The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1899-10-04
MEETS AT LAFAYETTE
EIGHTH ANNUAL CONFERENCE OF
CHARITIES M CORECTToRNs.
President Holiday Reports on Work
Done and to Be DOne-Many Del
egates i'm Attendance.
Special to the indianapolis Journal.

five delegates and a large number of local
people in attendance. The sessions, which
will continue over Thursday, will De held
in the church auditorium. To-night's ses-
sion was called to order by Mortimer Lew
ering, president of the Lafayette CONNER
cial Club. Greetings were EXTENDED by NJ. v
or Justice and Vice President W. =. Stone,
of Purdue. President Holidays annual ad-
dress followed.
Mr.. Holiday opened with an ampliication
of James Bryce's Characterization of the
Americans as a conservative people, say
ing that they are particularly slow to move
in matters of reform. He applied this
statement to the long years of work in con-
nection with prison reform, in which, APP
parently, little was accomplished, and then
continued: This conference is a body of
reformers. The object before each one of
us and dear to all is the uplifting of hu-
mainly, the betterment of the unfortunate
and criminal. No man can engage in any
branch of this work without being a re-
former. In every one he encounter hoary
abuses, gross misconceptions and numerous
obstacles which must be overthrown and
cleared away before a good result can be
mad. We must change the form or create
a new system if we would do good. This
task Is no easy one. Do not think it such.
Expect delay and opposition. Expect dis
appointment and temporary failure. But
hsep courage, Keep hope, keep faith. And
Win THESE nave patience. All things come
10 MIN VINO waits They that SOW In tears
snail reap in joy
Let us see what a generation has Zone
oenevoient institutions established b. the
puDlc up 10 the time of the war consisted
OF TWO penitentiaries, a hospital for the in
sane and SCHOOLS for tho blind nnd Innf nrI
dumb maintained by the State and a num-
per OF p~oorhouses maintained by various
probably as good as the sentiment of the
DAY dem~anded-indeed, their existence was
considered highly creditable. If any ideas
OF Improvement were held. if changes in
methods were desired, they got small rec
ogniuon. During the war the country was
100 much engrossed in one subject to give
snougnt TO the dependent and criminal con-
oitlons, but when that was fairly over some
good men and women began to think about
them and to ask if there were not a neces-
sity as we'll as room for improvement. Not
able among these, as shown in the address
OF my predecessor, Timothy Nicholson, at
the NTH meeting of this conference. were
the Indiana Yearly Meeting in 1866 appointed
a ommltt to organize a system for the
reformation of juvenile offenders and the
Improvement of prison discipline
FIRST IMPORTANT ACTION.
Il have a vivid remembrance of a meeting
NhtOAOS vi pTiSOu REFORM, nelQ III the
Board Of Trade hall at indianapolis in the
winter OF ls69, just after the meeting of the
Legislature. 1t was addressed by two MEM
oers or the committee referred to, by the
chaplain OF the southern prison, and pos
slniy by others. / went to that meeting, as
possibly did most of those present, with no
ciear IDEAS OF what prison reform meant.
We knew something, possibly, of John How
r 0nd q H.
Done, but that was i'm foreign lands and
years ago.. 1t was the nineteenth century
now. and this was Indiana, a State liberal
IN is oeneyolences and enlightened in it's
prison reform? Before the meeting was
over 1. for one, had received a large acces-
SION OF We learned that pun
orten accompanied with great abuses of
both moral and statutory law. Facts were
stated and direct charges were made with
q simple earnestress which carried convic-
tlon. That meeting caused a profound sem
sation, which was followed up wisely. Mr..
z. X. Brockway. even then eminent for his
management of the Detroit House of Cor
with Charles f. Coffin addressed the Iegis-
lature, whose committees were aroused to
action, and made an investigation which
confirmed all that had been charged and
compelled a change in the government of
the Jefersonville prison and a reform in it's
methods. From that day to this the cause
of prison reform and the reform of all pub
lie institutions has never lacked for sup
porters In Indiana; the demand that they
shall be conducted upon the best, the hui
manest, the most scientific principles has
never wavered in Indiana, and please God
1t never shall until there is nothing left
susceptible to fair criticism or below fine
level of the best thought. From that day
to this We have made great progress. not
continuously, for, looking backward, there
are seen long periods in which there was
no apparent movement, and then there nave
been periods of rapid advancement, when
change came like an avalanche and public
opinion took q long reach forward-such.
for instance, as the Investigation of the
Central Insane Hospital and the overthrow
Of the Harrison regime, with it's noisome
corruption.
Public institutions have multiplied I'm
these years as our people and wealth in
creased: Private. benevolence has created
hospitals and orphanages. Even the coun-
ty poorhouses, in some cases, nave been
ameliorated, though this is still the darkest
page upon our record. The systematic work
OF organized charity has been introduced.
The Shiny and poisoning hold of politics
upon our institutions has been relaxed to
some extent, enough to awaken faith that
the snake will be killed as well as scotched
in no far distant day. and we have a chief
executive who has boldly asserted that he
would allow no. political considerations to
influence him in his relation to the State
institutions, and who has kept his word
steadfastly. The creation Of the State Board
of Charities. was a long step forward. The
work done by Ii has more than proved it's
value. 1t has furnished a center for action,
a tribunal for appeals, an eye for the law,
and an inspiration for public opinion. It's
study of the conditions surrounding the un-
fortunate classes and its supervision of
their treatment have made it's suggestions
not only Of great value, but of an author
ity which has had far-reaching influence.
Without it the scientific method adopted by
the State in its treatment of dependents,
which we may claim to be established.
would be an impossibility. To 1t much of
the credit of recent statutes which have
given the State high rank in this line Is
due"
The speaker ascribed these successes to
the awakening of public opinion, the slim
ulation of the public conscience, referring
to the conference as the most tangible evi-
dence of this awakening. Its existence was
declared to be a guaranty of progress, the
basis of limitless hope. The work, he said.
was but barely begun, but the effective tool
was in hand. Reformation must begin with
the children and this should be done
through the public schools, which itself de-
manded some reforms. The truancy law was
declared to be an important step in the
right direction. If the children would not
come in to be educated they must be COM
PEELED to come in. The kindergarten must
be added to the public school system, thus
putting the children, under restraint at an
earlier age. The educational facilities of the
age should be extended downward, rather
than upward, to satisfy the crying need.
The evils of the day must be met face
to face. The good of the greater number