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Paul Harris' Books online:
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Rotary's Power for World Peace |
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by Paul P. Harris President Emeritus Rotary International
Chicago 1935 |
 The
1935 Book Review from The Rotarian
Also very rare edition with a
note from Paul Harris |
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Copyright 1935 By Paul P. Harris |
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Paul Harris |
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INTRODUCTION If anyone is ever discouraged about being a Rotarian because there is not enough humanness to the movement, he will be put at ease by reading this work. If one has been discouraged about the Rotary movement not being big enough or important enough for him to be associated with, this work surely will convince him otherwise. That the Rotary movement is like a great musical production of many parts, through all of which runs a single motif — or perhaps a tapestry of many parts through all of which a single golden strand is discernible — is the impression that one must get from reading “This Rotarian Age,’ described to us so interestingly by one whom the movement has honored with the title of President Emeritus, and who continues to honor and serve the movement by his own life and by his continued and faithful devotion to Rotary. |
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Contents |
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This Rotarian Age |
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Rotary has been the subject of friendly comments without number and the target of a few animadversions not so friendly. Both have served purposes, not always the purposes the writers have had in mind. A phenomenon sufficiently luminous to attract the attention of millions of people in scores of nations should be better understood.
Mr. G K Chesterton, whose references to Rotary have revealed no inclination to flatter, has on one occasion at least, referred to the present period in the world’s history as “this Rotarian age”. To Rotarians there is some consolation in the thought that he concedes that the movement is making imprint upon the times, even though he does make it manifest that he considers the step from the Victorian age to the Rotarian age a step backwards.
It would not be fair to the critics of Rotary, who include some of the most brilliant of the British and American writers, to charge them with prejudice. It can, however, in truth be stated that thousands of the great educators of many nations, not less profound, even if less scintillating, differ with them in their conclusions. The enrollment of such men is testimony to the fact that
2 insincerity and superficiality are not necessary qualifications for membership.
After having made due allowances, however, for the difference between the esoteric and the esoteric viewpoints, and admitting that a member of an organization is not the ideal person to whom to look for a fair appraisal of its qualities, even a member, by reason of long connection with the movement, may be able to marshal facts of interest to those to whom Rotary is a quandary, leaving the reader to commend or condemn to suit himself.
One desiring to make further study of the movement would do well to read “Rotary?”, a survey made by seven social scientists of the University of Chicago; “Rotary – a Business Man’s Interpretation” by Frank Lamb, formerly a member of the faculty of the University of California; and “The Meaning of Rotary” by Vivian Carter, a journalist of London, England.
As to this particular book the writer must admit in advance that he is distinctly partisan although he has tried to be fair. He is one of the one hundred and fifty-six thousand members who love Rotary and believe in it. Most naturally, the critics emphasize the things in Rotary which they do not like. Most naturally, the writer emphasizes the things which, in common with his fellow Rotarians, he does like.
A member who would write the story of Rotary must obtain suitable perspective. It is human to magnify the importance of the immediate, not easy to realize that the high values of today may be the low values of tomorrow. What a present is, in the minds of the majority, always will be. In the present lies the perfection which past generations have died for and which future generations will venerate.
3 To such, civilization has attained its Ultima Thule. Viewed in improper perspective, the creations of Raphael and Angelo are monstrosities; viewed in proper perspective they are immortal.
How can a Rotarian divorce his thoughts from the immediate, the international convention of yesterday, the club meeting of today, all so important, so impressive? Verily we live in the present and well that is so. “Sufficient unto the day is the evil thereof” and, if we may be permitted, the happiness thereof, also.
But divorce himself from the present he must, if he is to obtain suitable perspective. He must think not only of rotary itself, but also of its relation to other things equally important. Is it of the eternal cosmos, or will it whiff out leaving nothing to challenge the attention of historians of the future except the epitaph, “Born February 23, 1905. Died ----. A brief but happy life”?
We may properly think of Rotary’s ancestral and environmental influences. It is manifest that a movement, which has gone so far in the brief period of thirty years, must have been the result of slowly gathering forces; it could not have been the inspiration of any one man or group of men; it could not have been spontaneous any more than earthquakes or volcanoes can be spontaneous.
Considered in this light, the life span of Rotary cannot be measured by a score or so of years; it is of ancient lineage and its ancestry includes men of many nations of diverse languages and customs. To trace its ancestry, one must press back through the ages. return to top of page |
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“When God sends the dawn, He sends it for all.” -Cervantes
In “The Outline of History,” Mr. Wells writes: “Somewhere, about 50,000 years ago, if not earlier, appeared Homo Neanderthalensis (also called Homo Antiques and Homo Primo genus) a quite passable human being.”
In the cold, shivering twilight, preceding the daybreak of civilization, the dominating emotion of man was fear. He shrank in terror in the presence of forces beyond his control and ruthlessly destroyed beings within his dominion. Self-preservation was the controlling motive. Life was his most sacred possession and was to be preserved at any cost. Lives of other beings, human or brute, were of no significance.
Selfishness was unrivalled, supreme and unopposed except by selfishness. That which was coveted was appropriated if not guarded by superior forces. The human animal, though lacking the strength of the lion, the ferocity of the tiger, and the agility of the ape, possessed a brain of potentiality and thereby gained dominion over the lower orders.
Sex attraction served to propagate the species, but man long remained slightly above beasts of prey. He heard the song of bird and witnessed the play of the young, but he was serious. His world was filled with dread things of
Page 8 reality and even more dread things of imagination. Suspicion begat fear and fear begat enmity.
In course of time, religion came with its rites invoking the aid of good spirits which were even more powerful than the bad spirits, and thus for the time being tempered the agony of fears. But primitive man had enemies real as well as imaginary, and they were not subject to priestly sorceries. The bludgeon and, in course of time, the bow and arrow were brought into play to defend man from his flesh-and-blood enemies. Then, as now, offence was considered the best method of defense. Fear took no chances. Better slay first and think later. Strangers possibly might not be harboring ill-will, but the natural assumption was what they were and that they were waiting opportunity to give it expression.
In Mr. Wells’ “Somewhere” men were harassed by enemies real and enemies imaginary. Night hours were rendered hideous by the play of evil spirits in flashing lightening and booming thunder, and the day was filled with terrors of skulking enemies of the wooden glens; and neither day nor night offered respite from fears.
