from the grammar school
in 190S.
·The occasion of Freda's brea k with Boston 's educational :;ystem was· Shakespeare.
Her class in high school was st ud:v ing- t he
.....- - --~-
THE AMERICAN GOSPEL DAY
BY DAY
(Continued from Page 1.)
Israel met with difficulties in living up to
their law. It may be that our forefathers
did not foresee the hordes of Europe at our
shores ; but I doubt if Moses foresaw that
the -Children of Israel would have to go to
the stake for their belief. The only way out
of it would be to reject the law, and we are
not pr·~pared to do that. There are practical d' fficulties. That is not the question.
Have we accepted the law as it stands ?the - rotherhood of man; the rule of the peob
ple? Are we citizens by conversion? Then
there is no choice· for us. Two classes of
people have been misled in this immigration
muddle-those ·who, through no fault of
their own, see no horizon beyond the rim of
an empt:;· dinner-pail, and those whose view
is obstructed by the kitchenmiddens of too
many dinners. (Laughter./ With both we
must be patient. There is no wisdom in an
empty s t omach. and -no great thought comes
from the over-full. (Laughter.)
We must each decide for ourselves
wh ether we wish to carry the burden. Unless- we do that we are not a people. but a
lot of beings "who happen to .live in this particular place instead of elsewhere. I know
myself an American only by whether I am
willing to take upon myself the burden of
American citiienship.
(The speaker then
told of an old lady in Vermont who asked
her, " But do you really think our forefathers meant all this to apply for all time ?"
"I don 't know, madam, but I think we pay
them a compliment when we assume that
they did." (Laughter. ) " I don 't think so.
And I ought to know: one of my ancestors
signed the Declaration.") It doesn 't heip
you to have buried . any number of ancestors
in American soil if you are not prepared to
give the most difficult interpretation to the
word of the fathers . (Applause.)
Ellis
Island offers the greatest test of Americanism in existence. Who is on trial there?
The lady with th e ances tors, I am afraid!
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is that the hopes of the world rest with us.
( The speaker told how three years ago she
re.turned to her old home, and how eager
the people were to learn of the chances for
education and advancement in America.)
Many of us here are still fresh from tha
old world. We know that America today
means a great, noble thing to -the people
on t he other side. We must see that America does fulfill its dEStiny. Oh, it is very
easy to find fault with the descendants of
the Puritans wh·o have forgotten. But we
are not here to criticize ; we have something
more important to do, and that is to do our
share to make America stay in its upward
way. We must bring up our children to
know that they are the people. We must
not let the government slip from our hands.
It is our fault if it does. We who know
what great things are at stake when the
government is turned over to bosses, who
know what are the by-produc ts of political
corruption-we must not admit this thing.
We mus.t take the burden, for we know wh8.t
the world loses when America forgets to be
America. After a few years' residence, we
must not get used to it, but must be citizens in the little as well as in the big things.
We must be aIL~ious for the salvation of our
neighbors. We should see to it that we are
all together in this business of being Americans. American citizenship is not a code,
but a way of life. (As illustrations of "bad
Americans," the speaker told of one man
who wanted t o vo te for Oscar Straus for
governor of ::-.ew York. but who " couldn't
bring himself to make a Jew governor"
[that was a tragedy to me-not because I
am a Jew, but because I am an American]:
and of :mother who voted for Taft because
"Mr. Taft has done nothing, and that is
just what I want. " [He was kicking up the
dust aroun d his grandfather's grave. He
hadn' t gone one step from the place where
his ancestors left off.] ) The man who votes
for someone just because he promises to support the la bor unions is just as bad. We,
too, have our wea k spots, and a re just as responsible. We ma y non e of us vote along
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years in adYance of his tamiJY, anu tney
could not obtain passports. So there was a
wild rush in the dead of night a cross the
plateau which separates the German and
the Russian frontiers and even a sh9rt deten t ion in prison be'fore Freda, in disguise
{b"
ecausc she was using. someone else's pas~port), attained -safe harbor beneath the Ger::nan flag. Then, two weeks in ·Germany
and - four weeks in London preceded the
long sea voyage, after which the little girl
landed in Boston and began her education
as an American citizen at a West End
school, which then bore the name of Emerson and now, remodelled, bears that · of
Elizabeth Peabody. This was fitting, because the Elizabeth Peabody Settlement
House, of whose classes Freda soon availed
herself, and to whose staff she is now attached as a paid worker, was to mean much
to her-almost as much as Ford Hall,
which the eager child early discovered-and
•. because of which her· educational career
came abruptly to an end soon after she had
been graduated from the grammar school
in 1908.
The occasion of Freda's break with Boston's educational system was Shakespeare.
Her class in high school was studying the
Merchant of Venic e. and one of the girls in
the class spoke slightingly of Jews by reason of the bloodthirstiness she thought she
saw in Shylock. "That is not true," Freda
flamed up. "The Jews are a peaceful race.
There is nothing murderous about them.
How many Jews have been sent to the electric chair in Massachusetts? Rather is it
the Christians who show themselves bloodthirsty when they massacre my people.
Shylock seems to me a far more noble <:hara.cter than Antonio, who asks Shylock to
give up his religion. I go to Ford Hall and
there they say that every person . should
st'ick to his own religion and be earnest
about his life in his own way. If only you
would all go there you would see. . . . "
Very likely there was more in the heat
of the moment, something which might
have justified the teacher in asking Freda
for the apology the girl steadfastly refused
- to give. Neither would yield, so Freda had
to leav·e school. She .has not stopped study. ing, however, as :·· the fo1lowing schedule
shows: Sunday night, Ford Hall; Monday
and Thursday, a dressmaking class at t:he
Y. W. C. U. ; Wednesday, the Efficiency
course which -Miner Chipman is giving at
the School of Social Science; Tuesday evening, preparation at the Public Library for
the college extension course in English composition whic_h.: she is taking this year ior
the second .tim~ :s
.,·
All of which,-':when added to work every
week day a·t -the;~
Settlement and attendance
.every Sunda
'}<mcirning at the Temple Israel,
must make Freda's life --.in,,·the Promised.Land a very fun ·o ne at .p resent.
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an empt}· dinner-pail, and,those whose view government is turned over to bosses, who
is obstructed by the kitchenmiddens of too know what <1.re the by-11roducts of political
many dinners. {Laughter. ) With both we corruption-we must not admit this thing.
must be patiEnt. There is no wisdom in an We must take the burden, for we know whRt
empty stomach. and no great thought comes the world loses when Ameri ca forgets to, be
from the over-full. (Laughter.)
America. After a few years' residence, we
We must each decide for ourselves must not get used to it, but must be citiwhether we wish to carry the burden. Un- zens in the little as well as in the big things.
less we do that we are not a people, but a We must be anxious for the salvation of our
lot of beings who happen to livP- in this par- neighbors. We should see to it that we are
ticular place instead of elsewhere. I know all together in this business of being Amermyself an American only by whether· I am icans. American citizenship is not a code,
willing to take upon m yself the burden of but a wa y of life. (As illustrations of "bad
American citizenship. · (The speaker then Americans," the speaker told of one man
told of an old lady in Vermont who asked
who wanted to vote for Oscar Straus for
her, "But do you really think our fore- governor of Ne w York, but wlio " couldn't
fathers meant all this to apply for all time?"
bring himself to make a Jew governor"
"I don 't know, madam, - ut I think we pay
b
[that was a t ragedy to me-not because I
them a compliment when we assume that am a Jew, but because I am an American]:
they did." (Laughter.). "I don't .think so. and of a.nother who voted for Taft because
And I ought to know: one of my ancestors "Mr. Taft has done nothing, and that is
signed the Declaration. " ) It doesn't heip just what I want." [He was kicking up the
you to have buried any number of ancestors dust around his grandfather's grave. He
hadn't gone one step from the place where
in American soil if you are ·not prepared to
give the most difficult interpretation to the his ancestors left off.]) The man who votes
word of the fathers.
