The Mankato free press. [volume] (Mankato, Blue Earth County, Minn.) 1879-1924, 1894-12-21
MANKAro FREE Press.
PHILANTHROPy'S FIELD.
DIR. ]. II. James Reviews the Question
of Charities and Corrections Before
the Social Science Club.
An Able Paper in Which Vigorous
Questions are Handled in riost
Vigorous Manner

Social Science club arranged in its
program for this year, of subjects re-
lating to municipal government.
Seven meetings during the fall have
been devoted to the subject of cities
and their government. They have
been evenings well spent, proving
both instructive and interesting
Last evening, which closed the series
of papers along this line, DR.. James
read paper on Charities and Cor
rections.' in which he handled the
questions involved in vigorous man
ner and presented fund Of informa-
ton and ideas, which provoked an
equally vigorous discussion OF the
same. We are sorry that time and
space prevent a reproduction OF the
paper entire, or even an extended
synopsis of the same, but there are
numerous points and ideas the sub
stance of which we wish to give, as
the ideas put forth, contain much OF
the real foundation which must be
be built before permanent municipal
reform, or indeed any other reform
can be accomplished.
In the opening pages OF his paper
DIR. James gave brief review of the
work which is done along
charitable lines; the liberality
with which people contribute thereto
and the abuses which spring there
from. He quoted Andrew Carnegie's
statement that for every $1,000 eX-
pended in private charity, $500 did
more harm than good, and clearly
illustrated the difficulty of dealing
with the problem which confronts
society. ''True charity" he said, sis
that which helps the victims OF pow
erty to help themselves" He then
followed the growth of the state
boards of charities and corrections,
and the good which has resulted
therefrom. Also the growth OF prl-
vate charitable associations. From
these organizations, and especially the
former, has grown the national con-
ference of the same, and from these
conferences has emanated much
legislation in the interest
of philanthropy. From this
source has come much of the
improvement which we have made
in the methods of handling our
criminal and pauper population, and
through it thousands of unfortunates
have been kept from drifting into the
channels of crime and pauperism. He
quoted from an essay written by DIR.
Byrd Powell some thirty-fve years
ago, advocating education and refor-
nation rather than punishment for
crime against society, holding that So
ciety was too blame for the criminals,
and that if it dealt justly with it's in
dividuals there would be no criminals.
He then followed briefly with statis-
tics relating to the paupers in New
York, opposed the promiscous
giving of charity, and advocated
that relief be given in a way
which would compel return
in the way of labor therefor, which
would result in the maintaining of
self-respect and the continual re-
moval of this element from the pau
per class.
He then followed with accounts of
various methods which had been taken
to give relief to those who needed it,,
in various cities, through the making
of small loans and the providing of
various kinds of employment. This
brought him to the part which educa-
ton plays in the matter, and upon
Ehis point he said:
"I have heard it reiterated in this
room that so long as the SchOolhouSe
on the hill stands, we need not
fear for the future of our great
republic. The school house has it's
place, and a most important place it
is, and far from me be it to detract
from it's usefulness one iOta, for | ap-
preciate its advantages and necessity
as much as any man. The school
house is an old institution. How
many it has saved from pauperiSm
and crime it would be difficult to esti-
mate. If, quoting one of our able
professors, "a persons character is due
more to education than to nature,
then there is but one method, !. e. to
educate. | am 10th to believe this
statement, however at the same time /
am free to admit that it may modify
character in good degree. Educa-
ton enables many to mask their true
character, and it is notable
/ fact that many of our greatest
and most dangerous criminals are edu-
Gated men and women, and our schools
and colleges are yearly graduating
tramps. College-bred tramps, thieves,
= tricksters, CoXeyites, Swiftites, and
other ties too numerous to mention,
too proud to work but not to steal or
beg. Our schools. as rule, teach too
much and too little. They devote
their energy to the intellectual and
too little to the industrial education,
which is doubly needed in this day
when the old-time custom of appren-
ticeship has become obsolete, by which
our youth can be taught the true
dignity of labor. Our schools will
never fulfill their true mission nor