Then one who might have led the way out of the era of distraction was born. In course of time he learned to lift his thoughts above the common level. To him, precedent had meaning if it squared with reason; not otherwise. His thoughts were free from bias. Neither thunder nor lightening caused him to tremble, nor did he fear the stranger. He could have led his people out of their wilderness but for an untoward event. He ventured too far. One morning as he stood on a high rock gazing at the rising sun as had been his custom, there was a sharp twang of a bowstring, the whir of an arrow, the thud of a fallen body,
Page 9 and far down in the valley by the swift-flowing, rock bound stream lay all that was left of him who had lived in advance of his times. He was the first in whose bosom dwelt the spirit of goodwill toward all men.
A Teacher, whose name became immortal, arose to embrace the doctrine of the brotherhood of man, giving it religious sanction as a part of the “inspired word”. He suffered contumely, ridicule, disdain, and eventually death for having lived too far in advance of His times, but His doctrines lived in the hearts of His devoted followers who grew in number until they girded the earth. Other religions taught the doctrine of universal brotherhood and made it an essential part of their faiths.
Centuries later was born in Scotland another who lived in advance of his time, one who stoutly refused to do obeisance to unreasoning precedent; one whose soul overflowed with the poetry of life. Of all the words of the Scottish bard, none will be more highly appraised nor longer remembered, than
“Then let us pray that come what may, As come it will for a’ that, That sense and worth o’er a’ the earth May bear the gree, and a’ that. For a’ that and a’ that, It’s coming yet, for a’ that, That man to man the world o’er Shall brothers be, for a’ that
In the compass of these words have been found all the philosophy, all the hope, the substance of every prayer of the first seer, but how vain were the aspirations and hopes of this widely separated twain. Primordial forces were to
Page 10 be reckoned with, as is the case even now though generations have lived and died since the lips of the sage of Ayr were sealed in death.
As the sun breaks through the clouds, so the love of fellowship has from time to time throughout the ages broken through the crust of suspicion and hatred. Slowly and gradually men who have loved fathers, mothers, sisters and brothers have drawn neighbors and friends within their circles. The primitive manifestations were crude but culture is not a sine qua non of good will. Rare Ben Johnson surrounded himself with men of his kind, but Burns perforce found companionship in yokels.
Many obstacles to the expansion of good will have presented themselves. Differences in languages and religions have been among the most formidable, but commercial rivalries have also been dissension breeders. Average public opinion has always been in favor of the limited circle. To leave matters as they were was to be in popular favor; to sponsor the broader outlook was to become a social outcast. Many who now view as a matter of course the march of civilization to its present stage and find satisfaction in it, are skeptical as to the future. History has no lesson for them. Had they lived in the cave period, they would have branded traitor, him within whose heart first dwelt the spirit of good will toward all men. return to top of page |
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The Cradle of Religious Liberty |
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There is nothing in the genius of America more precious today than the spirit of religious and political tolerance in its application to our own people. It did not come naturally; in fact, it would be difficult to conceive of any more dogmatic and less tolerant people than the first settlers on New England shores. They were sterling, courageous men and women who had willingly sacrificed the comforts of an older civilization and endured hardships beyond description in order that they might enjoy religious liberty.
14 THIS ROTARIAN AGE The stocks, whipping posts and stake were popular instruments of torture, and slight in fractions of the law brought down upon the heads of Unfortunate offenders, public ignominy and shame. The early New Englanders were more than grim defenders of their faith. Their offensive was so vigorous and well-sustained that there was little occasion for a defensive. If there ever was a militant religion, it was that of early New England. The austerities of the faith of the Pilgrim Fathers out-shadowed the loveliness of Christian tenets. Theirs were strange interpretations of the words of the “Prince of Peace.” Of the punishment for witchcraft Nathaniel Hawthorne said, “These scenes you think are all too somber. So in deed, they are, but the blame must rest on the somber spirit of our forefathers who wove their web of life with hardly a single thread of gold.” Magistrates imposing death penalties were as lacking in enthusiasm for their work as Pontius Pilate of old, on a certain memorable occasion. They yielded, even as Pilate bad yielded, to the clamor of public opinion. New England judges, in ordering unfortunate women to bear throughout life the scarlet letter “A” to proclaim them adulteresses to all the world, must have spent many sleepless nights when the words, “Let him who is without sin cast the first stone,” occurred to them. The modesty of the early New England settlers seems to have been more in evidence than their mercy, for it has been stated that it was due to regard for feminine delicacy that women sentenced to capital punishment were burned and not hanged. Hanging might make an indecorous display of their legs.
THE CRADLE OF RELIGIOUS LIBERTY Page 15 Descendants of New England pioneers are proud of their ancestry and glad to proclaim the fact that so far as the United States are concerned, New England is in deed the cradle of religious liberty. Reaction releases energy and the reaction against intolerance in New England was swift and far-reaching. From having been among the most intolerant, they became tolerant. Maryland, however, contests the claim of New England to the title of “Cradle of Religious Liberty.” The legislature passed a law in 1649 entitled, “An Act Concerning Religion” which reads as follows:
There seems little choice to be made between the penalty of death as imposed by the early settlers of Maryland upon those who would not embrace the doctrine of Trinitarian lam, and the penalties of the stocks, whipping-post and stake as inflicted by the early New England settlers upon those who could not, or would not embrace the stern, un compromising doctrines of the Puritans. Whether New England or Maryland has the more authentic claim to the title, the uppermost thought in the minds of the readers of history is that they both ought to be very glad they are out of a mighty bad mess. Both New England and Mary land must defer to Virginia in matters of political significance to our country.
16 THIS ROTARIAN AGE With such a galaxy of thinkers to lead New England out of its morass of bigotry and intolerance the future seemed secure. Not only did the different branches of the Protestant faith find ways to live together, but the mantle of tolerance was enlarged to include within its folds the Catholic immigrants who began to arrive in numbers. The first inroads into Anglo homogeneity were made by Irish and French Canadian settlers. Their boys played with boys of Mayflower ancestry on historic commons, with little regard to social, political, or religious differences. An interesting anthropological experiment had begun. The melting pot was boiling. From it was eventually to come a well-fused type, Homo Americanus, fifty thousand years or thereabouts removed from Mr. Wells’ Homo Antiquus. Slow but certain progress has been made in the promotion of better understanding since the morning when the winged arrow brought to earth him in whose bosom first dwelt the spirit of good-will towards all men. It has been a discouraging and contentious march, and much blood, innocent as well as guilty, has been brutally spilled along the way; but thank God for the progress made. In the face of pseudo-statesmen shrieking the inevitability of war, successive stages of civilization have been passed. The fealty of the individual caveman to his family was reluctantly extended to others of his kind.