(Applause. ) Ellis for someone just beca use he promi£.es to supIsland offers the greatest test of American- port the labor unions is just as bad. We,
ism in existence. Who is on trial there? too, have our weak spots, and are just as reThe lady with the an cestors, I am afraid !. sponsible. We may none of us vote along
Self-preservation may come through self-an- class lines. It is a sin. The fact that some
of us are s eeking relief f::'om physical diffinihilation. The Jews are everywhere today
because they dared to die to save their ideal. culties is no excuse. We may rightly claim
We, more than any other people, should it is more difficult for us, but we are not
guard against sinning. We are a conse- 1food citizens unless we are willing to do it.
{The speaker then told how her neighbors
crated people. Think hc°w we came into our
objected that her cousin from Russia assoland. -vv·e, like others, took our land as a
result of war, but we went to war with Eng- ciated with her cook, also a Russian Jewish
land, not because we were greedy to pos- immigran~, who for three years had lived
sess the land, but because we were unwill- with different z-orts of Americans without
ing to be treated as slaves. A political ideal having discovered America-a girl who,
must have territory to express itself though absolutely illiterate, so loved learnin:
that is why we had to have ing that she said: · " I would run up and
homesteads as well as liberty, but that downstairs a.ll day for anyone who can
was incidental. .We need the land in order write a book." [If Rose were not fit to assoto fulfill the law of the fathers. If it could ciate with my cousin she was not fit to be
under my roof....:....and I knew better. My
be demonstrated that we could best live up
to our ideal - y going into exile and letting: neighbors who objected were in the habit of
b
others take· our places, we should be pre- saying to their children-on the Fourth of
pared to do it. It may be our mission to be ·· July-that all men were created free and
equal.])
crowded off the face of the earth!
But the a ccount between the Y:mkees and
Not only the rich, but the poor, have been
us is about even. Some of the ricli may be
found wanting in the trial at Ellis Island.
We should say to those who appeal to our indifferent from ignorance. But we poor
fears , our weakness. our hunger, that they sometimes show envy and malice, also unshould appeal instead to our ideals! We poor American traits. My objection to ·Socialism
people are going tci take our share of the bur- is that it creates class feeling. Oh, I know
where · I am! But democracy has not sucden of the law. (Applause.) If we fail in
this test, it is all the .worse for the country, ceeded, only because we haven't given it a
for numerically we are greater -than the de- fair trial. It is because individuals among
scendants in direct line of the signers of us have forgotten the law of the fathers.
the Declaratic°n of Independence. U we The Socialists may be right, but I want first
have the courage to live up to the burden of to give the American idea another chance.
(Applause.) Only we, the people. can give·
the iaw, all will go well with us. In this
country we ate what we make ourselves, to America another chance. ·we rule in this
a large· degree. We, the people, rule in this
country-when we have a mind-when we
land. In our hands" lies the destiny of the watch over our own thoughts and our neighbors'-when we use Salvation Army methcount;r:Y- .,-..1~ who have come from foreign
pa1;ts;:especially know· how literally true it ods in making citizens.
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A MAGAZINE OF NEIGHBORLINESS
VOLUME
II
NUMBER
3
NOVEMBER 9, 1913
PRICE FIVE CENTS
.
.,,
,.--.... ,. ··.·•.i, ·-·,1
.. - •'. --,
_.(~--~;~l . •.-. '• \/il
THE· AMERICAN GOSPEL DAY BY DAY
.
By MARY ANTIN
(.,
N
l.
H:IGHBORS, friends, brothers and
sisters-I don 't. knew what name to
give you, to make you realize that I
feel myself one with you, no matter
where I have lived since I left these parts.
I feel myself so much at home here, though
until yesterday I never was inside this hall,
that I am going to take you into my confidence. If you go to the theatre it is better
not to look behind the scenes; you would be
disillusi0ned. But when r take you behind
the scenes and tell you how I prepared myself for this appearance, I think your · confidence will be strengthened. I have been
speaking to all sorts of people and in all
sorts of circumstances for the past few
weeks, and wherever any number of people
takes the trouble· to come and hear what I
have to say I feel that I owe them· my best.
I have cared very mucl;l. every time whether
I have got my message to these people. But
to me this is the most important occasion
of them all. It means so much whether I
make it worth your while to <:ome out of
your way to hear me-you, many of whom
have so little allowance of leisure-your
precious Sunday evening out of all the wee!,
- I know it because I lived your life. And
..what did I do to prepare myself? I didn't
look into any books, for it is a testimony
of my life that I am bringing. And so I
went down to the beach and rested on the
rocks and consulted with the waves. And
here I am. And what am I going to say
to you? That which is nearest to my heart
-the fruit of all these years since I was a
little g.irl in Boston town.
And the great thing I have discovered in
these years. what is it? That we in Amer-
men are brothers and that we each of US ·
owe our neighbor the same chance that we
would like for ourselves. It is all there in
the Declaration of Independence, if we take
it literally enough. "All men are born free."
-you say, "and entitled to tlie same opportunities in life." And the scattered colonies
stood out for that as a people and announced their mission to the world. Nothing new haripened in this country until the
issuance of the Declaration of Independence.
For the first time a people demanded full
human - rights in the name of all humanity.
The wording of the Declaration of Independence is as universal as the wording of the
Ten Commandments. Never mind whether
the Puritans meant· it literally-perhaps
they did build better than they knew. But
we who live in~a later day may not give
their words a narrow application. What
would have become of the Children of Israel if they had tried to limit the Mosaic code to
their generation only? They made every
man and woman and <:hild responsible for
the fulfilment of t he whole law under all
<:ircumstances. The glory of the Jews was
not that they received the law, but that they
kept the law. The glory of the American people must be that the law· which was vouchsafed to their forefathers, they carried onward. It is only if we live for the idea that
all men are brothers that we bave anything
to boast of. We are responsible that onr
brothers have the same opportunities we
ask for ourselv~s.
Rabbi Hillei- l!OO years before Christ, told
~
a heathen who was willing to be converted
to Judaism if lle could get instantly a state-
ment of its creed: "What is hateful to thee,
do not that to thy fellow man, This is the
whole law : the rest is commentary.". And
the g,reat truth which came out of the East
as an ethical code, centuries later came out
of the West as a political code. And if the
law of Moses is holy, is not the American
idea holy ? We are the champions of an
ideal as a people. We cannot know ourselves as a nation apart from others except
as we are loyal to the ideal of our forefathers. Patriotism in Europe is expressed
by hatred of your next-door neighbor. Here
it is expressed by loyalty to the ideals of our
fathers-and that means the championship
of mankind, the identification of all the people of the earth as brothers and sisters,
Anyone who understands the doctrines of
the Declaration of Independence is a good
American, no matter where he hails from.
Citizenship in America is not a matter of
geographical accident. It is a matter of
conversion, A good Christian is one who
confesses Christ, and a good American is
one who acknowledges all men as ·his brothers and tries to give his neighbor a fair
chance. (Ar,plause, ) We have nothing but
this to ,g:o by. The constitution of the,
United States and the constitutions of the
various states are in the same relation to
the Declaration of Independence that the
huge writings of the Jewish Talmud are to
the Mosai-c code-they are commentaries.
