Worcester morning daily spy. (Worcester, Mass.) 1888-1898, 1898-02-10

Pertaining club. Mrs. Ellen S. Morse,
president Of the Tuesday Club of MARI
boro, and chairman of the program
committee, took charge of the meeting,
and presided during the remainder OF
the session, the three vice presidents as
well as the president, Mrs Julia Ward
Howe, being absent.
Mrs. Morse presented in an earnest
and comprehensive speech the subject
for consideration, which was THE
waste of civilization" after which she
introduced as the first speaker the Rev.
Anna Garlin Spencer Of Providence,
president Of the Rhode Island Woman's
Club, who read an able paper on THE
waste of human life" The subject was
treated comprehensively, from many
points. Mrs. Spencer defined 1T IN the
first place as meaning the waste OF
human life in civilization. after which
she proceeded to consider it as affected
by crime vice, excessive poverty, labor
under bad conditions, disease, friction
and worry, ignorance and stupidity, and
special expenditure of life.
Crime is Iessened by civilization, said
Mrs. Spencer, but not vice. OF course
there is a great deal of crime still, but
this must be regarded chiefly as indica-
tive of the existence Of low grade crea-
lures who have proved inadequate to
the demands of life. 1ntemperance Is
one of the two colossal causes of crime,
insanity, idiocy and pauper1sm- The
great sums paid annually by civilized
nations to alleviate the condition of the
poor represent an enormous waste. In.
dependence is an essential attribute or
chr hi nh fact
in every community a large minority
are helped by persons not their friends
or relatives is demoralizing to the re-
cipients and hurtful to society. Two
thirds Of the pauperism could be wiped
out by better adjustment of supply
and demand and a more effective or
ganization of the police force. The sub
ject of unhygienic trades was treated at
some length. OF all mems occupations,
that of farmer is the most healthful
that of saloon-tender the most harmful.
The mortality among railroad employ
ees is greater than is commonly sup
posed. Every 1 in every 322 employees
is killed, and every in % disabled.
When we come to the waste through
disease, we find it vastly decreased by
civilization, through the advance in
sanitary science and the medical pro-
fession. What the former can accom-
plish was forcibly illustrated by the
diminution in the death rate of the ten
ement district Of New York, which, from
being 26.7S per cent in '82, sank in con-
sequence of sanitary reforms to 1858
per cent in '97
Mrs. Spencer made a strong plea
against the nervous waste that is SO
terrible in this country. The irritable
ity of temper which is so common, is
due to a lack of self-control and Of
faith; II vice is the cancer OF civiliza-
ton, nervousness, pessimism and worry
are its malaria. We are victims to it
when we are put out by small troubles,
lose our standard Of right and wrong,
and cross that narrow line which sep
arates the moral reformer and the So
cial scold.
In concluding, attention was called to
the wasteful but inevitable expenditure
of force by our intellectual and moral
leaders in their attempts to lead us up
ward. They should be assisted by mem
bers and money. And let every one
remember that no one is set to keeping
the universe, but only to keeping his
own garden spot fruitful and beautiful
Rev. Margaret Barnard. president of
the Chelsea Woman's Club, took up the
discussion of the subject as presented
by Mrs. Spencer. She considered, espe-
cially the waste of life by intemper-
ance, viewing this phase of vice from
purely economic standpoint, showing by
statistics that $171, 900, 900 are spent for
public and private schools of the United
States in one year, when 700000,000 was
spent for liquor. The root of the whole
question of vice, crime, ignorance and
disease may well be regarded as intern
perance, which has the whole world I'M
der its horrible spell.
DIR. Laura V. G. Mackie of the Attic
borough Round Table, spoke next upon
the theme, "The waste of infant life"
She drew a comparison Of the conditions
of motherhood in factory and good resi-
Dental sections, and presented many
statistics Of infant mortality, besides
giving advice as to the amelioration of
existing evils. The death of every child
is a definite loss to the national wealth,
therefore this question has both eco
non1ic and political influence, as the
population increases in the ratio of one
birth to every two emigrants.
DR.. Amanda c. Bray of the Worcester
Woman's Club led the discussion which
followed, saying, in opening. that the
question of mortality was the one which
most concerns the medical profession to-
day. One-fourth of all babies die under
two years-a proportion excessive I'M
| necessary and avoidable, but brought
about chiefly by ignorance and neglect
To these causes should be added the
abandonment Of children. She urged
| the need of a finer education in mother
hood, and suggested the prevention of
death among little children as grand
| field for humanitarian effort.
'"rhe destruction of forests" was the
title of the paper by Mrs, Mary Lathrop
Tucker of the Newton Social Science
| Club This subject can never be under
| stood until We choose a middle course
| between that of the selfish Spectator
! and of the sentimental enthusiasts, and
study all the conditions The chief value
| of forests aside from their products and
| their aesthetic beauties is the influence
| they exert in regulating the water sup
ply of a locality, and the emphasized
need of preserving them to this end
against fire, spade and the axe, the
three great enemies to American forests
1 The consequences of forest destruction
| in India and Europe for the purpose of
/ clearing the land, were shown, while
! the conditions that exist on the Pacific
| slope and in New Hampshire were de-
! scribed. The axe should improve, not
destroy forest. Under scientific man
agement-much the cheapest in the end
we may obtain the wood without in
juring the forest or the natural condi-
lions which it fosters.
A discussion led by Miss Edith Barnes,
president Of the Marlborough Woman s
Club, brought the session to a close,
| and when, after a morning of two hours,
the afternoon session was begun, Miss
o. M. E. Rowe of Boston, first vice-presi-
| dent, who had been detained by a series