THE CRADLE OF RELIGIOUS LIBERTY 17 Clans have declared truces in inter-clan warfare to join in arms against common enemies, with the result that nations have come into being, and in turn nations even have allied themselves with other nations to wage more effective warfare. The greater the coalition, the more devastating and cruel the warfare; and yet, in the exercise of good conscience and common sense, we know that it will not always be so; that the day must come, “When man to man will brother be, for a’ that.” There are sane methods of settling differences. While the struggle for religious liberty had proceeded without large-scale bloodshed in New England and elsewhere in the United States, the struggle for political liberty had not fared so well. Two wars with the mother country were fought before young America considered herself entirely on her own, and another war was in the making. If there is anything worse than international warfare, is civil warfare, and the United States was destined to experience it in the extreme of bitterness. In the early sixties the North and South joined in sanguinary issue. During four terrible years the struggle continued toward its inevitable conclusion — impoverishment, destitution, and unspeakable sorrow. The hands of the dock of civilization were turned back, but the nation shook itself loose and sadder, but wiser, struggled on again. As before stated, it is the writer’s purpose to relate the story of the rise of Rotary, and in order that the spirit of the movement may be better understood, he has drawn attention to antecedent circumstances which he thinks, in a measure responsible, for the state of mind in America which made the birth of Rotary possible during the early part of the twentieth century.
18 THIS ROTARIAN AGE He makes no mention of the unceasing effort of European countries to substitute peace psychology for war psychology, except to acknowledge that they were not without good effect even in instances when they seemed to fail in their purpose. There can be no doubt that the sentiment in all countries favors peaceful settlement of international differences, and that all men, whosesoever they may be situated and whatsoever their experiences may have been, deplore the fact that war still continues to be the ultimate recourse. Rotary hopes that it may find a way to help promote international understanding and good to the end that resort to arms may be less frequent in the future. Ideas have unhinged the gates of empires. Epigrammatic utterances have influenced the lives of generations of men. Soon after the end of the civil war, a New York editor wrote a sentence of four words: “Young man, go west.” It aroused New England and all the east to action as no words in times of peace had ever aroused those parts before. From farm, factory, and home the trek began. Fathers, mothers, sisters, brothers, uncles, aunts, and cousins all were there. Every known means of conveyance was used. Slowly and laboriously these hardy pioneers traversed mountains, hills, and plains searching for better and cheaper land and other forms of wealth, and at the same time spreading the doctrine of religious liberty. Here and there the numbers were augmented by recruits from abroad — British, Irish, German, and Scandinavian, all welcome and all high in hope as they struggled onward toward the promised land.
THE CRADLE OF RELIGIOUS LIBERTY 19 Now and then, small groups attracted by alluring prospects, detached themselves and established communities along the way, in hopes that such communities would grow into important cities, to the enrichment of the early settlers. The majority of the prospective town sites failed to develop in accordance with expectations, and many were ultimately abandoned to agricultural development or other purposes to which they were adapted; others did come up to expectations, and a few developed far beyond wildest dreams. From some one of the many town sites prospected a mighty city was to rise, the metropolis of the west. Where was it to be? One man’s guess was as good as another’s, and fortune awaited the lucky. Milwaukee was a favorite; Vincennes had its following; St. Louis was in the running; and others thought well of the chances of Chicago which had grown around Fort Dearborn, at the mouth of a river. Friends of the latter held that Milwaukee was too far north; St. Louis, too far south; that Chicago was near enough to the southern limit of Lake Michigan to accommodate freight transportation by water, and also near enough to a straight line across the continent to give it the benefit of transcontinental transportation which was bound to be a factor in the commerce of the future. While the growth of other cities continued to give cheer to their supporters, Chicago more than justified favorable predictions, and in course of time became the unrivalled Metropolis of the West, a social maelstrom where racial, political, and religious extremes met, clashed, and ultimately merged into a semblance of homogeneity. In such atmosphere and under conditions hereinafter described, the Star of Rotary had its rise. |
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Can Anything Good Come Out of Chicago? |
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The progress of Chicago during the decades immediately following the civil war marked its metamorphosis from a pioneer town into a city of promise. During 1870 and the years immediately following, it became necessary for Dad Dearborn, (Chicago’s pseudonym) to lift himself by his bootstraps. On October 9, 1870 he had a city; on October 10th a fire, and on October 12th little except smoke and ashes; all being the tragic result of the juxtaposition of a lantern and the heels of Mrs. O’Leary’s far cow. If Bucephalus was the good king of horses, perhaps Mrs. O’Leary’s bovine was the bad queen of cows; in any event, with one swift kick delivered at the right time and place, she undid the doings of a generation and broke several New England fire insurance companies, as well. The lawlessness of frontier life in America has been pictured as a remarkable phenomenon. In reality, it was the natural consequence of indiscriminate mixing of volatile substances. Strong, determined men of diverse racial traits and traditions, gathered together with one common impulse, personal gain, could scarcely have been expected to abide in peace. Chicago retained many of the characteristics of a 24 THIS ROTARIAN AGE pioneer town until after the beginning of the twentieth century. Open gambling was the first of the vices ordinarily associated with pioneer towns to receive its coup de grace. Open wine-rooms, with assignation houses conveniently at hand, were next in order. “The Loop” was honeycombed with such institutions. Business respectability frequently found itself next door neighbor to commercialized vice and accepted the situation as a matter of course; it always had been thus and would no doubt continue so until something happened. So far as business was concerned, dealing with such matters was not in its line. Interspersed with wine rooms were hundreds of saloons, some of which were breeders of crime and political corruption, while others were not considered offenders in those particulars. Wets and Dries who knew ante prohibition days in Chicago, are in agreement on one phase of the much mooted question: they are in agreement in the belief that saloons, as then conducted, were liabilities rather than assets. It has been contended that the saloon was the poor man’s club; quite right, but it was his hearthside as well, in many cases. Saloon attendance was the great indoor sport of many, and the regular business of others. The lure of the saloon was in man’s insatiable desire for fellowship. There kindred spirits were to be found, and the stimulating influence of alcohol served as quick and certain means of breaking down the barriers between men. The pity was that it broke down more than barriers; it broke down self’ respect. A strong man might withstand its demoralizing influences for a time — a long time perhaps, but it usually got him sooner or later. CAN ANYTHING GOOD COME OUT OF CHICAGO? 