How can we achieve such a program of
life? How shall we live so that everyone
gets a fair chance? Why, write a constitution-draw up directions how to get to the
rig.ht road. And it must be modified from
time to time. according to rirrnm~t,:,nrP~ .
!
"\
I have cared very much every time whether
I have got my message to these peojjle. But
to me this is the most important occasion
of them all. It means so much whether I
make it worth your while to come out of
your way to hear me-you, many of whom
have so little allowance of leisure-yo ur
precious Sunday evening out of all the w~r
-I know it because I lived your life. A'rrd
what did I do to prepare myself? I didn't
·iook into any books, for it is a testimony
of my life that I am bringing. And so I
went down to the beach and rested on the
rocks and consulted with the waves. And
here I am. And what am I going to say
to you? That which is nearest to my heart
-the fruit of all these years since I was a
little girl in Boston town.
And the great thing I have discovered in
these years, what is it? That we in America are the apostles of a sacred ideal, which
we need to realize and to take as a hqly
burden at the beginning of each day of our
-lives. Many talk of the privileges, but not
many of the burdens, of American citizenship. People have asked me if I have not
grown !"Omewhat disillusioned as the days
go by. No, on the contrary, the deeper I
look, the more am I filled with the conviction that this is the Promised Land of the
nations. But side by side with this has
· grown the conviction that a great many
Americans are not conscious that American
citizenship is a duty as well as an opportunity. This is the thing I must talk of w hen
I come before my brothers and sisters who
want to know what I am thinking.
And where do I get my sense of the burden of American citizenship? In a study of
American history no more than any boy or
girl gets that goes through the grammar
grades. I am not a profound student of
American history. It is so simple. Twice
in the history of the world has a nation
come into being as champion of an ideaonce when the Jews announced the law of
Moses and once when the Puritans announced the brotherhood of man. The Declaration of Independence is the fundamental
doctrine of state that the Americans can use
as a nation. Just as the Jews are always
repeating the law of Moses, so should we
.always he rehearsing our fundamental law.
And what is that? Merely the idea that all
*The speech and (]11estions anu answers reported by Miriam Allen <leFord.
./:~;=· .
,;t '::f·
their words a narrow application. What
would have become of the Children of Israel
if they .had tried to limit the Mosaic code to
their generation only? They made every
man and woman and child responsible for
the fulfilment of the whole law under all
circumstances. The glory of the Jews was
not that they received the law, but that they
kept the law. The glory of the American people must" be that the law which was vouchsafed to their forefathers, they carried onward: It is only if we live for the idea that
all men are brothers that we have anything
to boast of. We are responsible that onr
brothers have the same opportunities we
ask for ourselves.
Rabbi Hillel, 200 years before Christ, told
a heathen who was willing to be converted
to Judaism if be could get instantly a state-
(I
IJ
American, no matter where he hails from.
Citizenship in America is not a matter of
geographical accident. It is a matter of
conversion . A good Christian is one who
confesses Christ, and · a good American is
one who acknowledges all men as his brothers and tries to give his neighbor a fair
chance. (Ar,plause.) We have nothing but
this to ,g-0 by. The constitution of the
United States and the constitutions of the
various states are in the same relation to
the Declaration of Independence that the
huge writings of the Jewish Talmud are to
the Mosaic code-they are commentaries.
How can we achieve such a program of
life? How shall we ·live so that everyone
gets a fair chance? ·Why, write a constitution-draw up directions how to get to the
right road. And it must be modified from
time to time, according to circumstances.
(Applause.) But when we want to know what
attitude to take in public matters, we must
THE PRAYER
go back for directions to the Declaration o!
We rejoice in the high privilege
Independence. I will c_ it our 1=-aw, as the
all
which is ours of joining together in
Hebrews call the Mosaic code their Law. It
fellowship with Thee, the God of our
is our moral, our sacred law. Take the
Fathers· the God of the Jew and of
problem of immigration. Originally it was
the Ch;istian alike. Our hearts are
not a problem. People coming to make
made to burn with-in us because of
their homes here were a perfectly ordinary
this unwonted benefit.
It is our
phenomenon; moreover, all men were free
earnest supplication that all thy chi!and equal, and if they chose. to change their
dren everywhere may be drawn close:r
residences we thought nothing of it. Then
and closer together in mutual tolerawe nicknamed it a problem, and called in an
tion, respect, and affection, while we
army of wise men and started to study and
still cling faithfully, each one of us, to
criticize the immigrants according to race
the vision of truth which is our very
and the contents of their pocket-books.
own.
(Laughter and applause.) By and by we beWe thank Thee that our blessed
came so muddled by people who organized
country has been made an asylum of
to protect the country from living out its
the o.ppressed and the dispossessed
destiny that now we do not know . where
from many lands. We pray with all
we stand. The trouble is, we have forgotten
the passion of our souls that we may
tel read aloud the Declaration of Independhave the grace a nd the patience, the·
ence once a day. (Laughter and applause.)
open-mindedness and tbe faith, the
The immigration question has been answered
courage and the strength, to realize in
long a~o. Who is the immi~rant? Way
full measure the great spiritu_l. _
a possiback h~ is a man a member ;'r the human
bilities that are ours._ Thou ·:hast__
._
famib,. And con'cerning such a one our
chos~n t? make. Am~nca. tlj_e -.yeat .- :, forefathers have left us. specific directions.
crucibl~ mto which is bemg- · poured
:·'" (Ap.plause.) Perha·ps·: he · is hungry not
the. brightest hopes and the. de~pest
. for the bread of liberty, but for the golden
desires of the youth of many ~h_mes:
platter on which it is served. Well, even -: ; --.
Help us by_ the alch_
emy of spiritual
so, is not that the pursuit of happiness?.:--::-~- ~- ·,t
forces to. bn_n~ forth m due ~eason t_he
The man at the gate asks nothing more than : ..__,".:l ·i,
.noblest_ m d1vidual and na_t!onal hfc
to win his way.
·
·. ~:;. "·
that this old world of ou~~- .l ias ever
It may be that living up to our law wiJI· .
seen. Amen.
- -· -··
.
·
·
invo l ve us in d"fli cu It"ie~. Th e Ch"ld ren o!
_
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(Contmued on Page 4.)
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FORD HALL FOLKS
2
vert the heathen and get them all on our
side.
Q: Was not Straus nominated to draw
the Jewish vote for Roosevelt! (Applause.)
A: Roosevelt appointed Straus to important office when he wasn't looking for ·
.
. t
votes.
Q: You lay great stress upon patriotism.
Q: Are you familiar with the na~1ona 1IS
Q: Is it not inconsistent to lay stress
Does not the American capitalist, in trying revival among the Jews? What is your on the -Mosaic law, and at the same ti:ne
to create war with Mexico, also lay ,great· opinion of it? Are you in sympathy?
favor men like Roosevelt and ·S traus?
stress upon patriotism?
A : I know it well, and it is one of the
A: If I were convinced of that I should
A: I do not understand patriotism to
most inspiring things that I have discov- not be supporting Roosevelt and Straus.
mewi the willingness to shoot down our fel- ered in recent years. (Applause.) I am
Q (:iVIiss Todd) : As factory inspector of
lo"'-men.
