The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1897-11-29
A CIRCLE OF CHARITIES
ANNUAL MEETING OF THE LOCAL Or
GANIZATION LAST NIGHT.
Addresses by Governor Mount, Prof
Henderson, of Chicago Univer-
sIty, and Alfred +. Potts.

HOuSe. Ou every IlOOf the aiSieS were
crowded with persons who were unable to
find seats. There was also crowded upon
the stage mass of people who could not
be accommodated. Governor Mount pre-
sided over the meeting. On the stage,
tastefully set for the occasion, were Gen.
eral and Mrs. Harrison. Rev. Messrs. ].
Cummira Smith. Christensen, Littell Dew
hurst, Haines, Jenkins, Father Bessonies,
Mr.. and Mrs. Hugh H. Hanna, John H.
Holiday, Mr.. and Mrs. John l.. Griffiths
and many others prominent in the charity
work of the city.
Music was furnished by the choir of st.
Paul's Episcopal Church. in vestments The
exercises began with professional by the
choir, Unfold Ye Portals Everlasting" by
Gounod, Carl E. Hoenig directing. Various
selections were rendered during the even
ing by the choir, and Mrs. Enrique c. Mil
Ter was heard in the solo, THE Holy City"
Charles Hansen accompanying her.
The principal address of the evening was
made by Prof Charles r. Henderson, of
Chicago University, who discussed f'New
Phases of Organized Charity Alfred F.
Potts, of this city, spoke of Our Duty as
Citizens" Rev. Burris A. Jenkins, pastor
of the Third Christian Church, delivered
the invocation. The benediction was pro-
nounced by Rev. Matthias L. Haines, pas
tor of the First Presbyterian Church. A
collection for the society was taken.
Governor Mount delivered brief opening
address. Il esteem it great honor he
said, ito be called upon to preside over this
magnificent assemblage, gathered in the in
terest of organized charity. The noblest
desires are prompted by love, pity and sym
pathy, the best laws tend to mitigate suf-
fering, relieve want and purify society, to
makes homes brighter and the world better
We are proud of this city of churches
schools and homes, but grander than all is
the fact that the spirit of charity has pro-
duced this organization. Paul named the
three great Christian graces faith, hope and
charlty. He declared charity to be the
greatest of them all-love. The work of
charity is growing in town, city and State
one difficult problem is how to determine
without encouraging thriftlesSneSs. Your
society has largely solved this question
and commends you to the confidence of the
people in the future. May Gods blessing
be with the organization, and may it re-
ceive the support and encouragement of all
the good people or our city"
PROFESSOR HENDERSON, ADDRESS.
Come, Holy SPIRIT" by Emerson, was
next rendered by the choir, following which
Governor Mount introduced Professor Hem
derson Many of the great universities
outside of Indiana show wisdom in coming
to this State for their presidents and in
structors. We are glad that DIR. Charles
r. Henderson, who has been called to Chi
cago, has not forgotten his love for his ma
tive State, and is with us tonight to speak
to us. l take pleasure in introducing DIR.
Henderson,"
Social organization for betterment," said
Professor Henderson, sis primarily the or
ganization of social thinking Things are
the outside Of thoughts and thoughts are
the inside of things The heart and brain
are inside. Until the whole community have
common and practicable thoughts they are
poWerless to do reasonable and worthy
deeds. .
"A city or State cannot afford to trust
It's. spiritual organization to chance or to
quacks. For its park system it employs a
landscape gardener; for its palaces of Justice
and public libraries 1t commands artists.
so a great community should appoint and
pay experts to plan it's charity methods,
not as substitute for personal goodness,
but for the most effective direction of So
cial beneficence. Plans for social better
mont must be based on principles inherent
in life and revealed by scientific study and
general welfare which social leaders should
follow must be workable. The present state
OF society is an historic product. 1t is what
it is because of trials and tests in past ex-
perience. 1t cannot be suddenly changed
without disaster. A social scheme which
Is really unavoidable is immoral Imagina-
an actual people have no claims to superb
GRITTY, as some boast. The constructive
genius is a sensible man. He will not at
tempt to construct a Gothic edifce in the
famboyant style out of red brick.
The ideal must be growing-because men
and their institutions are living realities.
Every child is an inventor, q voyager dis
coverer. No human being spends a day I'M
der a changing sky and in the swift-movng
seasons without making new adjustments.
A man cannot be likened to an automatic
clock which is wound up to tick itself to
death in forty years. He is rather a pilot
guiding steamboat in all the unexpected
turnings of the current. This ideal must
be of general welfare, not of private or
class good. 1t must be humane and en-
Velop the feeble as well as the strong. 1t
must not fix too much attention on any one
class millionaires or proletarians. 1t must
seek the highest possible good for all, not
according to some miserable scheme OF lev
cling down. but according to the best pos
sibilities of each man.
SURVIVAL OF THE FITTEST.
"This plan, practical and growing. must
provide for the elimination of the unfit
from human society. Suppression is nee
essary social function. Among plants and
animals natural selection took care of the
plumbers and failures of nature Progress
was long provided for by the early death
of the feeble. While the mighty forces of
vitality surged upward in countless varie-
ties of living beings, crowding each other
on the limited space of this planet merci-
flu law removed often by apparently rude
aid painful means those who could be
only a burden to the living. Our Teutonic
forefathers, when the newborn child was
brought to him, embraced and adopted the
healthy child, but turned his face from the
Weakling and thus indicated its doom. In
pioneer communities this Jaw prevailed with
Slight mitigations down to our own time.
On the frontier the severe conditions of
life, the frightful scenes. the Indian wars,
the terrors of the painless forests, the lone
illness, the hunger, the miasma crushed out
the feeble members of society. To some
extent the same force is at work among
the vicious and the weak, as seen in the
victims of excessive indulgence, and in the
high rate of mortality among ill-fed in
fants But we are slowly discovering that
along with other tendencies. society has
been fostering the feeble. Natural selec-
ton seemed so harsh and cruel, and 1t could
not be let alone to work out its Will. so we
have our sanitary regulations, our hospitals
our asylums our poor relief, our thousand
methods Of keeping the inferior alive.
Therefore. the number OF this class
heaped up is very large; some fear that It
is increasing IT is one of the phases of
the new charity that this social selection of
the unfit has been challenged. We cannot
kill the crippled child. We cannot expose
the imbecile to be deyoured of wild beasts
or frozen or winter night. But we can
be more careful to inclose the most plainly
degenerated members of society in insutu-
tions or give them homes on great farms
until gentle death relieves the world OF their
presence And we can do this in such a
manner that they will have no offspring to