25 Fellowship is wonderful; it illuminates life’s pathway, spreads good cheer, and is worth high price, but even fellowship comes at too great cost when it paralyzes human Instincts and extinguishes the flame of conjugal and paternal love. Whether there is significance in the fact that Chicago’s saloon days were its unkempt days, it remains a fact, nevertheless. There was little, even in the downtown district, to give promise of the well groomed city of today was poor; there was a variety of odors, each identified with its particular part of the city. To the neophyte, only packingtown, glueburg, and pickledom distinguishable in the malodorous melee, but he whose olfactory nerve was trained by long usage could have smelled his way about town blindfolded. The languid Chicago River made a mess of the job of transporting sewage, stock yards’ oils and fats to its mouth where it was supposed to empty its fetid cargo into Lake Michigan, whence the city drew its water supply. The tortuous river yielded its own special blend to the conglomeration of odors and on occasions caught fire from cigarette stubs which had been carelessly thrown on its fatty surface. However, enough sewage and refuse succeeded in reaching their destination, to pollute the drinking water to the extent that epidemics of typhoid fever followed each other in rapid succession. When affairs became so bad they could not be worse, they accepted the only other alternative and got better. The outraged citizenry arose, turned the turbid river right’ about and sent it and its noisome contents meandering down the Illinois and Mississippi Valley, aerating and Purging itself on its way to the sweet salt waters of the 26 THIS ROTARIAN AGE Gulf of Mexico —“good riddance to bad rubbish.” The fight for the restoration of sanitary conditions cost sixty million dollars, but it was worth it. Moreover, it gave courage for another, even greater undertaking, the beautifying of the entire city from the Indiana line to Evanston. Daniel Burnham’s “City Beautiful” dream be’ came Chicago’s City Beautiful plan. Slowly but surely, it is being worked out. Someone has aptly described Chicago’s waterfront as twenty miles of fairyland. Incongruous, such mixing of the esthetic with the disorderly? Quite right, but that is Chicago. What was in some respects Chicago’s zero hour, came toward the end of the nineteenth century during the depression following its first World’s Fair. There is no whip like the whip of destitution, and multitudes were destitute. Those who possessed, fought to retain their possessions; those who possessed not, fought to obtain the necessities of life. Tenants defaulted in rent; mortgagors defaulted in interest; retailers defaulted in obligations to wholesalers; wholesalers defaulted to manufacturers. The courts were glutted with forcible entry and detainer suits, distress warrants, mortgage foreclosures, replevins, and attachments. Creditors were trying in every way known to in’ genious lawyers to snatch something from the hands of impecunious debtors. Storms which buried streets and sidewalks of the city in snow, were welcomed. They provided the human flotsam and jetsam with temporary employment. Hungry men must be fed in any event and it is better that they have something to do. Idleness breeds mischief. The days immediately following Chicago’s first World’s Fair will not soon be forgotten; they were anticlimactic CAN ANYTHING GOOD COME OUT OF CHICAGO? 27 with a vengeance. Chicago took the brunt of the shock of the financial panic which swept over the country. The city, as a result of the preparations for the Fair, had been overbuilt in all directions. The consequences were tragic, and the spectacle of closed stores, theaters, hotels, apartment buildings, rooming houses, as well as the prevalence of “To Rent” signs, was sorely depressing. In the tenement districts, heart sickening evidences of want and distress were to be seen everywhere. Employment was reduced to the minimum; soup kitchens were opened in many parts of the city. The city hail, county buildings, and police stations were thrown open during cold winter nights, that homeless men, women, and children might find shelter. The jail was crowded to the doors, many having committed misdemeanors for the sheer purpose of gaining access. How to get into jail was more of a problem than how to get out. Six month’s penitentiary commitments were welcome. During this reversion to the primordial, business men who hitherto had maintained what, at that period, were considered reasonably high standards, abandoned them and joined in the general scramble. The slogan “Service above Self” would have been regarded as pure moonshine. “Self preservation first,” would have been more in keeping. There was no representative Chamber of Commerce nor other organization capable of successfully contending with the corrupting forces in business life. There were associations of credit men, but they were maintained for the purposes of defense only. There was one force, however, which had to be reckoned with and that was the spirit of the people which found expression in Chicago’s time’ 28 THIS ROTARIAN AGE honored motto, “I Will.” During this period, Chicago’s civic consciousness and pride were considerably shaken by the publication in England by Mr. W. H. Stead, of a book entitled, “If Christ came to Chicago.” It pictured Chicago’s delinquencies in startling light, but gave little account of the back-to-the wall fight which the better element was making against them. As a matter of fact, the title of the book was worse than the text. The implications of, “If Christ came to Chicago” were manifold and shocking, but the Chicago which had managed to lift itself out of the mire and rebuild itself after its devastating fire was game enough to lift itself out of the slough of bad repute. Chicago succeeded because of its various vicissitudes, rather than in spite of them. It developed a power of resistance which has served in good stead on many occasions. The words, “Can any good thing come out of Chicago?” have been hurled by skeptics at many of the virile forces which have originated in that city, and Rotary has not been an exception. It is conceivable that Rotary might have been born under sunnier skies, in a climate more equable, and in a city of mental composure; but many will contend that there could have been no more favorable birthplace for a movement like Rotary than paradoxical Chicago, where the battle for civic righteousness was being so fiercely waged. When the present First Vice President, Donato Gaminara of Uruguay, South America was Governor of the sixty-third district of Rotary International, he made his campaign for extension on that theory. Due to the un favorable publicity Chicago had been given, he found it difficult to interest the best type of men in the movement. CAN ANYTHING GOOD COME OUT OF CHICAGO? 