Delaware gazette and state journal. (Wilmington, Del.) 1883-1902, 1891-12-10

cant by the agent of the society No relief
waste be given i'll money and all orders
on grocers or merchants was 10 specify the |
applicants claim for sugar meal, beans or
soap or other necessities. Employment |
was to he the basis Of relief. A record was |
TO be kept Of every gift. A complete per- |
sonal history Of each case was compiled. |
These records We're accessible to those |
who sought information.
Corps of voluntary aids called "Friendly |
Visitors We're formed. principally Of |
ladies' who We're to visit in the families Of
the distressed and needy. by this system
tramp and professional parasites were
driven to more promising pastures. In
Philadelphia, following ont the project so |
nobly begun, the Children's Aid Society,
the Sub.primary School Society and the
Public Education Society of the first class
and various other societies were formed
So much for cities, to which for the most
part, this particular system is intended.
But cooperation and system in the
administration of charitable work arc not
limited to cities. but extend into country
districts and to states, and in short are rs
broad as the mutton; portion Of this
system is official, and as VIC all know is
paid out Of the public treasury. But We
have chiefly to deal with that which IS
senii-oiiicial or eXtra-ofiical. Outside Of
cities in which charities swarm, rs they
never do in rural parts, the chief insti-
tutions are the county Jail and the county
almshouse. These are otficercd politically.
and Of the two, the one which Of all other
institutions most needs reform more than
insane hospitals. is the Jail This seems
to have no local or state organization for
its reformation. In Pennsylvania. as else
where, there is an Association of the Over
seers of the Poor, which considers matters
relating to the proper management of
of alnshouses, and it is a most beneficial
one. 1t takes the superintendent from
one place TO another visiting the best aims
huisesi creates emulation among them
and an esprit du corps leads them to
study of their subject and makes science
of i, But. the county jails are left to
foreign bodies to deal with, or the National
Prison Association. | am not aware that
the sheriffs or prison wardens or iaiers
have any state combination Of arts. 1t
would perhaps, be well If the Almshouse
Association were to enlarge its borders and
become State Conference of Charities
and Corrections corresponding with and
leading up to the National Conference Of
| Charities and corrections, and dealing with
all penal and charitable institutions in
rural counties, by direct representation.
| The State Board of Charities are boards
| of outside inspection. They are most i'm
| portant, and almost indispensable factors,
| however, in the proper administration of
| charities. Properly constituted. state boards
and criticism. Executive and administra-
! tive power are not conferred upon them,
| for these are better exercised by officers
always on the spot. For advice however,
and comment on defects, q fatherly board,
cognizant Of every institution, with ample
| power to invade and inspect, to compose
| and select and compare the best methods
| in use, is simply inval liable i'll state. II is
| not to gainsay this. when say that, with
| all the exposure of the horrors of the dun
geons since the DAYS of John Howard.
there are county iails to-day in the best of
our states, where no imprisonment is
| visible, jails worthy of the days of the in
| quisition. 1t cannot be denied with all the
discussion of the prison question, our
| prison systems still need turning upside
down.
The duties of state boards vary in differ
/ ent states. In Pennsylvania the state
board has supervision over all almshouses,
prisons and charitable institutions gener-
ally, including though statuary commit
tee OF the board the hospitals for the in
| sane, and comprising altogether several
hundreds of institutions. They are en-
powered, at all times, to visit and inspect
all parts of the institutions, and their
| books and records and officers are obliged,
under penalties, TO grant them free access
to these.
In some states the supervision Of the in
sane is given to an entirely separate com
mission. In Pennsylvania there is a sepa-
rate board OF health. In Massachusetts
"health lllnacy and charity have been
combined in one board. The board is ex-
pected to study the whole theme scientific
ally and to be able to institute correct
methods and improved ways of treating
lunacy, panperisn and crime. We have
also the National Conference of Charities
and Corrections, supplemented by the MAJ
tional Prison Association. The National
ot,l 4
admits to its membership and to full par-
tieipaton persons engaged in all sorts of
charitable and penal undertakings. The
conference meets annually in one of the
leading cities Of the Union. Here opinions
are expressed by persons from all over the
country. It's discussions are OF ncstimablc
valte.
Although organization is beneficial there
is yet possibility of there being too much
of it; that is too many organizations. This
is only Il waste of money. There is no use
establishing hundred orphanages in one
city when five will suffice. There is oft
times too much organization at the top
and not enough at the bottom. Organiza-
ton means order and economy of forces
"Order is beayens first law The evolu-
tion Of nature favors it, the human frame
illustrates ii. The systematic provisions
for the proper contluct of all philanthropit
work. which have outlined, is not Il Sii
what has been adopted in this country
with great practical success.
Human inperfeclions enter not only
into their devising but into their cyeclt
ton. We creep slowly on towards perfec
ton, if we progress at all in that direction
| could picture a beautiful Utopia, iii
which an absolutely perfect administration
OF all movements for the good of tn,
afflicted should be a lending characteristic
But it would necessarily be millenial and
, relate to a more perfect state of humanity
! than that we find around us. 1t is the
! part of practical common sense to dea
with things just as they are and not to cx
pect impossibilities. But we are responsible,
ior not using the best implements, and tht
, best system that God and nature" have
put into our hands.
Mrs, Abby Morton Diaz of Boston
: the next speaker, saleated as her sub
: iect: "Duty of the State to its future
! citizens in regard TO its own welfare
! Mrs. Diaz stated that, as il was already
, late, and she proposed delivering thi!
same address at the high school, Friday
, evening, she would make her speecl
j last evening necessarily brief. SnG sait
, that the first duty of the State was t
look after the welfare of its children anC
see that they were properly educated
|, and given every opportunity to secure {
higher mental culture The speaker
/, was opposed to the employment 0
! children in mills, and advocated th,
S passage of law prohibiting the EN-
c ployment OF children in amy mill lor shol
! of any kind until they reached mort
+ mature age.
: AT the request Of MIR. Garrett, Judg,
I Ball, who was present upon the stage