Page:American Journal of Sociology Volume 3.djvu/22

 8 77A AMERICAN JOURNAL OF SOCIOLOGY

the ward, hi his business to entertain. It does not matter he does n^t select his quests; that convention is useless nong them. Ijj fact his democracy is one element 'of his , strength. His place is the common meeting ground of his neigh- bors and he supplies the stimulus which renders social life possible; tl n accretion of intelligence that comes to him in hN business ile hears the best stories. He is the first to get accurate information as to the latest political deals and social series. The common talk of the day passes through his ears and he is known to retain that which is most interesting. He himself articulates in a larger social center composed of many social leaders like himself who, each representing his own follow- ing, together come to have a much larger power and place than the average citizen. My workingman is not too democratic to respect the ready intelligence, the power, and the better dress of the leader in his social center. They draw him to the saloon, and once there they continue to hold him. In addition the saloonkeeper trusts him for drinks a debt of honor yea more, he lends him money if in greater need. But the saloon- keeper is only one element in this analysis of attraction, and by no means the strongest. The desire to be with his fellows the fascination which a comfortable room where men are has for him is more than he can resist; moreover the things which these men are doing are enticing to him; they are thinking, vying with each other in conversation, in story telling, debate. Nothing of general or local interest transpires which they do not "argue" out. Their social stimulus is epitomized in the saloon. It is center of learning, books, papers, and lecture hall to them, the clearing house for their common intelligence, the place where their philosophy of life is worked out and from which their political and social beliefs take their beginning. As an edu- cational institution its power is very great and not to be scorned because skilled teachers are not present, for they teach them- selves. Nay, verily, the apostle of the new education may wel- come this as an illustration of education not divorced from social life by bonds of convention.