...
very much in sympathy with it, becaus_e I
Illinois all our factory regulations have
Q: Isn't it true that the Socialists relucsee in it an attempt to do that very_ thm?, come through organized labor. Do you obtantly recognize class lines only as facts of one-half of which we have to do m this ·ject to organized labor's voting for. its class?
existence, and seek to make one class elim- country.
(Applause. )
inating all classes? (Applause.)
Q (:\1r. Sackmary): What progress is
A: I do object to its voting as a class
A: I am longing for a program that will the cook making?
against other classes.
eradicate class. I do not want to recognize
A: I am glad you g.o t- interested in the
Q (Dr. Fleischer): The speaker has
classes as they exist.
cook. (Laughter.) It is better with her spoken as religiously about democracy as
Q: How is the brotherhood between a
than it was some months ago. Among other anyone I have ever heard. Since organized
good American and a bad American to ex- things she is married. (Laughter.)
reiigion is the most potent driving f?rce !n
press itself?
Q: 1f self-preservation is the first law,
hum'.1n exp~rience, would you not beheve 1~
A: By a brotherly chastising of the bad
American, in the hope of making a good can you blame the Americans for trying to 1:1a_kmg deliberately out of democrac!. a reprotect themselves against immigration?
hg10n, s~ that w~, t:1e J?eople, could ln e_ ~etAmerican of him.
A: I can't - lame them for reacting to an- te1:, makmg _n? d1stmct1ons bet"'."e~n rehg1?n
b
Q: Why is the immigrant a burden? Is
imal instincts, but I am asking them to and life, d1:ivu~g out every :e!1g1on not m
he not a producer?
take a spiritual view · of the situation.
harmony with 1t, so that rehg1~n. wou'.d be
.A.: I do not consider the immigrant a
our fundamental law and drivmg idea?
Q: Don't you think there are enough un(.
)
burden.
.
?
.-,,pp 1ause.
Q: Aren't the Irish as a race as downemployed peop1e h ei e now·
"
A: f do believe it. That is why I speak
trodden and despised as the Jews?
A: T.here are too ~any unemplo. e~. of the American gospel, and why I cling to
A: I am afraid they are, and that gives But I know wher~ there IS plenty of w?,rk. the :Mosaic law. They are to me one and the
us Jews and Irish another bond of sym(A number of voices: Where?) B! takmg same thing.
pathy.
som~ of these long, ten-hour-a-day Jobs, a nd
Q (Miss deFord) : Do you object to the
Q: Wouldn't literal application of the
cuttmg them up small. (Applause.)
.
restriction of immigration in cases of insanDeclaration mean the unrestricted immigraQ: Ought a Jewish employer to treat his
itY etc.?
tion of the Chinese, and haven't the Ameri- employees badly, as did one I know?
·.t I believe in the restriction of all imcan people a right to protect themselves
A: No; he was a bad _Jew.
iuigration that is inimical, but just such as
against the evil that would thus result?
Q: Didn't we g.et our ideas for the Dec- ~ we should place upon our own citizens if
A: We have to accept the conditions at laration of Independence from the French- · thev wished to move around the country.
?
any cost. We are here, not to watch over
A : Very likely. But I don't care where
Q: Where does the saloon stand in its
our own interests, but over those • f all man- they came from as long as we hold on to influence on class hatred?
O
kind. (Applause.)
them.
A: I don't know, but I belie,e in Tidding
Q: If the signers of the Declaration
Q: What do you think of the chances of
this land of everything that harms its peocame to life again and viewed modern con- workers in this country when they have to pie.
·
ditions like Tammany and Standard Oil, fight for their existence, as they are now
Q : Can this country, in view of events ·
what do you think they would say?
doin.,. in Colorado, where the troops are
like those in Colorado and ·west. Virainia ,
~.
~
A : I wouldn't like to introduce the vo- shootmg t hem down ?
•
realh- be consl"dered mu ch in advance of thacabulary they would use. (Laughter.)
A: The troops are doing it according to Euro.pean countries? ( Annl:oin~" \
Q ( :\fr. Sagerman l : Is not the class
law. If ,·ou don't like the nrn r-"~~ mPr1 rl
THE QUESTIONS
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A quie~
plause th!
day nigh-I
he3.ring ~
woman s(
said she ti
but she di
way. Thi
wom3:n s~
occasion
prayers
Whoever l
Hall thinli
very mucJ
1
Did yo
Mary An
thou2:h ti!
with-her;j
her messj
twenty mil
applause.
tions, for
dience se
anything
crowd. act,
tening to
it was as
patriotism
company
It was
immense
day night.
man v outs_
doors had
at half-past
a longer lil
that ho;~
ahead or
l
lP~~
th~ n
I
inating all classes? (Applause.)
A: I am longing for a program that will
eradicate class. I do not want to recognize
classes as they exist.
Q: How is the brotherhood between a
geod ·American and a bad American to ex·
press itself?
·
A : By a brotherly chastising of the bacl
American, in the hope of making a good
Ameri-can of him.
Q: Why is th·e immigrant a burden? Is
he nc.t a producer?
A: I do not consider the immigrant a
burden.
Q: Aren't the Irish as a race as down·
trodden and despised as the Jews?
A: I am afraid they are, and that gives
us Jews and Irish another bond of sympathy.
Q: Wouldn't literal application of the
Declaration mean the unrestricted immigration of the Chinese, and haven't the Ameri·
can people a right to protect themselves
against the evil that would thus result?
A: We have to accept the conditions at
any cost. We are here, not to watch over
our own interests, but over those of all mankind. (Applause. )
Q: If the signers of the Declaration
came to life again and viewed modern conditions like Tammany and Standard Oil,
what do you think they would say?
A: I wouldn't like to introduce the vocabulary they would use. (Laughter.)
Q (Mr. ·Sagerman): Is not the class
struggle trying to wipe out classes now in
existence?
A: I honestly do not think so. As Jong
as w.e as one part put ourselves in opposi·
tion to another part, that is inimical to
brotherhood.
Q: Do you think the working out of the
American ideal can - est be accomplished· in
b
a society where the few control the things
that are necessary to the happiness of the
many?
~
A: Certainly not ; but we propose to put
the few in their place. (Applause.)
Q (Miss Rogolsky): Is not much objection to immigration due to the. jealousy
aroused by the fact that the immigrant rloes
not take advantag,e of the opportunities offered him and then sets himself up as an
enlightener of those native Americans ,vho
have not done so?
A: Yes, I am very much afraid it is.
Q: How Jong must we give the American
ideal a trial?
A: I haven't set a time limit; but we
ought to get bigger ideas of time. We
haven't used all the instruments we have.
I shall ·not be here to see myself justified,
and you won't be here to say, "I told you
so."
Q: Wbat do you mean by opportunity
and cbance for all? The exploitation of the
many by the few?
A : I certainly do not ·mean that, and I
am finding fault with the state of things as
it now is.
.
Q : If the ideal of America . is what vou
say, · can't w·omen _. help fulfill it?
(Apnl ~ nc: i=i )
~ l .\lr.
~a cRmary J : "'11a.L 1H v5.1 e:'.'~ .1...,
the cook making?
A : I am glad you g.o t- interested in the
cook. (Laughter.) It is better with her
than it was some months ago. Among other
things she is married. (Laughter.)
Q: If self-preservation is the first law,
can you blame the Americans for trying to
protect themselves against immigration?·
A: I can't - lame them for reacting to anb
imal instincts, but I am asking them to
take a spiritual view of the situation.
