The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1898-11-28
LOCAL CHARITY TOPICS
ANNUAL MEETING LAST NIGHT OF
ORGANIZED MOVEMENT.
Addresses by Revs. j. Cumming Smith,
IL. v. Hunter, Major Rich"
ards and others.

night at English's Opera House. The
theater was crowded with friends Of the
organization. Mayor Taggart was the chair
man of the evening and in addition TO the
special programme of music given by the
choir of st. Paurs Episcopal Church, adj
dresses on the different phases of char
liable work were made by Rev. j. Cum
ming Smith, Rev. r. V. Hunter and Maj.
w. ]. Richards. Miss Dorothy Bailey and
Miss Emma Falk, of St. Paul's choir, both
gave solos. The exercises opened with pray
er by Rev w. A. Quayle, pastor of Me-
ridian-street M. E. church The first adj
dress was by Rev. ]. Cumming Smith,
whose topic was "A Chids Plea" Mr..
Smith said in part:
There are those who claim by the law
of nature and survival of the fittest that
the criminal classes will disappear. Stalls
tics show that they are not decreasing in
number. Then there are those who may
admit that they are not decreasing in num-
bers, but that we had better let them Sc
verely alone. A State cannot afford to do
this with any class Society is not con-
structed on the principle of d compartment
steamer, where one may be smashed and
the other parts float. The lower class per-
meates and poisons society with criminal
element. We commend you to diagram
carefully drawn up by the late Rev. Mr..
McCulloch concerning the history of the
tribe of Ismael which hangs in the parlor
of Plymouth Church. The only solution is
for the State as a State to guard itself
by rescuing the boys and girls of the I'M
fortunate class and putting them in helpful
environments. 1t takes a long time for a
State to come to consciousness of itself,
and still longer time to come to a pos
session of its full powers, but it is coming
more and more, and although | am not
lawyer, think a good case could be made
out that the care of the criminal class is
a branch of the school department. We
all believe that when the city gives to a
fire department the right to put out fire
it gives to it also the power to control
certain space around the burning building.
And in the same way. if it is right for the
State to tax herself to support schools for
the training of citizens it ought to be the
care of the State equally to see that the
boys and girls are taken from haunts
where the good work of the schools is
thwarted.
The board of guardians has found thou
sands of children ill-treated and even drilled
in criminal instincts. 1t has wrested from
those parents these children, put them in
an institution for the time being, where
they sloughed off their evil taints and were
fit to be put into good, decent homes. One
little girl found in a block on East Wash
ington street deserted by her mother Sob
bling as if her little heart would break. her
face buried in pile of dust in the corner,
was taken by the police matron to an in
stitution, clothed and fed and then put in
very beautiful home in the northern part
of the State. Then another case. Two Irish
boys considered incorrgible in the city,
were introduced into a German home in the
southern part of the State. There were
daughters in that home, but no sons, hence
their adoption. The thrifty old Germans
nrtN to alph hOX IN
that he would pay for the forty acres by
the time he was of age. They have largely
paid for their ground and are developing
into good, decent manhood.
There are those who criticise the board
of guardians as severe, but this criticism
is unfounded. In the first place the board
never removes a child from the parents
without giving the parents every possible
chance of proving themselves kind to the
child. In some cases parents that have been
wrong in their life have been reformed by
this very threat of the board. Their one
hope Law in their love for the child. But
in the most favorable circumstances there
must be handled in stern fashion. When
dren themselves are often little rebels and
must be handled in stern passion. When
brought to the home they require disci-
pne and every method of restraint, so that
every brutal element will be diminished be-
fore the guardians can afford TO introduce
them to a decent home.
BUSINESS SIDE OF CHARITY.
1.-THE Business Side of Charity Distribu-
ton" was the subject of the next address,
by Maj w. ]. Richards. The prominent
feature of Major Richards's talk was along
the line of how the distress of the unfortu-
nate poor may be best relieved On this
question he said. THE old way was by the
hand of the law-through the township
trustee or like method. A few men still
make this an excuse for Withholding help.
The only lasting help is that which helps
the recipient to help himself. The cold hand
of the law cannot do this. Official help Is
an acknowledged failure. 1t is admitted
that the. only, institution Adequately
equipped for dealing with this problem Is
that God-inspired body whose anniversary
we celebrate here tonight. You may ask
if it pays, on a business basis, over the OLD
official relief plan. I answer with a single
statistic. Before this society had birth,
thirty years ago, when this city mad less
the total poor relief cost footed from $SOOOO
to $4,000 annually, while now it is less than
one-tenth that sum, thanks to the mediation
of this noble society. There is a pathetic
side to the case which wish | might I'M
press upon your minds beyond forgetting
and that is the impeachment you are unwit-
tingly putting in the way of the work OF the
society by the promiscuous doing out OF
aims at your homes and on the street IN
stead of referring all cases to the society
or the Friendly Inn under its control. 1t Is
almost without exception a mistaken kind
ness, conducive to professional pauperlsm
and obstructive of the busnesslike ana
scientific method of retaining men to
thrift The stories often told by applicants
that they have exhausted the limit at the
inn, that the inn is overcroWded, estaD-
fishes the imposture and proves his unWill-
ingness to cooperate in the afforded oppor-
tunity to regain Self-support.
The speaker gave an illustration or the
evil of prOmiScuouS aid which was taken
from the records of the Charity Organize
ton Society. A confirmed inebriate told
about the city a story of past debauchery
and of rude awakening, evincing desire to
sunder the bonds of appetite lie nad es-
tranged in another State a devoted Wife,
whom he wanted TO bring here for his en-
couragement, and he was taking a cure Tor
could not get and altogether he was in
clined to end the unequal struggle by sui
eide His special prey was the temperance
people who responded literally. InduStr1-
ously as he was spending the money given
him by the hand of charity, he collected
called in some bibulous friends, less elo-
quent and persuasive than himself AT
length drunken orgy landed them all In
the workhouse. This man had been at the
Friendly Inn, where he showed no DISPOSE
ton to help himself
The speaker gave another instance of
wasted charity as follows: "A boy or ten
years made the rounds of North-side resi-
dences with note that had apparently
been penned by the trembling hand of
woman. 1t read: Please listen to my boy
sing; ne sings several pretty songs and acts
them. We are very destitute. I very
grateful for whatever you give him. The
boy had been told to say his mother was
very sick with consumption; also, TO give
the wrong number of the house if asked.
iZation Society, whence a visitor from that
society went home with him only TO hnd
the mother well and more able to work
than some who contribute to this society.