The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1899-03-05
SALOON rs TIE room MINIS oLUB.
Robert Il. Ely Declares Tint IL Bishop Pot
ter Said This He Was Entirely Right.

Robert f. Ely. President OF the Prospect
Union OF Cambridge. Mass, delivered his sec
ond lecture before the League for Political Ed
ucation yesterday morning. speaking on the
subject Some Mistakes Of Philanthropy"
Mr.. Ely criticised leading charitable organ
~lzations OF this city. charging them with wrong
methods and u lack OF appreciation Of the peo-
pie they endeavor to aid. "Helplulness means
working with people. not for them" may be
taken as>the keynote Of MIR. Ely's theory. He
reiterated Bishop Potter's statement that the
saloon Is The poor mans club. and said that
until substitutes equally attractive can be pro-
vided the workingman will continue 70 pat
roniZe the saloon.
The first mistake OF philanthropy" said
Mr.. Ely. rs that poverty Is a permanent fac-
tor In human life. People fall back on the
statement OF the Bible that the poor are al
ways with us. Following this theory. they
give indiscriminately to all who ask. Nova
days we have scientific charity and much pa
tient statistical research which aims to find
the cause OF poverty. There is no one cause.
There are many separate causes. and the
pro blem 10 largely an individual! ono. In
temperance is not the universal cause we have
thought 1t. II the manufacture and sale OF
intoxlcants were absolutely prohibited. the
problem, OF poverty would not be done away
true human helpiuIness i. not the mere CIV
ing Of food, clothing and-money; 1t Is the
INF. Ely referred to 'unwIse philanthropy
as a frequent cause OF distress and said that IL
may almost be stated as q universal truth that
TO give aims to a stranger is to do him and the
human race a distinct injury,
Noisy goodness and advertised virtue never
sumo that a man Is not what he ought to be.
he regards 1t as an insult. not wtthstanding the
truth oil. FOUR assertion. This is human ma
tuIe. Thu very names Of some, of our philen;
thropic institutions. such as the Associated
Charities and the Charity Organization So
ciety are obnoxious. The average working
man doesn't know the difference between sci-
Ontifo charity and other kinds. except that
he detests the scientific variety more heartily
its architecture that 1t Is different from other
think Il is some kind OF, an Institution. The
Young Mems Christian Association limits its
usefulness by bearing the label Christian.
Surely the thing without the name Is rs good,
1t may even be doubted whether a newspaper
which lays claim to moral influence could not
accomplish. more without.such notices as all
the. news that's a. to print In whatever we
seek 70 do the pill OF charity must DO sugar
I'VE tell these people that the saloon is the
source OF all iniUnlty anu they answer Yes.
but they don't believe IL. On the contrary II
is the brightest spot, in the poor mans life,
and has been well called the 'poor.man's club.
There he finds light. cleanliness and almost
splendor. He Is on an equal footing with al
men, II he has money In his pockets. no mat.
ter how he is dressed. The substitutes for
the saloon proclaim their purpose and there
fore lose their Influence"