The representative. [volume] (St. Paul, Minn.) 1893-1901, 1893-06-14

3 REPRESENTATIVE.
WITH LoNDoRs POOR.
What Il Being Done and Attenpted bytas
''University Settlement Movement.
Mr.. Percy Alden. warden Of Mans
feld House, the headquarters Of the
university settlement" movement in
east London, has just returned to his
home and work after visit of few
weeks in this country. He visited some
Of the leading centers Of industry In the
United States and collected data upon
social, political and religious subjects.
In the course Of an address made in Chi
cago Mr.. Alden said:
When went to work among the Door
IN the east end Of London, it was not in
any patronizing spirit, but in the spirit
Of brotherhood. It were better that any
reformer should stay away rather than
to 60 among the poor wageworkers with
q spirit of patronage. The university
settlement movement in London is not
to patronize the poor, but to help them.
London has been called, the hell of
cities. IF that is go, then the east end is
it's hottomless pit. Over 10000 people
there are out Of employment. Over 10O,-
600 children never see the inside of q
school. The death rate among the chill
dren Of the poor, as compared with that
among the children Of the west end, is
something terrible. The misery and suf-
fering cannot be described. After had
seen the condition there existing said
to myself, ''Il never rest until have
done something to remove this foul blot
and disgrace from the face of England"
It is my aim to show that it il the duty
Of the church to remove this disgrace
from the face of our nation, and that the
university settlement is to supplement
the work Of the church. In the past the
church has been dealing too much with
disembodied spirits and not enough with
the practical, objective work of rescuing
and lifting up men and women still in
the body. want the church to take up
this objective work. Ninety per cent of
the working classes in London never en-
ter place of worship. This we deplore,
but while we deplore we should also find
remedy.
Many men of brilliant university edu-
cation are spending their lives in the
east end of London doing missionary
work among the worhngmen. AS a
rule, there is no more honest man on
earth than an English workingman. In
my experience met with decker who,
together with his wife and child, was
taken care Of by fellow laborer during
sickness of three years, the average
wages of a decker being only So week.
Will you find such charity in the west
end of London? No. The poor work
ingman, as rule, is unselfsh.
We have in Mansfield House settle
ment over 5000 workingmen, distribute
ed about as follows: Workingmen's club,
700; religious society, about the same;
brotherhood of the society, about 600; a
local parliament, 400; attending various
educational places, about $50.
Our organization includes committees
on public health, visiting, the poor law,
the municipality and other important
subjects. Through these committees we
have the power to remedy evils, because
we control 5000 votes, and we determine
not to support any man for parliament
who hampers with the right. With this
political power which we possess letter
from Mansfield House cannot be disre-
garded.
The special work of the university set
Element is to teach the church that while
it is speaking to the soul it must also
change the conditions that surround the
body.
Icannot help feeling that one reason
the working people are estranged from
the church is that the church has not
lived up to its opportunities. There has
been too much profession and not
enough practice. I am not quite sure
that the working classes recognize pro-
fession, but am absolutely certain that
they recognize practice every time they
sec it.
Lastly, our great scheme is to reor-
ganize industry upon an ethical basis.
In the prevailing system Of fierce COM
petition the weakest must go to the wall.
The moral principle is not considered
We want to do all we can in a peaceful.
Christian spirit to bring about the time
when ethics will be the controlling prin-
ciple among these people. Noble women
have done much to assist our work by
visiting the sick and caring for the chill
dren. Oh, the pity that thousands of
little children should be unhappy in the
world without any fault of their own!
There are thousands in the east end
who know no happiness perhaps except
that Of dancing to the tune of barrel
organ that happens to come into the
street.
It comes to this, my friends: IF Chris
tianity doesn't mean sacrifice, it doesn't
mean anything. AS Sydney Smith said,
cit is very easy to be a good Samaritan
without the oil and the twopenoe."
Poverty Killed Them.
A Norristown Pa) dispatch thus con-
denses a sad story of the operations of
the system under which we live in this
great nineteenth century:
Oppressed by poverty and weary of the
struggle for existence, mother and her