Q: Don't you think there are enough unemployed people here now?
A : There are too many unemployed.
But I know where there is plenty of work.
(A number of voices: Where?) By taking
some of these Jong, ten-hour-a-day jobs, and
cutting them up small. (Applause.)
Q: Ought a Jewish employer to treat his
employees badly, as did one I know?
A : No; he w~a bad Jew.
Q: Didn't we_,~"et our ideas for the Declaration of Independence . from the French?
A: Very likely. But I don't care where
they came from as long as we hold on to
them.
Q: What do you think of the chances of
workers in this country when they have to
fight for their existence, as they are now
doing in Colorado, where the troops are
shooting them down?
A : The troops are doing it according to
law. If you don 't like the process, mend
the Jaw.
Q: Doesn't the citizen who voted for .
Taft because he wanted to be left alone owe
that state of mind to the Anglo-Saxon in
him?
A : It was a part of his bad inheritance,
which he ought to get tid of.
Q: What do you think of a class of people refusing to give jobs to other people
because they are Jews?
A: That they are bad Americans, according to definition.
Q: If we, the people, rule the government, who rules the government of New
York State?
A: I am not good at conundrums.
Q : Do you believe in the distribution of
immigration, so as to avoid congestion in
big cities?
A: Yes, just as I believe in putting a
house in order.
Q (Mr. earthy): The American ideal
seems to have resulted in the selfishness of
the American people. What reason have
you for thinking that history will not repeat itself?
A: I am not sure that there is more
selfishness in this country than elsewhere.
Q: Can the Jews in America keep the
Sabbath holy when the Jewish Sabbath is
Saturday?
··A: They can do it here just as they have
elsewhere, at great inconvenience and cost
and sacrifice.
Q: With one class trying to control
ever:vthing and another trying to get an
equal onportnnity, how are you going to ad-
in~t t hinE:s?
A.
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against other classes.
Q (Dr. Fleischer): The speaker has
spoken as religiously about democracy as
anyone I have ever heard. Since organized
religion is th e most potent -driving force in
human experience, would you not believe in
making deliberately out of democracy a religion, so that we, the people, could live bet-.
ter, making no distinctions between religion
and life, driving out every religion not in
harmony with it, so that religion wou1d be
our fundamental law and driving idea?
(Applause.)
A: I do believe it. That is why I speak
of the American gospel, and why I cling to
the Mosaic Jaw. They are to me one ·and the
same thing.
Q (Miss deFord): Do you object to the
restriction of immigration in cases of insanity, etc.?
A: I believe in the restriction of all in::migration that is inimical, but just such as
we should place upon our own citizens if
they wished to move around the country.
Q: Where does the saloon stand in its
inf! uence on class hatred?
A: I don't kno w, but I belie,e in Tidding
this land of everything that harms its people.
Q: Can this country, in view of events ·
like those in Colorado and West Virginia,
really be considered much in advance of the
European countries? (Applause.)
A: ··we are not nearly all that we ought
to be. And that is why we are discussing
these things. But I do think it is in this
country that "we, the people," has got themeaning it has to day. ,Ve have got to start
here in our spiritual. heritage.
Q (same): Isn't the great opportunity in
this co untry due to our great natural resources?
A : Xo. Russia has greater natural re
sources. (Applause.)
OTHER MEETINGS.
Boston Public Library: Monday, Kov. 10,
at S P. M., "Welfare Work for Wild Birds,"
b,· Win th rop Packard. Thursday, Nov. 13,
at S P . :\L, " The Land of Shakespeare," by
Edmund H. Garrett. Sunday, Xov. 16, at
3 P. :i\I., " Italia.n Opera : Old and Kew," by
Henry L. Gideon.
School Voters' League, at Ford Hall, Satmda:r, Xov. 15, at 10.45 A. M., "The Outlook
for the Family," by Rabbi Stephen ·S. Wise, ·
50 cents.
The Sunday Commons, at Huntington
Hall, Sunday, Nov. 16, at 3.30 P . M., Dr.
Charles Fleischer.
Lo'l\·ell Institute, at Huntington Hall,
:\Ionday, ~av. 10, and Thursday, Kov. 13, at
S P. M., "The Sea in English Poetry," by Alfred Xoyes; Wednesday, Nov. 12, at 5 P. M.,
"Alexander Pope," - y Prof. G. H. Palmer;
b
Tuesday, Nov. 11, and Friday, Nov. 14, at
S P. M., " The Influence of the Bible on Civilization;· by Ernst von Dobschiitz.
Boston School of Social Science, at Lorimer Hall, Monday, Nov. 10, at 8 P. M. , "Efficiency: Human vs. Machine," by Miner
woman sitting on the platf
occasion who was heard to
prayers wouldn't hurt n
,Vhoever supposes that the I
Hall think all alike on any :
very much misled.
* * *
Did you mark the pecu
Mary Antin had on the
though there was the de
with her, and the warmest
her message, she had s
t,:wenty minutes before there
applause. And when it ca
tions, for another considera
dience seemed almost dum·
anything like it before at
crowd acted more like a <
tening to a sermon, and wel
it was as impressive a mesi
patriotism as could have be
company of people.
*
*
*
It was really heart-sicke
immense crowd outside the
day night. There were mo
many outside as there wen
doors had been shut. They
at half-past five. At half•P~
a longer line than· I had ev
that hour. The -doors wer,
ahead of time, and the h:
less than five minutes.
even holders of platform t
get in.
*
*
*
It has be1m ;;:ug-.gested ma
ought to move to a larger
think so, although I wish
fifty per cent. larger. WE
any ordinary auditorium w
to move, and in a very mu,
would lose a good deal of t
which has become such a
our meetings. And what w
had any more questions th
as we certainly would ha·
audience'? As it is now, w,
everyone who wants to p
chance and get through - y
b
*
*
*
*
:t
Instead of seeking; a Jan
have another forum like
abundant room for several
in the different centres of
magnificent opportunity th
gathering of the people in
trict · with a hall in the ne:
Dudley Street Terminal!
the opportunity? There is
investment for money, tim
the interest of the welfare
Boston. WiJJ some church
hood grasp the situation
awake, public-spirited grou
hold of it? 1
One man of v
and resources could do it.
Dr. L. C. Barnes of ~ew
kno,vn Baptist missionary
stand-up seat in the gal
night. He was very entl:
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FORD HALL FOLKS
3
--\
·'
':iem all on our
inated to draw
t! (Applause.)
Straus to imn't looking for ·
: to lay stress
the same time
d 'Straus?
f that I should
:1.nd Straus.
ry inspector of
g;ulations have
r. Do you obg for its class?
ing as a class
speaker has
democracy as
-ince organized
riving force in
not believe in
imocracy a recould live bettween religion
eligion not in
g.ion would be
driving idea?
, why I speak
vhy I cling to
1e one and the
object to the
:ases of insanion of all im; just such as
,n citizens if
1e country.
stand in its
i,e in Tidding
arms its peoew of events ·
rest Virginia,
jvance of th~
e .)
1at we ought.
re discussing
it is in this
has got thE:'
~ got to start
1 po rt unitY in
AS IT LOOKS TO. ME
\
By GEORGE W. COLEMAN
Director of the Ford Hall Meetings
A quiet little old lady objected to the applause that was given the prayer last Suuday nigh.t;. Maybe she was more used to
hearing people shout Amen.
