The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1896-11-02

construction and for its dedication yester-
DAY He leaves today for San Francisco.
stopping en- route 1T Portland
Y0R HOMELESS CHILDREx.
Rev. George e. Hoover On the work
of the HOmc Society.
The Rev. George. X Hoover u. D., gen.
eral superintendent OF the National Chill
dren's Home Society. whose once is IN
Chicago. delivered an address on the
needs, methods and success OF chsld-saving
In the First Methodist Episcopal church
yesterday morning. Mr.. Hoover has been
engased in the work-of this society sor
more than eight years. He organized the
first state auxiliary TO national move
uent In Iowa His wide reading Of child
saving literature and methods. his large
personal experience In the work and his
devotion TO IL enables him TO hold the at
tention OF his hearers. This method of
child-saving work. although very simple
In Its methods. Is q revelation to nearly
all who heard 1t. Mr. Hoover said In part:
From timo tmmemorial the heart OF hu-
manity has turned toward unfortunate
children. yet, strange to say, the Protest
ant church. OF ali denominations has un-
Willingly and uninten;ionally neglected
this most pitiable class OF suffering hu-
mainly. The Christian life should be an
Intensely practical life. We think Of 1t
as such In most or the practical affairs OF
life. No prayer Ia offered so frequently.
and perhaps more earnestly. than, Give
US this day our daily bread Yet we 60
not for moment think that our Heavenly
Father VIII supply the bread unless we
are workers together with Him. This is
also true regarding raiment. the aequi-
sition OF knowledge. and the affairs o. life.
whether In the social or business world.
II " surprisingly strange. therefore, that
We should expect the Divine Father TO
care for neglected. abused and homeless
children. without our intelligent. careful.
conscientious and persistent cooperation.
Yet. what has Professionalism done for
homeless childhood? The great Methodist
Episcopal church can count but SVEN or
phanages. subject to its supervision and
care. while half Of that number provides
for only an average OF about twenty each.
The Presbyterian. the Baptist and the
Congregationaiist churches have not gore
beyond the same average. as to either in
stftu;ions or numbers cared for.
"AIl this despite the fact that Job ap-
peals to God for his integrity. for the
reason that he cared for the fatherless.
While David declares that God will be n
father Of the fatheriess. and James that
pure religion and Undecided before God
and the Father IL this. to visit the fa-
ther;ess and the widows In their afflic..
ticn.'' Shall We inquire why. therefore,
the Christian church ~ we'll as the heart
OF humanity at large, has done well nigh
nothing In this most p!tiable and lauda-
bic work. The low plane upon which the
thought OK society - found. respecting
this work. IL seen In the fact that. while
the United States census enumerates the
sheep. oxen and other domestic animals OF
our country. u falls to give us any SUM-
cient data respecting the hundreds OF
thousands OF homeless children In these
United States. The best data obtainabie
indicates that there are about i0o, 900 chill
dren In AL classes OF private and public
institutions: but the experience OF the
Chiidren'n Home Society shows that we
receive about fivs homeless children In 10
the care Of the society for every one re-
ceived from . public institution. There
IL rsason 60 believe thar there are not
less than 60o.00o. possibly 700 co. homeless
children IN the United States alone. I
use the word homeless. rather than or
paans. for the reason that while there
are multitndes OF children who are so UNI
fortunate ~ TO have neither father nor
mother Avina. there are other mu,atudes
perhaps even larger. who are stin more
unfortunate. because both father and mo-
Their are living. Among tho most pitiable
cases are frequently those who are both
neglected and abused by parents most
vicious. cruel and vile. OF these hundreds
OF thousands OF homeless children II Is
believed that ave out OF every seven are
ETY.. because OF their environments.
THE suffering OF these children In mind
and heart and body calls for earnest and
immediate action The misappication of
the large sums of money contributed by
taxation for the rescue OF these children
Is often not only wasted. but so mis-
applied that we are producing not only
/ r rA&v a~t- H.xf ~ of~
tsrs. and often moussrositiex. They were
made paupers by their environments
mother Is placed on the poor fund with
her child or children. Tho children grow
mp TO eat rauner bread ana wear rauper
rairaent. Self-respect and self-depend-
eace soon die out. and they expect to live
without labor. Thus generations are
prepaga;ed. The methods az cur society
place these children In approved family
homes. where they ara taught seif-de-
pcndencc and self-respect. The rervert-
ed use OF tax money ceases and q self
respecting member OF society Is devel-
cped. The society includes . national or
gan.xatfon. thus securing uniformity Of
methods In all organized states. A care
fully chosen state board OF managers SCI
cures system and business methods. while
by means OF stats and district s0perin-
tendencies. needed oversight. Information
and method Il secured. A carefully Sc
iected local AHStsory board secures need
e5 Information respecting families who
apply for wards of the society. and need
Ell local oversight after they are placed.
A complete register OF al family homes
willing 10 care for . ward OF the socsesy
I Is possible In every state. while by the
same methods the homeless children are
discovered and . proper adjustment Sc
cured BY this inexpensive method the
society has already cared for nearly AGao
children The oversight Is 50 perfect that
not even one case 81 great neglect CT
abuse has been discovered.
The socssty from IT'S beginning. rAtr-
te@n years since. has now developed It's
shssty Go care fer this CASA Of children
- that an average 80 more than seven
ehsldren per css are taken from places OF
poverty. distress and vicious su~round-
mas and paced 4H wsli-approssd fanny
homes Under THIS sysieEa fysars the De-
xsEAxssnx os the work. In sse and oae-halr
years taere were ess5 family honses found
IN Iowa asoxae willing 10 receive warts Of
the society. xAsie fxsoge than so hornelass
cfssidgvn we're thas provided for at an
aver2xe expense 81 about SsA PER ca9ssi
| God sess~sa sae solitary M faznslies' sie
has ordained tee fausaiy as the grx 81 So
csssy. Iae ~ord 'ospa~nAse' Gexs aet