The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1898-01-28
WORLD BETTER EVERY DAY
lDDREss or a. 8. HEWITT TO THE
UNlTERsITY sBTTI ElrENTERS.

Thsir TASK d - Put soui Este the r1ass. 70
Gee That the Children OF the elurns Have y
Chapce-Ne Hann RightipE by nirnseif or rsr
1HiuaseiL but Tor s1ankina-epirit OF Trusts.
At the annual meeting Of the University Set.
Element Society held at Sherry's yesterday after
noon 1t was announced that $4,000 had just
been subscribed to the FUND for n new building
on the ground owned by the society at EldridEe
and Riyington streets. W. donors gave $1,000
each and two $1,000 each.
President Seth Low presided. Treasurer
James speyer reported that the society is at
last out Of debt. Abram g. Hewitt was one Of
those who made addresses. Mr.. Hewitt said:
Nothing has been said hero this afternoon
that will tend to remove from the average mind
tho very vague impression Il has Of what uni
vorsity settlement really IL. Tho present age
Is the greatest in centuries in point Of the in.
crease and growth of wealth in tho world. 1t is
the direct result Of the control man has secured
over the forces Of nature. The present accumu-
lation Of wealth In our land is such as was
never anticipated in the wildestsdreams Of man.
and as q matter Of course it has resulted In tho
position Of society being entirely deranged.
ut is the business Of the political economist
to study these conditions. As for myself, I
think that the close Of the nineteenth century
finds the world infinitely better of than 1t was
at the beginning Of the. century. There is moro
more comforts. 9 higher civilization and moro
II have in mind at this time o young man
who mapped out for his early life service In the
law. He had to give up both on account OF Ill
health. 80 he went to Oxford and studied politi-
n nsl fSsSne 81 pup MS st # a so S SsSpsS %nd th tGof th g
pupils were young mon preparing for life In India
Instead d, Of England, and Il came to this man ma
not applicable to the conditions In india. It
struck him that the PRINCIPLES of,political econo.
He went to london to study the situation.
He spent weeks among the most miserable
Slaisss St b. ep% ssSlnsy . and h he s sS% WSrt 1 u2 s ss at:
found. he said, a mass Of humanity without soul,
him that there was no redemption for such as
thesev-The only chance for them was for some
improve its environment. But how was it to
be donel Money couldn't do 1t.
son That h b %a Ire di i%n at an GH shy S nse;,1 but the Les;
the ihe' WSitecS Ss%i district list Rt' Of e Ionson ae'' iss eSioo Ct
start Nar 70 fe sdins0 among ss%Ps' tSom an'o AND i%p' that e0R Is the he
basis Of the University Settlement idOa.
selves in touch with, the poor and abandoned.
There is nothing In clothing and feeding them,
t Sns oS fEeS must Il Be- r made to feeI sfha as ali IN this hi,
world are brothers and sisters, all children of
the same God. In this struggling. age is it
T. dhBC bl0lk uo 10 Nv uiboppSoAOu
II believe that every day the world instead
Of going down is going forward. That 1t is
growing better, more hopeful. more ,%lovable.
tecnth century will find that two clements domi.
nate all else. One of these Ii the principle of
association. Associations trusts they arc
called by some-such as big department stores
end. They are supplying the people with what
they want at the cheapest prices, and for the
wage earners they are making better. pay.
Never. In my recollection. were the laboring
mon Of the country 30 prosperous or could see
ITO my mind there is no moro dreadful thing
than that children born In the slums should be
reared there and never see any other environ
ment until they are past the age of learning.
Whatever else may happen. society must see
that the child Of tho slums has a chance. New
York has made wonderful progress in improv-
ing the environment of the poor. A mighty
effort has been made to reach the mass of hui
mainly whose lot has been sorrow and an
guish. This movement must go on. Nothing
can stop 1t. 1t is part of the evolution Of the
''This altruistio spirit. which Is the basis of
ercise OF It's Influence. Where has therc ever
been anything like the magnificent declaration
Of Great Britain that she would never sec the
avenues OF in China closed to any
part of the world. that she would never let
those now open to the world be shut. not alone
to herself. but to any other %nationl For FREQ.
dom of trade not for herself only, but for all
mankind. she Is ready to go to war. Was ever
THAT Is the spirit Of University Settlement.
No man Is fighting by himself or for himself,
but for oil mankind. In this respect the next
century will be better than tho past. Many
sU,li ho %ili ID aiiifi Hps andi a sea IT, / am sorry that l can
G. g. .Beaman and the Rev. David H. Greer
also spoke.