A young
woman social worker sitting next to her
said she thought the applause was all right,
but she didn't see any use in pr:iying, anyway. They both reminded me of the good
woman sitting on the platform on another
occasion who was heard to remark: " Them
prayers wouldn't hurt .nobody nohow."
Whoever supposes that the habi tues of Ford
Hall think all alike on any subject has been
very much misled.
* * *
Did you mark the peculiar effect that
:Mary Antin had on the audience? Although there was the deepest sympathy
with her, and the warmest appreciation of
her message, she had spoken at least
t:wenty minutes before there was a sound of
applause. And when it came to the questions, for another considerable spell the audience seemed almost dumb. I never saw
anything like it before at Ford Hall. The
crowd acted more like a congregation listening to a sermon, and well they might, for '
it was as impressive a message on religious
patriotism as could have been given to that
company of pe.ople.
* * *
It was really heart-sickening to see the
immense crowd outside the doors last Sunday night. There were more than twice as
many outside.as there were inside after the
doors had been shut. They began to gather
at half-past five. At half-past six there was
a longer line than I had ever seen before at
that. hour. The doors were opened a little
ahead of time, and the hall was filled in
less than five minutes. At seven o'clock
even holders of platform tickets could not
get in.,
*
"
*
It has beP.n· rng-.g ested many times that we
ought to move to a larger hall. I do not
think so, although I wish Ford Hall were
fifty per cent. ];H!:!'Pr ' "A ···-··''
work we are doing and told Mary Antin
how he had been recommending her book to
audiences all over the country.
* * *
How eager the folks were last Sunday to
talk with the speaker at the close of the
meeting. It was difficult to clear the hall.
*
*
*
*
*
*
*
*
*
*
* '*
It was an entirely new experience to Business :.VIanager London to find his edition of
For cl Hall Folks completely exhausted ·before the meeting was over. A second edition has been printed, and those who missed
getting a ·c opy last 'Sunday can procure one
at t he next meeting. To reach a circulation
of eight hundred or more with the second
issue of the season is most gratifying.
·when shall we be able to push it up to a
thousand? Can we holp.. it at eight hundred?
Some one remarked to me that it was a
great sight to see the young women taking
part _ naturally and fearlessly in the quesso
tionnaire. She was herself a woman of. middle age and confessed that she could not
possibly rise to. her feet in the midst of a
thousand people and ask the speaker a question, and yet she ·greatly envie·d those of
her own sex who were getting that training
early in life. Our forum is a great training
school in a variety of ways.
The chorus made an excellent showing in
response to the. unexpected call that was
made upon them. They are well entitled to
the reserved seat that is theirs because of
the . service they render. They meet for
practice every Sunday at half-past six, and
are eager to . increase their numbers.
"Uncle Dudley" of the Boston Glob e editorial column gave a handsome report of the
meeting, as usual.
hadn't done anything. That idea of not
going into politics carried to its logical conclusion means eventually not even voting.
It is unfortunate that the so-called best people are proverbially the most difficult class
to get to the polls on election day.
Providing the taxes are kept down, the
average citizen seems not to be particularly
interested in politics, so long as he is ,let
alone. We all want the privilege of citizenship, but most of us shy at the corresponding burdens if anything out of' the ordinary
is asked of us.
It is true that most of us are obliged ~
give· our full time and energy to our own
affairs. If we vote intelligently and . conscientiously that is all that can reasonably
be expected of us. But thousands of men
who have generous margins of · time and
strength never assume any civic burdens
whatever. Some give themselves most generously to church and philanthropic endeavors, but shrink utterly from all save the
simplest political duties.
It is difficult to see how we can get good
government when so few of the ablest and
most disinterested men are willing to make
sacrifices for it. When such men do give
themselves· to -politics, however, they do it
with an earnestness and devotion that carrfes strong conviction with it.
This fact was signally illustrated in the
recent state campaign as I write these
words. One of tc;f{ candidates for governor, :Mr. Bird, t 'hough a man nearly
sixty years of age, never until about a year
ag.o took any personal share in active politics. And yet be made a state-wide campaign of speech-making that broke all records and finished in perfect physical con- ...._
dition. Whatever was his. fate at th.e polls,
he has given to Massachusetts men a noble
example of true citizenship.
. If each one of us would do · all he could,
whenever he could, with the welfare of the
people as the first consideration, we should
very speedily get the most efficient and intelligent government. We get what we deserve. Let us deserve very much more than
we are getting.
MRS.
PANKHURST
· TREMONT TEMPLE
OUR POLITICAL OBLIGATlnP\1<::
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.... ---crowd acted more like a congregation listening to a sermon, and well they might, for it was as impressive a message on religious
patriotism as could have been given to that
company of poople.
*
*
*
It was really heart-sickening to see the
nerseu a woman or middle age and confessed that she could not
possibly rise to her feet in the midst of a
thousand people and ask the spealrnr a question, and yet she greatly envied those of
her own sex who were getting that training
earl:r in life. Our forum .is a great training
school in a variety of ways.
c1vilua.u t::.
;::,ue . ,vas
immense crowd outside the doors last Sun* * *
day night. There were more than twice as
The chorus made an excellent showing in
many outside as there were inside after the response to the unexpected call that was
doors had been shut. They began tci gather made upon them. They are well entitled to
at half-past five . At half-past six there was the reserved seat that is. theirs because of
· a longer line than I had ever seen before at the . service they render. They meet for
that hour. The ·d oors were opened a little practice ever y Sunday at half-past six, and
ahead of time, and the hall was filled in are eager to increase their numbers.
less than five minutes. At seven o'clock
* * '*
even holders of plat{orm tickets could not ··
"Uncle Dudley" of the Boston Globe ediget in.
~
torial column gave·a handsome report of the
* .* *
.
meetip.g, as usual. It has befm zu?gested many times that we
ought to move to a larger hall. I do not
OUR POLITICAL OBLIGATIONS.
think so, although I wish Ford Hall were
--Don't go into politics," is the advice often
fifty per cent. larger. We would overflow
any ordinary auditorium wherever we were given by· good men, especially church men.
to move, and in a very m·uch larger hall we Their point of view· is something like that
would lose a good deal of the family feeling of Mary Antin's neighbor, who preferred
which has become such a .vital element in Taft in the last national election because he
our meetings. And what would we do if we
had any more questi-ons than we· ha.ve now,
as we certainly would have with a larger
Ford Hall Folks
audience? As it is now, we can hardly give
everyone who wants to participate a fair
Edited by Thomas Dreier.
chance and get through by ten o'clock.
UBLISHED weekly by the Ford
* * *
Instead of seeking a larger hall, why not
Hall Associates, whose work
have another forum like ours? There is
is to create, assemble, · and
abundant room for several such enterprises
'listribute ideas that will help
men and institutions grow more
in the different centres of Boston. What a
helpful in serving society, and which
magnificent opportunity there is for such a
will promote "peace on earth, good
gathering of the people in the Roxbury Diswill toward men." It is the official
trict with a hall in the neighborhood of the
publication of the Ford Hall MeetDudley Street Terminal! Who will grasp
ings, ,which are held, under the directhe opportunity? There is no better field of
tion of · George W. Coleman, every
investment for money, time and strength in
Sunday e;yening during the months of
the interest of the welfare and IJTOSperity of
October to May, in Ford Hall, AshBoston. Will some church in that neighborburton Place, Boston, Massachusetts. ·
hood grasp the situation or will a wideAll buriness communications should
awake, public-spirited group of citizens take
be sent to Miss Mary C. Crawford,
hold of it? 1
One man of vision and courage
Treasurer Ford Building, Boston,
and resources could do it.
