The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1882-08-06
CHARITY AND SOCIAL SCIENCE
A Memoras,e Addre.. BIZ Gov. rider.

vas called 10 order by charles ovt SecFoIary OF me
made the following address OF welcome;
dENTLENEN OF THE CONFERENCE oP CHAR1-
TIES: A Chief Magistrate Of the state OF New
York. II IL myplcasing office to welcome you to
this charming and fashionable resort. which
Ia fast becoming the shrine Of political social
nnd scientific pllgrimages. Two'grcat conven-
tions forming an essential share Of the volun-
tary machinery by which the competitions Of
parties are carried on and elective govern
mont over a continent is made possible
have recently held their sessions in this
place: and today your conference. CON
nected with tho Association for the Advance
mont OF Social Science brings 10 this same do
lightful retreat u class OF men with worry DIFF
fcreut obIc It's. not less important: more com.
prehensivo in their scope and more permanent
In their consequences 1t brings here gentle-
mon distinguished for their learning. for their
accomplishments. and for their benevolence
Aconfcroncc of charites What noble rivalry
is implied In these words. You are here not
to further your own interests-not oven to pro-
mote the material wcll-bcing OF those com
munities which you represent but'to consider
what can best BIO done to cure the wounds and
mnladies Of society.
What has thus far been accomplished toward
removing the evils OF paupersm crime. and
insanity will be disclosed to you when the
regular reports OF tho committees charged with
these subjects shall come before you. will not
anticipate them or trench upon their domain.
My office Is simply to express TO you the earnest
sympathy. the strong approva |. and the spirit
Of cooperation OF this great Commonwealth
which represent to-day.
In the past three centuries the progress of
Science mas been some thing marvellous In
ssd IN All i hosye ana Of
which in modern phrase are comprehended
under the name of biology. tho achievements
hot th..n los ltaa.N. ,.r,ro
In science would have to so through a fresh
novitiate to understand what are now ascer:
scarcely comprehend, the revelations Of the the
modern instruments that have been employed
sS05 Whe they Goad %ere "
watch and define the general movements and
given to us to discern their secret Internal
4onstitution. Priestley Lavosicr. and even
b,ayy Mould Ian, have to 80 throngh new training
other departments of science the achieve
ments have been equally surprising
great results been accomplished2 By patient
study. by diliGent experiment. by researches
places of naturef You will answer it was not
by these means alone. 1t was in q large de
and scientific methods to these inquiries. Now
you propose. Eentemen, to extend tho appliea-
n hs and s mda as S to fpP the
the problems of human society. | congratu-
Se ycn that In s0ns it pq do i under the
must derive, instruction, and qid-at least
and that is valuable from intercourse with
the Intelligent. cultivated gentlemen who
that the complex phenomena of society its
Grand tides 81 movement. its SUGGESTIONS OF
tality, paupersm crime are capabIe of being
anaiyzcd studied and reduced to formula.
Now. gentlemen. it seems to me that no more
interesting no more important object OF in
vestigation could be presented to the human
mind. am quite sure that the application OF
grand results elsewhere will astonish YOU
will astonish every one by the results which it
viii be applied Even those most uncertain
things That depend on the human Will, arc, ca:
being classified and their results stated
Human life has been held forth in the sacred
Thing possible: and yet, II you will take large
number OF individual lives and group them
You can compute within a fraction their aver
my home is, and its Immediate suburbs, there
aro something like half a million of families.
those families should know What ATTIC food they viii
have upon their table Tomorrow. and yet evory
plan even without purpose. They lind every
thing they desire TO supply their wants or graf
is left at the end OF tho day All over this cont
nent; in every part of II. myr!ads OF busy
mart of traffic and centre OF population In
the immediate vicinity the articles Of heavy
n bsp aaI small value ae %E of
nessee and on the broad savannas Of Texas is
being prepared the beef which every day feeds
this immense population and in all these tens
OF thousands Of producers there is no concert,
no plan. No man knows what his neishbor is
TO produce; no man, knows who viii buy the
products of his industry and vet all the re-
suits sui OF their production are sent forward to
every day an adequate sale.
forty-hye millions Of people is choosing what
no desires TO pnipy Of
PROPOSING what he shall take from his own la
Dor to pay Tor what he purchases from abroad.
There have bceG those who haze kept awake
nights for fear that we should buy everything
,lAdlressing , 4. Wells FrSsid"nt u the So
you have been able to save yoursnif and rescue
many others from that apprehension. lAp-
Tor two or three hundred wise mon in the city
OF Washington TO decide and specify what We
save us from the calamity which would other
wise fall upon us.
at h9Y i it o that th srsat multi
acting separately and INDEPENDENTLY, find
themselves averaged and compensated until
an eubflum Of forees # Is nv, ihHt the Divine
Being has impreSsed upon everything order,
divergent oven the most uncertain, even those
things III the individual taste which we cannot
them IN ar asst g pGd az we f 70
telligbc forms Now, understand that what
you propose to do is to apply this same method
of investigation to pauperism, to crime. 10 in
sanity. and all those cases where gov
ornamental interference or governmental in
telligencc is deemed to DO Necessary. do
not doubt, i you win study these SUSPECTS with
attention diligonco and patience, that You will
confer great bGnefartions upon this community
and upon the whole country. | cannot CON
clude however, without one word OF warning,
and that j. this:
The emotional and sympathetic mind seek
Ing out r"lief for evil, distinctly seen and
strongly felt, looking perhaps upon specific
evil with view somewhat out OF proportion to
its relation 10 all the Interests II society, and
going to tho public treasury forP fund from
instincts and not restrained by any consider
alton limiting its disposition or its power, no
doubt leads sometimes TO extravaganza in tho
public charities. had occasion last ycar and
the year before, 70 object to Tho magnil cence
OF tho public buildings boin% cvected In this
State for those purposes. aud the caution
i wish to suggest TO you to-day il this. that
while all tho Heayrn-bOrn. Qod-gtven senti-
ments of humanity may fairly have their scope
In operating upon your minds and your hearts
to impel Won to Tolicve evils Of THIS character
IL