Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1886-10-30
take their pay. This went on from November

take their pay. This went on from November
| sTRAsBURa FOUND NAKED, LEFT THE BEST
| CLOTHED CITY IN EUROPE.
There was no begging and the European press
| said that some American travellers found Stras-
burg naked and left it at the end Of eight
| months the best clothed city in Europe.
This was doubtless true, for she had a surplus
| of 10000 garments TO send to the destitute of
| Paris at the fall of the commune. This COM
menced a little the solving OF my problem AS
! carried 1T abroad brought il back with me
| four years later. with this one test. But / also
bring the government of the United States into
adhesion with The international treaty of
/ may be, OF the sufferings incident to war.
Neither Is this subject to enter into the consid-
erations OF this evening. It is sufficient to say
that the success which this effort at treaty
4 making achieved left no cause for complaint
| nor room for encouragement. The practical
application Of the principles of this treaty calls
| Tor the existence of societies formed to keep
| themselves in readiness to meet the emergen-
| cies OF war In its own country and the help Of
those suffering from 1t in Others
THE RED CROSS IN THE UNITED STATES.
| national society, with auxiliaries every
where-here was an idea. Here was not a single
ray, but the broad sunlight of a solution of my
prooiem These societies, acting under the Ma
tlonaI, which must always exist as the inter
national medium tor the treaty to act through,
would be permanent in their nature, formed to
move only in the greatest Ofemergencies Why
supervision and relief of the other class of great
caiamlt1eS In civil life, which we denOminate
| national. and which are liable TO occur at one
or another point of the country at any moment
Never meddling with small local troubles, which
should be TO them like industrial aims-giving,
ana strictly forbidden by the constitution under
which they would exist, but to be instantly in
readiness with funds or material when called or
needed to act in great emergencies.
There would be constituted Il system OF relief
equal 10 the most extensive disaster, far
human aid could equal: 1t would form legal
lied and efficient vehicle, so to speak, TOR not
only the people who desire to send aid, but the
government as well, to act through, and very
properly this latter, the organization being in a
manner a part of itself. l thought my plan
worth trying, and did try it, and the results of
this trial have again lett little cause for COM
plant and none for discouragemenL You per-
haps know less Oft than really exists, for you
perceive, 1t has been the solution OF problem.
No alchemist ever watched his crucible more
eagerly nor inteptiy than the working OF my
plan. 1t has done some work, but il mas never
boosted, and think you have never seen much
spread-eagle connected with its doings. Like
your own, it is earnest and determined work,
and all work.
CHARITY ORGANIZATION SOLVES THE INDIvID-
UAL PROBLEM.
Now. while was solving my part of the prob
lem the great, earnest thinkers of society have
taken in hand the other portion, and a system
of charity organizations for the everyday work
OF life has come into existence which, properly
persisted in. cannot fail of accomplishing its
great purpose. Ii steadily persisted in and
firmly held, the entire system OF pauperism,
beggary and vagrancy and, in large degree,
the petty vices attending them. must inevi-
tabiy sink away under the pressure of its wise
and parental rule.
As a bureau of information. it puts into COM
municatiOn the person needing work to do and
the person needing work TO be done. AS a pro-
| lection against imposition. it promptly warns
society OF the presence, character and attempts
of the imposter or double dealer. 1t points the
way and opens it for the really helpless and des-
pendent TO find home in the public institu-
ton To which he or She properly belongs, and a
most hopeful and encouraging feature is that
one sees 1t, here, working with the officers of
the city administration and in hearty CO.
operation with them. There lies largely its
great power and final success.
Yet in spite OF all this your path will not be
one of flowers. The DID, eternally old. custom
| OK prOmiscuous, individual alms-giving, has
demoralized not only the recipients, but the
givers OF so-cailed charity. Both parties are
spoiled children, both are blind ana both will
blame you. In spite OF all endeavOrs, it will
be difficult to make a considerable portion of
the community understand how mere employ
ment can be charity. why he earned il MINI
self, they will argue, as II that destroys its
| value. And again, if the society gives nothing
but this, it cannot have much value, for it
doesn't cost it anything. 1t does not, indeed!
Time, thought, brain, nerve, aching heads,
| sore, sad hearts, it hasn't cost her any
thing! indicating Mrs. Spencer). To deaths
| door she dragged ii with her, and with blood
| less hands raised to heaven, sent up her pity
| ing prayer for life to drag the burden on 1t
| will be cruelty long you bring the aims
with their dollar.
Then of the poor themselves, only the intelli-
gent and honest but will curse you. l have in
| mind a case OF this kind. Not long since a
woman came to me whom l Glanced to know
about To commence with, she had no possible
said she "had been everywhere" and | knew
she ought to be good, for there wasn't a church
in the city she had not some time represented
herself as belonging to- No one supplied her
as she desired, and she came To see what the
Red Gross would do; she heard they were
charity iolks. Had she been to the Asso-
Yes hay had
little, but not enough. DID she Know now" OF ne tbe
Charity Organization society?" "Oh, yes, she
| poor; she never heard of their giving anything
| but work TO anybody; she didn't see what they
| was ior; they didn't do no gopd TO nobody; she
guessed they Kept all the money they got for
| themselves. Could the Red Cross do anything
| Tor her?' L don't know ii my reply was any
| satisfaction TO her, although tried 10 adapt it
| to her case by informing her that it would not
be i'll the customary line OF he'd Cross work TO
| supply her. Still realized that possibly such
as she came as near being national cntuntities as
We generally had to deal with, but, as that was
| not an ordinary view OF the case it would be
! necessary TO Consult my committee before act
! ing.
| l am aware that a tender hearted person
| might feel this 10 be HARD treatment toward a
| poor woman who only came 10 beg; STILL ii one
reflects, II was better than her treatment to ali
/ oil
l name such incidents merely to show you
that know what you have, and will have, in
| the future to encounter. and wade through and
outilve. GU will sacrifice personal FRIENDSHIPS
dismayed. You are right.
In this land, with its millions of unbroken
/ and unclaimed acres,its protective Institutions
| It's Tree schools, It's THRIFT, its Ieeming worK-
shops, its enterprise, It's intelligence its good
Will and good fellowship, there is no need Tor
! the able-bodled to beg, and there should be no
Vagrancy. Your work is educational, This is
| ever slow and hard.
| III II may venture to speak of our organization
which has never yet in America come up to
the majesty OF a national conference in com
parison with yours, should say believe that
between the two we have com passed the en- tire
| subject OF relief Deeoiul for any people or any
| nation. Where charity Organization work
/ leaves OF the Red Cross should BEGIN and
/ when the emergency Is met the SUPER ision
naturally relapses back to the Charity OrganiZa-
l lions, 10 remain systematically there until
again thrown out OF gear by some other I'M
| toward event, when there rusnes in-shall saw
! lt!-this other body OF experts, which, from
knowing little OF other things has come to ieeI
ttiat IL does know some thing abouI the manage
/ meht Oh relief among great bodies OF people
ing tnls view OIL tine two subjects there was
/ perhaps, not SO much untitness as at first
seemed In our coming together to compare
( notes. and l ann led 10 withdraw my charge
against dear Mrs. Spencer, and decide that ii
you can forgive her this infiIction can
| The Outlook In Ireland.
| JOHN billions VIEWS AS TO ANOTHER LAND
| WAR.
| John Dillon has an article on the Irish ques-