·
and all comm uni ~ations intended for
.
* * ~
the editor to The Thomas Dreier SerDr. L . C. Barnes of New York City, a wellvice, University Pres-s, Cambrid·ge,
known Baptist missionary secretary, had a
Mass.
iI
stand-up seat in the gallery last Sunday
night. He was very enthusiastic over the
P
--··-•--..,,_...,
..._..,...
.:=,v,· ·
ernor, :IIr. Bird, though a man near]?
sixt>· >·ears of age, never until about a year
ago took any personal share in active politics. And yet be made a state-wide campaign of speech-making that broke all records and finished in perfect physical condition. Whatever was his• fate at the polls,
he has given to Massachusetts men a noble
example of true citizenship.
If each one of us would do all . he could,
whenever he could, with the welfare of the
people as the first consideratfon, we should
very speedily get the most efficient and intelligent government. We get what we deserve. Let us deserve very much more than
we are getting.
-
MRS. PANKHµRST
TREMONT TEMPLE,
Saturday eve., Nov. 15~ -at 8
Tickets at Tremont Temple and at Herrick's
S l.50, S l.00. 75 cents, 50 cents and 25 cents
SEARCHLIGHTS.
By Geori;e "'· Coleman.
Ikrc is n book of human-interest essays that
hreatbc forth neig-hborliness, good-will, and understanding- of the problems of every-lay folks.
Mr. Coleman has put much of himself into these
18'.l pages. The edition is limited. PRICE, 75
Cents, Postpnid.
THE THOllIAS DREIER SERVICE,
Uni~·ersity Press, Cambridge., l\Iass.
10 to 20 Per Cent. SAVED
On Your Buying by Using a
" Co=operative CI nb msconnt Card "
At ASSOCIATED STORES
Cards Can Be Procured of ·
J. LONDON, 316 Huntington °Ave., B.o ston
CONSUMERS CO-OPERATIVE CO.; 149 Trement Si.
ADVERTISING IN FORD
IIALL
FOLKS.
The Ford Hall Folks llfag-azine is to devote a
part of its space to ad verti15ing-. This innova..tion is simph- a means to he1p meet the necess:1ry current expenses of the publication.
The
many improvements have increased the cost of
the mag-azine.
One-half a png-e-consisting- of 15 -spaces-1
inch in depth and 2½ inches in width, is the
maximum space which will be _;i,en over to ad·,ertising :it any one tin1e.
For information re~arcling nd,ertising space
-apply to JACOB LONDOX, Ford Building, Boston, ~lass.
l'
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FORD HALL FOLKS
4
THE STORY OF FREDA
ROGOLSKY
By Mary C. Crawford
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Also from Polotzk and from the Pale
comes Freda Rogolsky who has found in
the Ford Hall Meetings what Mary Antin
found in Boston's public schools. ·Freda
came to America "the year McKinley was
shot." That anyo:ie s hould have killed the
good man who was presiding over the ·des.
\
tinies of her " Promised Land" was as incomprehensible to h<!r as apathy towards
our American institutions is to Ma r y Antin.
Freda's father had come over two or three
years in advance of his · family, and they
c·o uld not obtain passports. So there was a
wild rush in t he dead of night across t he
plateau whi ch separates the German and
the Russian frontiers and even a sho r t detention in prison before Freda, in disguise
(because she was using someone else·s pas~port), attained safe ·harbor beneath t he German flag. Then, two weeks in Germany
and four weeks in London preceded the
long sea voy~e, after which the little girl
landed in Boston and began her education
as an American citizen at a West End
school, which then bore the name of Emerson and now, remodelled, bears that of
Elizabeth Peabody. This was fitting, because the Elizabeth Peabody Settlement
House, of whose classes Freda soon availed
herself, and to whose staff she is now attached as a paid w.orker, was to mean much
to her-almost. as much as Ford Hall,
which the eager child earlv discovered-and
. because of which her educational career
came abruptly to an end soon after she had
been graduated from the grammar school
in 190S.
·The occasion of Freda's brea k with Boston 's educational :;ystem was· Shakespeare.
Her class in high school was st ud:v ing- t he
.....- - --~-
THE AMERICAN GOSPEL DAY
BY DAY
(Continued from Page 1.)
Israel met with difficulties in living up to
their law. It may be that our forefathers
did not foresee the hordes of Europe at our
shores ; but I doubt if Moses foresaw that
the -Children of Israel would have to go to
the stake for their belief. The only way out
of it would be to reject the law, and we are
not pr·~pared to do that. There are practical d' fficulties. That is not the question.
Have we accepted the law as it stands ?the - rotherhood of man; the rule of the peob
ple? Are we citizens by conversion? Then
there is no choice· for us. Two classes of
people have been misled in this immigration
muddle-those ·who, through no fault of
their own, see no horizon beyond the rim of
an empt:;· dinner-pail, and those whose view
is obstructed by the kitchenmiddens of too
many dinners. (Laughter./ With both we
must be patient. There is no wisdom in an
empty s t omach. and -no great thought comes
from the over-full. (Laughter.)
We must each decide for ourselves
wh ether we wish to carry the burden. Unless- we do that we are not a people. but a
lot of beings "who happen to .live in this particular place instead of elsewhere. I know
myself an American only by whether I am
willing to take upon myself the burden of
American citiienship.
(The speaker then
told of an old lady in Vermont who asked
her, " But do you really think our forefathers meant all this to apply for all time ?"
"I don 't know, madam, but I think we pay
them a compliment when we assume that
they did." (Laughter. ) " I don 't think so.
And I ought to know: one of my ancestors
signed the Declaration.") It doesn 't heip
you to have buried . any number of ancestors
in American soil if you are not prepared to
give the most difficult interpretation to the
word of the fathers . (Applause.)
Ellis
Island offers the greatest test of Americanism in existence. Who is on trial there?
The lady with th e ances tors, I am afraid!
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is that the hopes of the world rest with us.
( The speaker told how three years ago she
re.turned to her old home, and how eager
the people were to learn of the chances for
education and advancement in America.)
Many of us here are still fresh from tha
old world. We know that America today
means a great, noble thing to -the people
on t he other side. We must see that America does fulfill its dEStiny. Oh, it is very
easy to find fault with the descendants of
the Puritans wh·o have forgotten. But we
are not here to criticize ; we have something
more important to do, and that is to do our
share to make America stay in its upward
way. We must bring up our children to
know that they are the people. We must
not let the government slip from our hands.
It is our fault if it does. We who know
what great things are at stake when the
government is turned over to bosses, who
know what are the by-produc ts of political
corruption-we must not admit this thing.
We mus.t take the burden, for we know wh8.t
the world loses when America forgets to be
America. After a few years' residence, we
must not get used to it, but must be citizens in the little as well as in the big things.
