The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1896-06-05
A NEW PHILANTHROPY
CARE OF THE PAUPER, THE INSANE
AND THE CRIMINAL.
President Wright's Address at the Ma
tfonaI Conference OF Charities
and Correction.

GRAND RAPIDS. Mich. June 4-The
tyenty-third national Conference of Chari-
ties and Correction was formally opened
this evening in the auditorium OF the ST.
Cecilia Building. with about two hundred
delegates present. Mayor Stow made a brief
address OF welcome, and President Wright
responded with his annual address. He said
in part:
.The new philanthropy of the dawn of the
twentieth century has certain distinguishing
characteristics. On the philosophical side it
studies causes as well as symptoms. and it
considers classes as well as individuals. On
the practical side it tries to improve con-
ditions; to build up character as well as to
relieve or punish. believing that the essential
causes of pauperism or crime is usually some
defect inside the pauper or criminal as we'll
as bad conditions around him, and it seeks
for prevention as well as for cure.
'"Tae new philanthropy is slowly win
ming it's way. 1t is cutting off the entail
of hereditary paupeFism. and crime, and
insanity and idiocy in a very large degree
by keeping detectives in institutions which
resemble heaven in at least one particular,
because there is neither marrying nor CIV
ing in marriage IN them. Unless We are
prepared for the drastic measures of whole
sale death or equally wholesale castration
We must cut of defective heredity by the
of Wholesale Imprisonment. And while it is
thus cutting OF defective heredity 1t is also
destroying the dangers of bad environment
FOR children by removing them from it,
The criminal, the fpauper, the tramp
the neglected child. even many of the insane
and the idiotic are all interrelated with
one another and are mutually exchangeabie
The object of the treatment of all is first
and foremost the protection of society and
this protection is 10 be secured in all these
cases by essentially the same methods-by
cure if possible and where cure is not pos
sible then by some form of guardianship
in or out of institution. The greatest task
ment of crime To reorganize our whole
prison system so that 1t shall be based upon
that Of executing vengeance upon the of
fender, of restoring manhood instead or
crushing it, Will be remarkable achieve
ment, but / do not despair Of seeing even
this great task accomplished IN the next
quarter century.
The tramp question is one which only
public authorities and By private citizens
to almost absolutely eliminate II. The mo-
ment that any city or county or State Sc
to ali vagrants the .hobos' leave that COM
munity.
''The cure of the insane. where that is
possible, Is true philanthropy. But SO small
a part of the insane are actually cured that
we are accumulating q mass OF chronic in
sane, most of whom must be supported by
the public the rest OF their lives. The prob
lem in this case is to provide humane care
for all OF them, not for part only,
at the expense of the rest; to make them
as nearly self-supportirg as possible and TO
prevent the propagation of insane heredity.
The economic objects of the new phil
anthropy is TO reduce the number of defec-.
tive classes TO make them as nearly as pos
sibe self-supporting and to protect the pub
lie against the dangers to life and health
and property they are liable to occasion.
This is far-sighted economy"
The address was followed by an informal
reception rendered By the local committee
to the delegates. There was large at
tendance of ministers and nrominent resi-
dents of the city and an hour or more was
spent in getting acquainted.