The Providence news. (Providence [R.I.]) 1891-1906, 1893-12-07
Methodist Social Union holds
Its Aunual Meeting.
Plea FOR ORGANIZED CHARITY
xsds by oeiccrs OF the Providence so-
ciefy- President Andrews Of Brown
Makes an Interesting Address-secre-
tary Tells Of the work Aecompli shod

AT the Ircc00cr0 laSJ evening tne heth-
lodist Social Union held its annual meeting
and supper. The attendance was very
large and the addresses made by the OFF,
.cars of the Society for Organized Charity
.xxcre listened to with the closest atten-
fion as they were particularly pertinent.
AT the annual meeting which followed
thc supper the following named officers
were elected:
President. w. V. Rich.
X First vicepresident-- Henry r. Rogers.
\ Second vicepresident--Cha Il. Han
cock.
sccretary-J. +. G. Farnham.
Treasurer-A. 4. Davis.
Corresponding secretary = Rev. M. j.
Talbot, ID. ID.
Directors H. S. Tarbell, Henry A. FL
.f1eld, Lloyd C. Eddy, Walter B. Mahoney.
u. B. N:clSerson.
The report OF the secretary showed the
'present membership to be 102. New
mem hers were elected as follows: Ira i.
England, Fayette A. Amidon, Charles j.
Hood, f. Allison, Charles l.. Hazard,
William Chase.
President Andrews Address.
The first speaker of the evening was
President Andrews OF Brown university,
who is also the president OF the Society
for Organized Charity. He ex-
pIaincd what organized charity
meant and said, speaking negatively,
Il Is not the introduction ofa new charity,
parallel and collateral with the charities
we have in our churches. Every church
has its own charities. Organized charity
IA a plan 10 bring all those charities into
harmony, SO as to do in the most COM
plete manner what charity wants to do. 1t
Is not proposed To conflict with any
charity now going on, whether secular or
christian. Nor is il intended to amalgamate
and blend churches in this work with any
other work, but to do the work with diff
ferent motives. We bid Godspeed to any
and all the charitable organizations out
Of the church. The thought Is for the
private citizen to GO right ahead as before.
We, OF all denominations, too, shall keep
right on.
where any person who takes charity can
make application, and where investigation
fs made, or caused to be made, as to the
character of the applicant. ! do not
believe there is any charity organization
which has not been cheated. There are
several cases in this city where the bene-
flciaries have been known to have received
.charities from several sources. Mrs.
Giant found in England one family who
had been receiving charity from fifteen
different organizations. This is one thing
that organized charity will stop. The
duty of organized charity is to look up
frauds. Many suggest that the present
societies are very careful and do not in
tend to be cheated. But how can they
help being cheated when they do not
know to what other societies the appli-
cants have been?
Another advantage of orga nized charity
js that since the money now wasted in
frauds is saved, a little money will go a
long ways. 1t is proposed to make it
nearly impossible for any deserving poor
persons to exist without being found out
and helped. The agents of the organized
charity do not give direct help, but refer
the case TO the proper and best scources.
On finding deserving case they ascertain
what especial church would like To
care for the person, or IL they do
not come under the care OF
any church, the case is referred to the
excellent secular organizations. 1t is,
however, the frauds that keep down
charity. The work of charity should be
the work OF the christian people, and they
not suppressing secular organizations,
ohould beat them. The doctrine that
every man should be as good as he can,
end by SO doing the world will take care
Of itself is little one, and one which has
done considerable mischief in the world
Christianity in the future is to save the
world by beating the secular organi-
sations.
Tho MA nagers make.
Mr.. Eli WhitneyBlake, jr., general man
ager of the Society for Organized Charity in
very interesting address gave history OF
the organization and OF its method OF
work. Charity organizations, he said
began in Buffalo, N. ", in 1887. Charity
work there was i'm a very bad condition
that organization was necessary
n the work was to be done
successfully. Their organization
was so successful that other cities soor
followed Buffalos example, and at the
present time no large city in this country
Is without charity organizations except
Chicago. There are two ways in which
these societies grow and develop. On,
Is by transformation OF the old into 9
new, as in Buffalo, and the other Is by
the organization OF an entirely new
society as we have here. A young
society OF our kind has all its trouble.
before IL. People will regard it as q criti-
cism on previous societies. That is fol
from being our idea. have been aston
ished TO find in this city how well the so.
cicties were doing. The only criticism
can make Is that they have no centraliza.
fion, no paid agents, nor general co-opera.
tion. By cooperation we intend TO make
these societies more effective. Only tn,
other day was amused, while in the offic'
Of the ovcrsecr OF the poor, TO find the heae
OF one OF the local societies inquiring a
10 the character OF on applicant TO
Boston society, and who had formcrl,
lived here. J was able 10 inform him tina
tho person in question was well known 4
me and that my knowledge came through
one OF the members OF his own society
showing that as the director Of a CHART
abis organization he did not know wha
work MS subofdinatcs. were doing.