The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1898-11-16
WASTED ON THE PAUPERS
INDIANA SPENDS so PER CENT. MORE
THAN OHIO.
Claims Made by Miss Wilson, Presi-
dent of the State Charities
Conference.

The seventh annual Indiana conference
of charities and correction opened last
night in Plymouth Church. About sixty
people were present and heard some inter
esting talks. The address of the evening
was that of the president Of the conference,
Miss Mary T. Wilson, of Evansville, who
spoke on "Our Weakest Point, touching
on the inefficisney of the present laws Of
the State in the matter of providing for the
poor.
The conference was called to order by
John H. Holiday, chairman of the local
executive committee, who, in a few words,
told OF the objects Of the meetings and the
work it was hoped to accomplish. Rev.
Burris A. jenkins, of the Third Presby-
terrain Church, offered prayer. and the choir
Of ST. Paups Church, in surplices. fur
nished the music for the occasion. Governor
Mount, who was on the programme to de-
liver the address of welcome. was indis-
posed and in his place J. T. Nicholson, Of
Richmond welcomed the visitors.
Miss Wilson, in her address. made the
statement that the present system of pro-
viding for the state paupers and other I'M
fortunates was altogether inadequate and,
in the main, poorly administered by those
having charge of the work. Especially was
this the case in the township administra-
ton of charitable aid to the poor. The
township trustee according to Miss Wilson,
cannot be too carefully selected, as, in
many respects, he is one of the most inn
portant of1iceholders in the State. The fact,
however, said Miss Wilson, is that the peo-
pie are careless as to who is intrusted with
the work Of caring for the township poor
or the administration OF the county poor
farm" so long as the taxes are not alb
normally high and the Institution is not
presented to the public in too strong
light. 1t is not, however. said Miss Wilson,
a question OF money and taxes altogether
so much as 1t is a question Of how to either
do away with pauperism altogether, or de-
crease it so that the State shall not have
such breeding places Of disease and crime
as many of the present township and coun-
ty institutions are
Indiana is paying, according to Miss Will
son, 30 per cent. more for the care OF her
paupers than Ohio which has 30 per cent
more people to draw its paupers from than
Indiana. Until recently, out OF every TWEEN
ty-seVen people in the State, there was one
pauper to be cared Tor by the taxpayers,
and one of the principal abuses OF the sys-
tenn was that while many honest taXpay-
ers were worrying throughout the winters
bent with the toll of efforts TO maintain
their own families under adverse circu1n-
stances, the poor houses were crowded
with vagabond5 who were Ied, clothed and
sheltered by the county, when, IN many
cases. they We're better able TO provide for
their own wants than some or the taXpay-
ers who save Of their diminished earnings
IN sUppOrt the institution where they rev.
eled in warmth and idleness.
POOR ASYLUM DEGRADATION.
In her opinion the present poor asylums''
of the State offer nothing to the inmates
of them but deeper degradation. Almost
universally they harbor tramps all winter,
who as soon as spring comes leave the place
and start out wandering through the State,
a menace to society, begging, stealing and
serving IS examples If what an be wrou hit
by the present pernicious system of caring
for the poor of the State. In nearly all the
''poorhouses of the State there is little
done to separate the sexes, and as a conse-
quence the propagation Of crime and degra-
dation OF morals goes on in horrible man
ner under the protection of the law and by
the carelessness of the people, VINO should
secure the passage Of laws which would not
permit such conditions existing in their in
situations.
Continuing, Miss Wilson said there would
be no change of a marked character in pub
lie institutions until the Legislature passed
a law giving TO the county commissioners
the power TO appoint men as superintend-
ents of poor farms and administrators OF
public charity after the manner OF the state
institutions, These men should pc CHOSEN
for their ability and merit as business men
and humanitarianS, Skilled IN modern
methods of caring for those who are not
able to care for themselves, and politics
should not be allowed to enter into the con-
sideration of the fitness of the man for the
place.
In discussing the county jails Miss Wilson
said they were nearly all disgraces to the
State. In many Of them men and women
are confined in such close proximity to each
other that the most debasing results are
seen in both sexes. They are unclean in
every way possible for them to be, and too
often in township and county institutions
there are children almost born in vice and
dissolution. In conclusion Miss Wilson
urged the passage of a law placing the
power of dispensing aid to the poor in the
hands Of a nOnpartisan board of citizens
as the only way by which the people could
rid themselves Of an expensive burden and
do their duty TO mankind in uplifting those
who are encouraged 10 remain degraded by
the present system Of conducting charitable
institutions.
At the conclusion of Miss Wilson's adj
dress Alexander Johnson, OF the School for
the Predetermined at Fort Wayne. spoke
for a short time on the progress of educa-
ton among the inmates of the school and
the problems confronting the State in the
task of making feeble-miude6 children not
only harmless, but self-suppOrung. After
the speaking there was. an informal recep-
ton terde. ed the delegates by The local com
mittee of Plymouth Church.