The record-union., 1895-11-19
MORAL AND PRACTICAL SUPPORT.

An ex-Secretary of the Society for
the Prevention of Cruelty to Children
talked a sermon full of common sense
to a San Francisco reporter on Sunday.
1t concerned the feverish excitement
ir that city because of the arrest of
some british men for tampering with
little girls. The ex-Secretary, with a
degree of bitterness entirely pardona-
BILE, criticised the good people of the
city who are SO up in arms just now,
for giving the society only moral sup
port He rightly declares that moral
support will do well enough as mat
ter of sentiment, but that it is of little
value in carrying on prosecutions
against offenders.
In all the history of the society in
San Francisco no minister, he declared,
had united with it, no church had pro-
NOTED means to its benefit, and its
work had received not one cent of as
sistance from the people who are now
so excited about that which is not new,
but has been met with frequently by
the society, and for which more than
once men have been punished.
He says very truly that these cases
are of the most difficult order and re-
quire money, time and high detective
skill in order to succeed with them,
and thus make the effectiveness of the
law deterrent He tells Of cases where
months were exhausted in watching
before sufficient evidence could be accu-
mulated by the officers of the society
to warrant arrests and prosecutions.
But the church people, the humanita-
rians and the very women now en-
gagged in holding mass indignation
meetings and crowding courtrooms to
manifest their feelings have given the
society no assistance worthy of the
name.
AS to packing courtrooms to give
moral support to such a prosecution,
he very properly says that it is OF
doubtful propriety. The assumption
that the court needs moral support,
backing by crowd of men or women,
is offensive and calculated to be inter
preted rather as want of confidence in
the courts.
The criticism of the philanthropist is
In the main if not wholly justified.
There are many good works to-day
languishing and kept on the eve of fail
ure because they have little more than
moral support. The sympathy of their
Lind men and women desire in any
effort made for the good of society,
but that effective work in reforms may
go on it is always necessary that the
amount of sympathy given to the re-
formers should be represented by dol
lars devoted to meeting the costs of
their war against evil.
Vice is always armed with money. 1t
is ever prepared with the sinews of war
OF that order. 1t is always able to en-
pIoy lawyers, detectives and active
agents to serve it It can hunt out the
witnesses it needs and procure their at
tendance no matter how far distant
they may be. The cause of virtue,
however, very often, indeed in most
cases. has to beg at thresholds for
enough of substantial aid to enable it
to do battle. Moral support it has in
plenty, but with that alone it is i'll
armed for defense or assault.
It is a shameful reflection upon the
good people of San Francisco, if it is
true. that those whose profession is the
promotion Of the good and the confu-
sion of evil, have given no practical
and material aid to such societies as
that named. With tens of thousands
of dollars sent abroad for the better
ment of conditions in heather lands
our cheeks should redden with shame
If any organization having the appro-
val of the people, and laboring for the
betterment Of conditions at home
should suffer for want of the material
means with which to work.
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