29 For some time, he tried to overcome the handicap by stating that Chicago was not so bad as represented; but, finding it impossible to convince them he adroitly changed his tactics and when his prospective members condemned Chicago as one of the worst cities in the world, he went them one better by saying that it was the very worst; that, in fact, it was so bad that it was absolutely necessary for the respectable element to resort to heroic methods, and that was how Rotary happened to be born in Chicago. Sales resistance having thus been broken down, he experienced unprecedented success. The ills with which Chicago was afflicted during the first part of the twentieth century were prevalent else’ where. Generally speaking, business was in a bad way. Practices were not in accord with high ethical principles, with respect to consumers, competitors, or employees. The doctrine of caveat emptor (let the buyer take care of him’ self) was applied to the consumer. Ill-will and distrust of competitors were intense to the point of being destructive. To cripple a competitor was legitimate, if not commend’ able. To the doctrine, “Let the buyer take care of him’ self,” might well have been added, “Damn the competitors.” Railroads in their efforts to put competitors out of business frequently sold transportation at a fraction of its cost, and on occasions actually gave it free in order to divert traffic from rivals. At one time, during a period of fierce competition between two railroad lines, the freight on carloads of cattle from Chicago to New York was reduced from one hundred and fifty dollars per car, to one dollar. The winner (in volume of business) however, be came the loser by virtue of the fact that the loser, unbeknown 30 THIS ROTARIAN AGE to its competitor, bought thousands of carloads of cattle in the West, and shipped them over the competitor’s lines at a rate of one hundred dollars per car less than cost. The railroads put the companies engaged in water transportation out of business through reducing tariffs below cost, but quickly restored the old rates after the purpose had been accomplished. Until the day of state and inter’ state commerce commissions, the public had no voice in such matters. The prevailing contempt of the railroad management for public rights was aptly expressed by one of the foremost railway magnates of the times, in the few choice words, “The public be damned!” The passage of state and interstate commerce laws turned the tables in favor of the public, and the persecutors quickly became the persecuted with a liberal allowance for back interest. In those days of conscienceless scramble, the services of employees were bought at the lowest possible market price. So far as humanitarian considerations were concerned, an employee was an accessory to be used or junked at the will or on the caprice of the supposedly only human factor, the boss. Community spirit was at low ebb. Millionaires, having no purpose to serve, frequently left their fortunes to children who were poorly prepared to bear the responsibilities of wealth, either to their own advantage or to that of the communities in which they lived. Many of the so-called beneficiaries spent their patrimonies on wine, women, and song without special emphasis on the song. To make proper use of leisure requires more careful preparation than training for business. An idle mind is the devil’s workshop. To the American youth of the nineteenth century there CAN ANYTHING GOOD COME OUT OF CHICAGO? 31 was frequently little choice; it was business, or destruction, and even business had little to brag about. Thirteen suicides was the record of one very small city. Seventy-five divorce suits in one year was the record of another. The youth of affluence led the pace. Not only was boys-work, as it is at present understood, unknown, but business engrossed fathers had little time to devote to their sons. The popular conception was that the exercise of parental discipline naturally devolved upon the women, except when the application of physical force seemed necessary. The word “mother” had deep and precious meaning; the word “father” too often suggested tyranny and unreasoning abuse. The means enabling the captains of industry of the to give their off-springs flying starts down the toboggan slide to destruction, were wrested from two classes, neither of which was organized nor otherwise prepared to defend its rights—the consumer and the employee. There were, of course, outstanding exceptions to the rule, but taken by and large, great wealth frequently proved to be a curse, seldom a blessing. However, unscrupulous business men, crooked politicians, operators of gambling joints, dives and saloons, were t having things entirely their own way. The opposing were rallying from all quarters. The law of action and reaction was still functioning as it had functioned in New England in earlier days. A young man from the east visited Chicago. To him, the smoke, air and water pollution, noisome odors, political chicanery and other social short-comings were passing phenomena, evidence of virility rather than depravity, Incidents merely in the metamorphosis of a trading post 32 THIS ROTARIAN AGE into a great city. The University of Chicago stands on the south side of the city as a memorial to his foresight. On the north side, Northwestern University and two Catholic universities occupy other strategic positions; and on the west side, the professional schools of the University of Illinois are advantageously grouped near the county and other hospitals. Theodore Thomas conceived and brought into being the Chicago Orchestra. Another Chicagoan of vision and determination, the superb Art Institute, others the Chicago Grand Opera Company, the Field Museum, the Planetarium, the Rosenwald Industrial Museum, the Aquarium, the Historical Society, a boulevard system second to none and fifty hundred acres of parks and recreational centers. The names of the strong men who made these things possible are not so familiar as those of the Capons and Dillingers. The forces of iniquity met with vigorous opposition from all directions. To many, sufficient answer to the question, “Can anything good come out of Chicago?” is found in the facts that Dwight L. Moody, Billy Sunday, and Paul Rader all began their evangelistic careers there. The forces of resistance developed by this trio were so vigorous that they extended their campaigns throughout the United States and even into other countries. A girl, who had been teaching school in a western village, and whose life had been a struggle against ill-health and adversity, felt the irresistible pull of the pulsating, restless city where the battle between right and wrong was being so fiercely waged, with the result that the name of The Woman’s Christian Temperance Union and that of Frances Willard will ever be associated together in the CAN ANYTHING GOOD COME OUT OF CHICAGO? 33 minds of American women. In demonstration of the fact that there were those courageous and self-sacrificing enough to take up permanent abode in the midst of the very worst in Chicago, Jane Addams, another country girl, gave Chicago Hull House, the American counterpart of London’s Toynbee Hall; and her example was followed in other equally un’ attractive and unwholesome parts of the city. The story of Chicago is more than a record of crime and corruption; it is the story of the lives of strong men and women inspired by faith. Nauseating things are not expressions of the spirit of Chicago. Unfortunately, they have been conspicuous and dramatic and have therefore been given the widest publicity. The editor of an Australian publication manifested deeper insight than Mr. Stead, when he wrote: “Why don’t our Australian papers give us the side of Chicago that I have seen? Is it not of news value? Sydney has a very great deal to learn from Chicago. If we must have cities, let us take a leaf from their book and at the same time, remember what has had to be overcome by those who have done the wonderful work there. Starting with a rough shore of a lake, in rough times, a rapid influx of people from all parts of the world, and almost everything that made for the inartistic, they have created a beautiful city, and the end is not yet.” Against every evil deed in Chicago which has been announced to the world, there are hundreds of good deeds, unheralded and unknown. What surface disturbances are to a river, crime and corruption are to the life of Chicago. The great current goes on undisturbed. Rotary need never be ashamed of the city of its origin. 34 THIS ROTARIAN AGE It was preceded by an illustrious line of movements conceived in the spirit of patriotism and idealism, and sup’ ported with enthusiasm and determination. There could have been no time more opportune than the beginning of the twentieth century for the genesis of such a movement as Rotary, nor a city better suited than virile, aggressive, paradoxical Chicago in which to nurture it, and give it sense of direction. What is the so-called “I Will” spirit of Chicago? Let the immortal Daniel Burnham, architect of Chicago’s first World’s Fair, and designer of Chicago’s City Beautiful plan, answer:
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Page 37 GENESIS OF ROTARY
If one standing on a promontory of time could have donned his metaphysical spectacles revealing thoughts and deeds standing out in the affairs of men, as stately trees stand out in landscapes, he would have observed a memorable struggle for existence — the persistent and irresistible “Will to Be” of an ideal, which eventually found expression in Rotary, Kiwanis, Lions clubs, and a dozen kindred organizations. As white corpuscles defend the human blood against the ravages of disease, so the constructive forces of cooperation, tolerance, courage, and brotherly love will eventually overcome selfishness, envy, intolerance, hatred, and fear the most destructive enemies of the social order. In the city by the lake, a drama was to be enacted, the importance of which could not have been foreseen. The dramatis personae were men of the ordinary walks of life; business and professional men. THIS ROTARIAN AGE 38
GENESIS OF ROTARY 39
He told interesting stories of his
boyhood home on an Indiana farm, revealing the picture of a log cabin and
family group around the fireplace. He told of the hardships of early life;
for example, of the snow that used to pelt through the chinks in the roof of
the attic in which he slept, forming miniature drifts upon the floor. He
treasured the memory of early days. Though his life in Chicago had been a
struggle, he had managed to be helpful to the younger members of his family.
He had responded to his country’s call in its time of need, serving in
Cuba during the Spanish-American war. Clearly he was eligible. Succeeding
years have demonstrated the wisdom of the selection; Silvester fills a
worthy place, and his life becomes increasingly useful with advancing years.
He is the center of community activities and church work, the key man in
charitable undertakings. Many young men have him to thank for years of wise
counsel. Many crippled children have him to thank for physical
rehabilitation. To Silvester every human need is a command. His telephone
rings night and day, but he is never too tired to respond although his
health is not always the best, and he is very tired at times. During the
early days of the depression, and until the charities in his part of the
city were put on an organized basis, Silvester’s office was made to serve as
a clearing-house, and many hundred needy were given relief.
While
Silvester’s most manifest contribution to the common weal has been through
community service, his contribution through vocational service, that is, in
the management of his own business has been scarcely less commendable. His
“turn over” among employees has always been negligible, though he has had
many trying cases to deal with.
40 THIS ROTARIAN AGE
His foreman in charge, who has been many years in Silvester’s service, never
fails to avail himself of every opportunity to speak a good word of his
boss. More than once he has told the writer that if anything ever happens to
the “Old Man” to make it necessary for him to discontinue the management of
the business, he will terminate his service, because he never could be
satisfied to work for another after having worked so long for the “Old
Silvester’s record in community service, vocational service, as a
humanitarian, neighbor and friend, will stand a lot of beating, as the
English put it. To put it in other words, it is a splendid exemplification
of the doctrine of Rotary in action. In the very early days of Rotary,
Silvester sponsored the reading of papers on the respective vocations of the
members. Was it the beginning of the vocational service activity in Rotary?
Perhaps not, but it certainly was in perfect keeping with the developments
which came further on.
Where he found the vocabulary with which to give
his furious thoughts expression, was a quandary. Gus’ membership was of
brief duration. The feverish ups and downs of business resulted first in
his resignation from membership, and a few years later in his death.
Requiescat in pace. Dear Gus, you rested little while here.
GENESIS OF ROTARY 41
Hiram, due to circumstances beyond his control,
did not retain his membership in the club, though he has frequently
manifested interest in the movement and shown that he cherishes the memory
of the early days.
[Please
see Hiram
Shorey's obituary and a "Horse Story"]
These three men and the writer constituted the
first group to foregather in the fellowship of Rotary. They were the
vanguard of a mighty host,
but to mention the four without including the
fifth — would be to do an injustice.
All doubts as to his sociability were soon
dissipated. He proved to be the most friendly of all. When in the company of
his Rotary friends, his cup of joy ran over. He was responsible for the
introduction of song in club programs; in no other way could he adequately
express his happiness in the Rotary fellowship. A rare soul indeed, is our
Harry. One of Rotary’s best known song leaders advances the four
following reasons for the inclusion of group singing, in Rotary: first — it
promotes fellowship, second — it recreates, third — it stimulates
interest in music, and fourth — if songs are selected which fit in with the
purposes for which the meeting is called, it serves to prepare the minds
of the members for the message which is to follow.
The writer is
in accord with the above, and drawing upon his own experiences, is prepared
to say that speakers frequently find inspiration in the music which precedes
their efforts, assuming of course, that suitable selections have been made.
GENESIS OF ROTARY 43
If a suitable selection has not
been made, the songs may serve to disturb the composure of the speaker and
thereby impair his effectiveness. Many an inexperienced speaker has been
thrown completely off his stride and moved to substitute an extemporaneous
speech for one carefully prepared, in a desperate effort to adjust himself
to the spirit of the meeting. Much responsibility rests upon the shoulders
of the song leader; it is not infrequently within his power to make or break
a meeting. The only thing about the early Christians which baffled
Pliny’s understanding was their psalm singing.
Plato said:
“Through music the soul learns harmony and rhythm, and even a disposition to
justice, for can he who is harmoniously constituted ever be unjust? Is not
this why music and harmony find their way into the secret places of our
soul, bearing grace in their movements and making the soul graceful? Music
moulds character and therefore shares in determining social and political
issues.” Damon said: “When modes of music change, the fundamental
laws of the state change with them. Music is valuable not only because it
brings refinement of feeling and character, but also because it preserves
and restores health.”
