The Saint Paul globe., 1897-10-13
ADDRESS BEFORE THE PHILAN-
THROPIC CIVIC CONGRESS By
REV. DIR. SMITH.
MOST AGENCIES IMMORAL.
THE ST. PAUL DIVINE EXPRESSES
HIS VIEWS FRANKLY. AND
BLUNTLY.
HOPE LIES IN SMALLER CITIES
Great municipalities, Are Not Best
Adapted to the Solution of
Pending SOciall Problems.

BATTLE CREEK, 4Mich., Oct 12-
The Interstate Civic Philanthropic con-
gress commenced it's meetings here to-
night and will continue until Sunday
night. Over 5000 people attended the
opening session. Mayor Metcalf, of
this city, presided, and addresses of
welcome were made by Rev w. S.
Potter and ex-Congressman George
Willard. The address of the evening
was delivered by Rev. Samuel G. Smith,
D. D., st. Paul, professor of sociology
in the University of Minnesota, who
spoke at length on municipal matters,
especially in their relation to home in
fuences, education, philanthropy, or
ganized charities, foreign born citizens
and crime. DR.. Smith said:
There three classes of remedies for
poverty They are palliative, curative or pre-
yentive. The value of these is exactly. in
the inverse order of their general attractive
ness. Generations of human history teach
the painful fact ttat society have all
the beggars she is willing to feed AS emo
t t'onal giving by unframed fingers, which SIM
ply n.ultipiies the evils that it seeks to re-
lieve must be put under the ban so equally
must political giving be put down. More
than $10GC0 900 every year are spent in what
is known as outdoor relief by the hands
of public officials. 1t is not too much to say
that this enormous sum in the bulk, is not
only wasted but tends to create and perpetu-
ate q PauPer class in almost every COM
munity There are some communities, indeed,
where the public officers show a Spartan v1r
tue. reduce pauperisn and only assist those
who cannot help themselves-the child, the
old and the sick
The new methods of organized charity de-
mand the federation of charity agencies. The
relief agencies of municipalities, of churches,
and of private charities, should have cen
tral bureau where the entire dependant popu-
.ation of tie community, after careful in
vestgat:on, is properly registered. Inls
knowledge is the foundation of all wise and
ployed the ward heeler no longer sends a
lead of coal or basket CT provisions 70 ms
favorite strikers for the greater efhclency
of party organization. The spectacle OF Cnl-
cago policemen going around as relief agents,
in the distress of last winter, may have been
necessary in the immediate emergency, nut
it was a sad sight to every one interestso s
in a sound philanthropy based upon the
rigorous exclusion of those able to support
themselves ard these unworthy of relief ex-
cept under drastic cond-tions!
UNWISE AGENCIES.
1t may as we'll be said frankly and blunt
ly that most of the agencies employed to as.
sist present distress are, in the judgment OF
those best qualified to have an opinion, not
only unwise but positively immoral. Free
lodging houses, free soup, ana most aills
giving, belong to ferns OF soc.allsm 81 Will I,I,
are chiefly valid and valuable for those who
prefer ignorance, shiftlessness and vice, 10
intelligence, thrift and virtue:
II is often urged that our foreign popuia-
ton is the great burden of American mu-
nicira!ities A searching analysis OF the
facts will scarcely warrant this CONCLUSION.
Foreign born citizens commit raener less
than their proportionate snare OF calne' oI1' anu
if the children of foreign born parents COM
nit rather more than their proportion, II
would seem to be a reflection upon the Wnoie- lt
someness of the American environment; 1nere
is no doubt that respect for law Is less
deenIy seated in Americans than in european
cities The laxity of police ADMINISTRATOR
would seem to be responsible for the corrup-
ton of the American-bern 'chhdfeh OF pafenes ne
coming from abroad. ItHmay be that the
very genius of American institutions mas
brought its own dangers. The WORD LioerIy
has been filled with meaning ,iicolnpa'ip ipae ,a
With order and safety. With all proper re
snect to the police and detective forces IN
American cities there is Wide spreau ,I wi
viction that their administration mlght easily
be made more just, Uniform oa, anu aIectinns hut
national ones as well, that corrupt our cltles.
We ridcule the expenses OF stahdlhs ainiles
and of royal families IN Europeah ed ,ore mon
ey than these follies cost III oeoauchins ooi
free citizenship. ,ht +ho+
hroadar view than has been current should be
established with respect to the ponce Iuhc-
ton of a city government. The department leln
of health must be made more 1,nsanie
and more efficient 1t must condemn unsanl.
tarv buildings public and private. IL 1husl
insist that the means which science has MADE
known for the preservation of the pubic
health shall be vigorously and unsparlng3ty H3ty
emDIoyed Cleanliness is the oasis OIL CITY
life. This is not question OF garbage alo1e'
if is a question of water, purity Oh loous'
nure air and adequate open spaces.
Should the municipality seek to own lts
pubIic lighting plant its public water sup
ply and its rapid transit? These are purn-
ing questions of the hour. Wes may sa1ely
say that it is folly for a community TO give
away valuable privileges to private ciIlzens;
and especially under such conditions as plno
the community hand and foot for the 1uture
years. On the other hand, munlclpal owner
shin evokes the fearful spectre Oh more easeI
and more corrupt ward politics. The ques-
tion Of municipal ownership is not so much
question of finance as it Is one OF morals; is
the work done by public officials ana on
nubljc contracts economic ana enclent! 10
we dare to increase the power ana perquls-
ties of city governments? THESE: IL seems
to me, are crucial questions. Munlcipal own.
ership is a question of municipal virtue.
our citizenship be clean, hlgh-mlhaseq1, se1,,. anu
intelligent it is a consummate 1oily 10
bestow public credit and the prohts OF pup
lie work upon private corporations. IL is
plain that whatever is done should De accom- ON
plished by experimental and progressive reg
islat:on rather than by revolution paseo
upon paper theories.
The wisdom of the solution OF muhlclPal
questions will probably come from the small
er cities. Here responsibility can De more
easily located; here the problems are not
SO complex, and here is sense OF uhlty ,
among the people which is wanting III the
vaster communities.