The Worcester spy. [volume] (Worcester, Mass.) 1898-1904, 1899-05-28
the subject from abgolutely different

the subject from absolutely different
standpoints of observation.
The chapter on observation-disclosures
contains the statement, quoted by Or.
Knight, that of the entire population
of the United States, an average of
one person in five is at the present
time in a public almshouse or other
charitable institution, or is being as
sisted by some relief giving organiza-
ton This statement" he continues,
lis not only startling, but 1t brings
forcibly to the minds Of thinking poo
pie the question whether we are not
at the present time giving too much
attention to the care and relief of the
dependent classes and too little to the
study of prevention"
Dependent and delinquent children
have each a chapter devoted to the
consideration Of their interests. TIE
keynote to the whole discussion in re-
gard to delinquent children is struck
by Mr.. P. Caldwell in the words,
EVERY delinquent child is defraud-
ed child. 1t has been despoiled of It's
natural birthright,-the right of being
well bred and well taught" Every
delinquent child Of the street" he con-
tinues later, lis a living indictment
of sooiety's neglect and indifference;
and when he becomes old enough TO
| realize the full consequence Of his ne
Rlect, it can not be surprising that NJ
should feel justified in warning
against his kind by way of getting
even."
But perhaps to general readers no
papers in the report are of more in
terest than the two under the chapter
on CHARITY organization" The ques-
ton is not what to quote, but what to
omit. Rev. James N. Pullman, D. D.,
in his address on 1.-THE churches in
charity work" defines charity in the
following words: Charity work form
erly meant only melioration-the tenn
porary relief Of Indebtedness. Now
charity takes on economic, educational
and ethical functions. and aims to
reach the causes of social wreckage
and deficiency, and to rehabilitate
character. Under this enlargement of
scope there is slowly growing up a new
science of charity, which aims to pre-
vent the sQuandering Of pity, and to
utilize the great energies of human
compassion for both the economic and
moral elevation Of the dependent and
wretched.'
Certainly there are few people but
what are interested, If not actually en-
gagged, in some way, no matter how
simple, in the betterment of humanity.
To all such DR.. Gilman of Johns Hop
kinS university says: Il would remind
you in a very broad way of the vari-
Gus forces that are working in society
for the improvement and uplifting of
our fellowmen. My chief purpose is
to strike a note of encouragement for
those who are involved in the labors
Of which we have heard so much. The
perplexities are so intricate, the diff
culties so enormous, the remedies so
slow and so inadequate, that it some
times seems hardly worth while to
carry on the contest"
But he goes on later to say: THE
golden age is not in the past but in
the future. History teaches us that
from very primitive beginnings man
kind has been working out a state of
society of which we have the heritage
end the benefit. Moreover, history
shows that these processes are slow.
very slow, and that in proportion to the
magnitude Of the reform we wish to
produce must be the time which we
take for it."
He sums up the struggle in his clos
ing paragraph: Without knowing how
or why, we and thousands more in this
and other lands are struggling
hard TO overcome our foes-in-
trinity, sloth, appetite and ig-
norance-by legislation, by investiga-
ton, by sanitation. by cooperation and
by association. in the hope that some
time or other victory will be ours. Great
results have proceeded and Will follow
from the aggregated influences Of those
who are toiling for peace on earth.
goodwill to man."