Dr. William Chalmers Covert, moderator of
the Presbyterian Church of America, pleads for a tidal wave of hymn singing
as the best available means of restoring the spiritual power of the
Christian church. There is no doubt in the mind of the writer that song has
awakened the spiritual forces in Rotary as nothing else could have.
Singing is not indulged in by Rotary clubs of some countries and all
clubs are given full privilege to do as they please about including it in
their programs. Possibly there are temperamental differences between people
of different countries which have a bearing. Perhaps not. Time will tell.
THIS ROTARIAN AGE 44
Long may you live to revel in
the companionship of your friends, Harry. We of the old guard know that long
after the last note of the “Stein Song,” sung in response to your baton
shall have died away, memory of your warm, friendly spirit will be kept
green.
Quiet, unassuming affability was
his dominant characteristic. There were no rough corners on Bill. When his
sorrows came, he faced them with characteristic serenity.
It was necessary, of course, to give each
member of the little group a nickname. “Boy Orator” was the sobriquet given
Charlie. Its fitness was made manifest during the course of arguments on
constitutional questions. Charlie had his own ideas as to what constituted
good Rotary, and he took them seriously. Incidentally he was the un official
recorder of the club. His private records admirably reveal the spirit of the
period. Were it not for his foresight, there would be little in the form of
written word to remind one of the happy days of 1905.
“Doc” was a
town man and a bachelor, the Beau Brummel of early Rotary. He was the envy
of the unsophisticated young men from the country. He knew what clothes to
wear and how to wear them, but he was no mere manikin; he was a real he-man,
and a remarkable horseman.
46 THIS ROTARIAN AGE
One of
the most picturesque figures to be seen on the bridle paths along Chicago
boulevards was that of our ‘Doc.” For twenty- five years, he seldom missed a
morning except in midwinter; it mattered not how late he had retired the
night before. The Chicago club has always stood in the forefront with
respect to the warmth of its greeting to non-resident Rotarians. There is
but one reason for the distinction, and that is to be found in the person of
warm-hearted, genial “Doc.” He served faithfully twenty- six years, and went
to sleep one night, never to awake again.
Of all
his outstanding characteristics, none has been more marked than that of his
love for his mother. He is a town man and a bachelor and as long as his
mother lived, she was his constant companion. Together they attended all
international conventions, receptions, and parties. He had no other chum. He
was always a good fellow; as a son he was wonderful. Rufe has been con fined
to his apartment during the past three years as a result of a nervous
disorder, but he has gallantly risen above his misfortune and is as buoyant
and hopeful as ever. He astonished the writer recently by stating that he
considered his physical disability one of life’s great experiences, one he
would not like to have missed. In Rufus’ case, also, it is manifest that the
spirit has been triumphant over the flesh. What an example he has set for
us. No ill can affect one so splendidly equipped.
THIS ROTARIAN
AGE 47
Cupid had no children
to fasten his affections upon, but he was no stranger to conjugal bliss. One
sad morning after a brief illness, his life’s partner left him. THIS ROTARIAN AGE 48
His friends were not
held long in suspense. Cupid conducted the funeral and was unusually
solicitous as to the comfort of his Rotarian friends assembled to make manifest
the sympathy with which their hearts overflowed. When the last rite had been
per formed, Cupid stepped forward and his face was almost radiant as he took
his last, long, lingering look, and the writer who stood nearby heard his
softly whispered words, “Goodbye Gertie.”
But of the days after:
to many it is the days after, that count. For more than six years Cupid
lived alone in the big apartment where he and Gert had lived so happily
together. During that entire period things were left just as she had placed
them. Under Cupid’s instructions her room was swept and dusted, and her bed
linen changed just as had been their custom.
When Rotarians called, they were cordially received and they were always welcome;
but when Cupid learned that some of his friends were calling with unusual
frequency because they feared he might be lonesome, he assured them that he
was not lonesome; that he was quite happy. The indisputable fact was that
Cupid and Gert were living together as before. Eventually he went to Europe,
wandered about on the continent for several months quite alone, then
returned to Chicago and took up the threads of business life again.
His greeting is more than cordial; he glows with enthusiasm. His parting
is no less impressive. He hands the de parting one his hat; holds his
overcoat; pulls his undercoat down; and starts him off with a vigorous
handshake and a “Goodbye, Laddie.” If Freddie has ever had a grouch, none
can recall it. But can one be all that Freddie appears to be, and
still be sincere? Is his manner not a veneer merely put on for the
accomplishment of a purpose, and then cast off as soon as the purpose has
been served? No, Freddie’s manner is not a veneer; he has no repertoire of
mannerisms.
His greeting to me today will be his
greeting to you tomorrow, and what is more, it is his daily greeting to the
members of his family. His courtesy to his sons at the breakfast table is no
less marked than his courtesy to an honored friend.
But how about the employees at his factory? A man may be courteous to his
friends, kind to his family, and yet be a brute to his employees. It is said
of Charles M. Schwab that his employees call him Charlie. It would be
lese-majesty in some institutions for an employee to call his big boss,
“Charlie.” Dignity has its place but it can be made a fetish. If Freddie had
been dependent upon dignity with which to maintain discipline, he would have
made a mess of it. Not being overstocked with dignity, he substitutes
something else — brotherly love; with that, his cup fairly runneth over.
Friends of the writer sometimes call upon
him for assistance. Some young man coming to Chicago needs a job. The writer
generally knows where one can be found, if the applicant is right. He puts
in a call for Freddie, tells him his tale of woe, and presto change, there
is a new man on the job in Freddie’s factory.
A crippled boy, who
proved to be a bad actor, some years ago was sent to Freddie. Three times he
jumped his job and bummed his way, twice to New Orleans, once to Washington,
D. C. Three times he was forgiven and started on the straight path again.
Verily, you are a wonder, Freddie.
THIS ROTARIAN AGE Page 52
To employers of labor who have tried every other expedient — division of
profits, stock purchases on favorable terms, medical dispensaries, dental
clinics, hospitals, night schools, lectures, concerts, play-grounds, better
housing, and so forth in the modern manner, (all of which reflect
everlasting credit upon the business men of this generation) and yet have
failed — to such I would say, “Try one more expedient. Put a little of
Freddie’s salve on your industrial disturbances.” The essence of it is
humanity, friendliness, brotherhood, good-will. It may not effect a cure,
but in no event can it possibly do harm.
