Lancaster daily intelligencer. [volume] (Lancaster, Pa.) 1864-1928, 1885-07-08
0be Ca,,taster 1ntclliacufer.
LANCASTER. JULY $. 1885.
Our Mixed Charities.

IL Is gratifying to see an investigating |
commission which feels it to be its duty to |
Investigate Such an illustration is af
forded in the report of three gentlemen
who were requested by Commissioner of In
dian Affairs Atkins to investigate the con-
dition of Lincoln Institute, Philadelphia.
This charity, in order to secure a share of
the government appropriation for Indian
education takes number of Indian child
rem and tries to combine their instruction
and training with that of the boys, sur
rendered by their parents or guardians,
whose training was the primary object of
the school
The committee consisted of Daniel NJ.
Fox, C. Stuart Patterson and w. f.
Harrity, and as might have been expected
from the character of the commission and
the qualifications of its members, they en-
gagged upon their work with universal dill
gence and prosecuted it with signal
thoroughness.
" Their report, which has just been made
fpublic, shows deficiency in nearly every
department of the institution. II is lack
ing in building accommodations, in sani-
tary advantages, in industrial and mora
training in dormitory facilities and in play
room and recreation grounds. has come
to this condition, too, despite the fact that
very worthy and estimable people are re-
sponsible for its management.
The report of the investigating com.
mittee is notable not only for the direct
ness with which these deficiencies art
pointed out, but because it illustrate.
by this average example the condi
tion of great many so-callet
mixed charities in this state, which de
pend partly upon private henefactions ant
more or less upon state or government ait
Ito make up their shortcomings. Most o
them have been founded in some generou
individual or local impulse which project.
them upon plan that csap0t be sustained
When It declines or has been exhausted tn
state is called to the relief, though the pr
vate control and management continues
and there ensue a divided support and rt
sponsibility in which the state is general
the loser.
KM For sweet charity's sake" and for th
aIonTealth's best interests, we hav
l6ng been of opinion that this mike
i system is bad one; and that all institl
.a that seek state aid should bring then
selves under state control. Some Of tn
training schools and reformatories are tr,
ing to do with the young Indians what wa
undertaken at the beginning of til
soldiers orphans school system
this state, combining charity schoO
with those for the wards of tf
state, for the purpose of maxim
the government appropriation pay mol
than fair share of the expenses. 1t di
not work well in practice, because it wa
wrong in theory. So is our mixed systel
of public charities. Some of these can |
and ought to be run exclusively on privat
u benefactions of some the state shoul
take entire hold, support and administer
others might be proitably remanded to tn
care of the counties, and some ought to b
entirely extinguished. But in all and an
event the management should be solel
where the support comes from, and ther
should be no divided responsibility.