We must be aIL~ious for the salvation of our
neighbors. We should see to it that we are
all together in this business of being Americans. American citizenship is not a code,
but a way of life. (As illustrations of "bad
Americans," the speaker told of one man
who wanted t o vo te for Oscar Straus for
governor of ::-.ew York. but who " couldn't
bring himself to make a Jew governor"
[that was a tragedy to me-not because I
am a Jew, but because I am an American]:
and of :mother who voted for Taft because
"Mr. Taft has done nothing, and that is
just what I want. " [He was kicking up the
dust aroun d his grandfather's grave. He
hadn' t gone one step from the place where
his ancestors left off.] ) The man who votes
for someone just because he promises to support the la bor unions is just as bad. We,
too, have our wea k spots, and a re just as responsible. We ma y non e of us vote along
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years in adYance of his tamiJY, anu tney
could not obtain passports. So there was a
wild rush in the dead of night a cross the
plateau which separates the German and
the Russian frontiers and even a sh9rt deten t ion in prison be'fore Freda, in disguise
{b"
ecausc she was using. someone else's pas~port), attained -safe harbor beneath the Ger::nan flag. Then, two weeks in ·Germany
and - four weeks in London preceded the
long sea voyage, after which the little girl
landed in Boston and began her education
as an American citizen at a West End
school, which then bore the name of Emerson and now, remodelled, bears that · of
Elizabeth Peabody. This was fitting, because the Elizabeth Peabody Settlement
House, of whose classes Freda soon availed
herself, and to whose staff she is now attached as a paid worker, was to mean much
to her-almost as much as Ford Hall,
which the eager child early discovered-and
•. because of which her· educational career
came abruptly to an end soon after she had
been graduated from the grammar school
in 1908.
The occasion of Freda's break with Boston's educational system was Shakespeare.
Her class in high school was studying the
Merchant of Venic e. and one of the girls in
the class spoke slightingly of Jews by reason of the bloodthirstiness she thought she
saw in Shylock. "That is not true," Freda
flamed up. "The Jews are a peaceful race.
There is nothing murderous about them.
How many Jews have been sent to the electric chair in Massachusetts? Rather is it
the Christians who show themselves bloodthirsty when they massacre my people.
Shylock seems to me a far more noble <:hara.cter than Antonio, who asks Shylock to
give up his religion. I go to Ford Hall and
there they say that every person . should
st'ick to his own religion and be earnest
about his life in his own way. If only you
would all go there you would see. . . . "
Very likely there was more in the heat
of the moment, something which might
have justified the teacher in asking Freda
for the apology the girl steadfastly refused
- to give. Neither would yield, so Freda had
to leav·e school. She .has not stopped study. ing, however, as :·· the fo1lowing schedule
shows: Sunday night, Ford Hall; Monday
and Thursday, a dressmaking class at t:he
Y. W. C. U. ; Wednesday, the Efficiency
course which -Miner Chipman is giving at
the School of Social Science; Tuesday evening, preparation at the Public Library for
the college extension course in English composition whic_h.: she is taking this year ior
the second .tim~ :s
.,·
All of which,-':when added to work every
week day a·t -the;~
Settlement and attendance
.every Sunda
'}<mcirning at the Temple Israel,
must make Freda's life --.in,,·the Promised.Land a very fun ·o ne at .p resent.
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an empt}· dinner-pail, and,those whose view government is turned over to bosses, who
is obstructed by the kitchenmiddens of too know what <1.re the by-11roducts of political
many dinners. {Laughter. ) With both we corruption-we must not admit this thing.
must be patiEnt. There is no wisdom in an We must take the burden, for we know whRt
empty stomach. and no great thought comes the world loses when Ameri ca forgets to, be
from the over-full. (Laughter.)
America. After a few years' residence, we
We must each decide for ourselves must not get used to it, but must be citiwhether we wish to carry the burden. Un- zens in the little as well as in the big things.
less we do that we are not a people, but a We must be anxious for the salvation of our
lot of beings who happen to livP- in this par- neighbors. We should see to it that we are
ticular place instead of elsewhere. I know all together in this business of being Amermyself an American only by whether· I am icans. American citizenship is not a code,
willing to take upon m yself the burden of but a wa y of life. (As illustrations of "bad
American citizenship. · (The speaker then Americans," the speaker told of one man
told of an old lady in Vermont who asked
who wanted to vote for Oscar Straus for
her, "But do you really think our fore- governor of Ne w York, but wlio " couldn't
fathers meant all this to apply for all time?"
bring himself to make a Jew governor"
"I don 't know, madam, - ut I think we pay
b
[that was a t ragedy to me-not because I
them a compliment when we assume that am a Jew, but because I am an American]:
they did." (Laughter.). "I don't .think so. and of a.nother who voted for Taft because
And I ought to know: one of my ancestors "Mr. Taft has done nothing, and that is
signed the Declaration. " ) It doesn't heip just what I want." [He was kicking up the
you to have buried any number of ancestors dust around his grandfather's grave. He
hadn't gone one step from the place where
in American soil if you are ·not prepared to
give the most difficult interpretation to the his ancestors left off.]) The man who votes
word of the fathers.
(Applause. ) Ellis for someone just beca use he promi£.es to supIsland offers the greatest test of American- port the labor unions is just as bad. We,
ism in existence. Who is on trial there? too, have our weak spots, and are just as reThe lady with the an cestors, I am afraid !. sponsible. We may none of us vote along
Self-preservation may come through self-an- class lines. It is a sin. The fact that some
of us are s eeking relief f::'om physical diffinihilation. The Jews are everywhere today
because they dared to die to save their ideal. culties is no excuse. We may rightly claim
We, more than any other people, should it is more difficult for us, but we are not
guard against sinning. We are a conse- 1food citizens unless we are willing to do it.
{The speaker then told how her neighbors
crated people. Think hc°w we came into our
objected that her cousin from Russia assoland. -vv·e, like others, took our land as a
result of war, but we went to war with Eng- ciated with her cook, also a Russian Jewish
land, not because we were greedy to pos- immigran~, who for three years had lived
sess the land, but because we were unwill- with different z-orts of Americans without
ing to be treated as slaves. A political ideal having discovered America-a girl who,
must have territory to express itself though absolutely illiterate, so loved learnin:
that is why we had to have ing that she said: · " I would run up and
homesteads as well as liberty, but that downstairs a.ll day for anyone who can
was incidental. .We need the land in order write a book." [If Rose were not fit to assoto fulfill the law of the fathers. If it could ciate with my cousin she was not fit to be
under my roof....:....and I knew better. My
be demonstrated that we could best live up
to our ideal - y going into exile and letting: neighbors who objected were in the habit of
b
others take· our places, we should be pre- saying to their children-on the Fourth of
pared to do it. It may be our mission to be ·· July-that all men were created free and
equal.])
crowded off the face of the earth!
But the a ccount between the Y:mkees and
Not only the rich, but the poor, have been
us is about even. Some of the ricli may be
found wanting in the trial at Ellis Island.
We should say to those who appeal to our indifferent from ignorance. But we poor
fears , our weakness. our hunger, that they sometimes show envy and malice, also unshould appeal instead to our ideals! We poor American traits. My objection to ·Socialism
people are going tci take our share of the bur- is that it creates class feeling. Oh, I know
where · I am! But democracy has not sucden of the law. (Applause.) If we fail in
this test, it is all the .worse for the country, ceeded, only because we haven't given it a
for numerically we are greater -than the de- fair trial. It is because individuals among
scendants in direct line of the signers of us have forgotten the law of the fathers.
the Declaratic°n of Independence. U we The Socialists may be right, but I want first
have the courage to live up to the burden of to give the American idea another chance.
(Applause.) Only we, the people. can give·
the iaw, all will go well with us. In this
country we ate what we make ourselves, to America another chance. ·we rule in this
a large· degree. We, the people, rule in this
country-when we have a mind-when we
land. In our hands" lies the destiny of the watch over our own thoughts and our neighbors'-when we use Salvation Army methcount;r:Y- .,-..1~ who have come from foreign
pa1;ts;:especially know· how literally true it ods in making citizens.
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