Freddie was not merely
sympathetic with the extension of Rotary outside of Chicago. He actually
participated in it, notably in New York.
Of the New York Club Freddie is
known as the founder.
What of this attribute which we term
personality? Is personality merely good or bad, charming or disagreeable, as
the case may be; or is there a deeper significance? Is personality not a
manner of window through which men’s souls may be seen?
Personality has power to uplift, power to depress, power to curse, and power
to bless. Personality commits murder at times. Not always in momentary
passion
frequently coolly, deliberately; murder by inches. A thrust is made at the
breakfast table, another at lunch, a third at the evening meal, and little
jabs during the long hours of the night. The flowers that bloom in cheeks
begin to fade — the first indication that a personality homicide is in
progress. They do not all have venue at the fireside, though the most
dastardly of them take place there.
GENESIS OP ROTARY Page 53
They may occur in factory, office, warehouse, church, school, and in the
market place. Personality homicides recognize no sanctuary. How devastating
may be the blights of sorrow which follow in the wake of frowns.
Personality’s power to bless is made manifest daily, hourly, in every
nation, city, and town; in home, factory, and in all places where men and
women congregate.
Gracious and pleasing personalities enrich and
sweeten life. Your personality has been a benediction to me at times,
Freddie.
There were others of the first year’s group worthy of special
mention. Doc Hawley, an eye, ear, nose and throat specialist, a gentleman of
culture; Doc had a warm heart and he was very responsive to human needs. In
the very early days he delivered an address before the club on handicapped
children, and on another occasion took up a collection for one who was in
sore distress. Doc Baxter, an eminent physician who had studied abroad, and
who later endowed his alma mater; Bob, an architect whose hobby was work in
the interest of libraries; and big genial Harry — then a manufacturer, now
retired — but a regular attendant at Rotary club meetings, either in Chicago
or in California where he spends a part of his time; John, a decorator; Max,
a furniture dealer; and Charlie, a florist who expressed his good-will in
flowers, one for each plate; a cross-section, so far as it went, of the big
town, each representing an honorable calling differing from all others in
the membership; each viewing it as a special privilege to be selected as the
representative of his vocation, and appreciative of the responsibility
incident thereto; each with a broad catholicity of outlook, and a lover of
his fellowmen. There were no drones in the 1905 group.
THIS
ROTARIAN AGE Page 54
Everyone was interested and busy.
Practically every member contributed some one or more serviceable ideas.
Several of these ideas are in operation today; for example, the mid-day
meeting, the practice of using photographs in rosters, the presentation of
papers on vocational subjects, and many others.
When dinner
meetings became a feature, a ‘Know Your Chicago” campaign was begun, and
meetings were held in all of the important hotels scattered throughout the
entire city in systematic sequence, the ladies of the members frequently
participating in the enjoyment of these social and educational pilgrimages.
Several of the members had been raised on farms, and the majority were of
the class of country and small town boy who in search of fortune had
gravitated to the city. While not self-made men, they were in the process of
making, and most of them had made sufficient progress to justify the
assumption that success in considerable degree was to be realized in the
future. Some had received the benefits of college education; more had not.
The lives of most of them had not been easy. From early childhood they
had been taught to work. Two opposite concepts of life had been pointed out
to them by their kind but not indulgent parents, in order that they might
make wise selection between the two. There was the shiftless,
happy-go-lucky, devil-may-care concept, the goal of which might be the
poor-house, and surely would result in loss of self-esteem. On the other
hand, there was the ambitious, industrious concept which would probably lead
to a position of influence, power, and the respect of the community, as
well. GENESIS OF ROTARY Page 55
When these
young men entered business, their objective was to carry out the wishes of
their parents; to be credits to them; in short, to achieve success. Those of
the number who came from the country had been woe fully lonely at times,
their unruly thoughts flying away to the green fields and the happy
companionship of boy hood. Streets paved with cobble-stones had been sorry
substitutes for green pastures. Those from the country had frequently spent
Sundays and holidays rambling about, gazing upon restless throngs and
dreaming of happier days climbing hills with congenial friends.
The best time and place for a country-bred boy to be lonesome is on a Sunday
afternoon in a city park, where unknown people swarm in search of amusement.
One need never be lonesome, in the country amidst God’s green hills, or
loitering alongside babbling brooks, with the air full of songs of birds and
fragrant with the odors of mint and balsam. City parks give sweltering
humanity opportunity to breathe on hot, sultry afternoons, and bring
happiness in abundance to those who have not been reared to better things.
Others of the group were city-bred and
they had fared much better; they were adjusted to their environment, but
they appreciated good fellowship, and they also were led by the star —
Success. Personal ambition had been largely responsible for the
grouping. United they would stand; divided they might fall. And so they
helped each other in every way that kindly heart and friendly spirit could
suggest. In the main, the efforts were directed to helping each other in
business — helping each other to attain success. They patronized each other
whenever it was practicable to do so, extended helpful influence and gave
wise counsel, when needed. There being no two members of the same vocation,
mutual assistance was very pract | ||||||||||
This
Rotarian Age
Bill, whose
vocation is the real estate business, entered the charmed circle as number
six. He was our first secretary.
Al, a
manufacturer of folding organs, could not have been denied membership after
one had glimpsed his twinkling eye and sensed his humor. He was our second
president. He suffered a stroke some years ago, but he has never permitted
his affliction to break his spirit; he is the same old Al. Suddenly removed
from a life of activity to a life of immobility, he remains undisturbed and
pro’ claiming his happiness to his more fortunate friends.
There was Barney
the undertaker. It required little imagination on the part of him who tagged
Barney with the pseudonym, “Cupid” — he is such a roly-poly individual and
his quiver is always full of arrows. When he lets them fly, they are very
likely to reach their mark — ‘ human heart.
Freddie is
big, hale and hearty, and possesses a magnetic personality; his manifest
geniality impresses even the passing stranger. Men stop on the street, take
a second look at him, smile broadly and pass on. Waiters in restaurants,
shop-keepers, and news boys give him special service and attention. Their
service is spontaneous. Wherever he goes he gets the best of everything.
What does he give in return? Nothing, that he is conscious of. He is just
him self — genial, kindly old Freddie, and he looks the part. He never
learned how to be a gentleman; he didn’t need to; he was born that way.