Omaha daily bee., 1899-07-02

should reply Go buy some blocks of ten
ements; tear them down and turn the space
into a playground for poor children Any
| thing that adds to the enjoyment, health
| fulness and right training of children i'm
! proves the moral and physical tone of the
community and gives assurance that the
| coming men and women shall be decent and
| worthy citizens.
Another broad line of worii which think
deserving of greater attention from those
| who want to do good with their money is the
| relief OF the poverty stricken over 60 VINO
| have fallen in the battle of life.
"Do you know that 80 per cent of those
who die in this city arc buried in quick lime
in the Potter's field? That is terrible in
dictmert against our social system a terrible
testimonial TO the neglect of the deserving
poor of advanced age. ! do not believe that
there is any pauperizing tendency in helping
the deserving poor of advanced age. For
myself. believe in cid age pensions be-
lieve that the time will come when we shall
have them. Meanwhile. here is large and
profitable field for the employment of private
charity.
1.-The trouble with our millionares and
great givers is that they are so accustomed
to authority. so masterfu, that they want 10
dictate exactly how their gifts shall be APP
piled and used.
THAT is a great trouble with us today.
We have men on our art commissions, not
because they know anything about art, but
because they will give money. We have
trustees on our educational boards who know
nothing OF scientific education, but who are
able TO force their hobbies upon practical
educators because of the money they give
Similarly our charities are largely in the
hands of men who never gave the subject any
particular thought, but who dictate because
they give.
II do not believe that charity can be en-
ployed advantageously at the present time
in providing employment AS soon as one
attempts that he runs up against vested in
terests and encounters a variety of difficulties
which will embarrass and TO great extent
nullify his work"
Wealth nv n Trust.
Darius o. Mills, the San Francisco and
New York multi-millionaire, has given hun
dreds Of thousands to charity and has unique
and practical views on the subject. He
says:
Probably there never has been time
when so many men were ready to give
largely to worthy objects. 1t is a good
sign in an age that has often been de-
nounced as grossly material that so many
men are ready to devote at least consid-
cradle portion OF their wealth TO altruistic
purposes.
II do not believe that any one can say OFF
hand that any particular charity is the most
ussful or the most practical Any man who
Is deeply interested in such matters is more
familiar with certain lines of charitable
endeavOr than he is with others. He is apt
to eXaggerate the importance of that he
knows most about.
For myself, ! do not know OF any form
OF charity that | would condemn. Neither
do | know OF any that is doing mere prac-
tical good than the Mills hotels When the
plan of providing cheap, clean and comfort
able lodgings for poor working men was
discussed 1t was freely predicted that II
would result in failure II was said that a
scheme which was part business and part
philanthropy would never work, But the
test OF actual operation has proved that the
Mills hotels are all business as well as some
philanthropy. They are proving successful
far beyond my expectations.
In my opinion the success OF the Mills
hotels as OF any philanthropie undertaking
that is to be really beneficial. lies in helping
men to help themselves. My idea of char
liable work Is not the reformatory idea, but
the building up idea If a man !s deter
mined to go down hill, you cant hold him
back. But 1t is the man who is unfor-
tunate, the honest man who has had i'll
luck the hard working man out OF job
who deserves help and who will profit by IT,
III you give such man a chance TO put
food in his stomach and a roof over his head
you give him new outlook, fresh encour-
agement. He Will feel that he has a chance
and will set to work TO make the most Of IT,