The Montgomery advertiser., 1901-05-17
cHARIr1Es AND conRHcTIoHs.
National Conferences in ssssion at
 Washington.

p WSDnAn8 SOns
 For The Advertiser.
 Perhaps the far South does not fully understand the purpose and scope or this conferences which is not only na- tional. but international. Every year the national conference meets in the United States; every fourth year the international meets in some country or Europe. The last meeting was at Far is. St. Petersburg and other European cities have been honored by the meet ings of the International. The Asso- ciation has no executive or 1uoiciai functions. It is in every sense Of the word c confer ence, where all those wno are working for the uplifting of hu- manity may work together and take counsel with ore another. Ever since the coming of Christ--indeed. long be- fore that era-all the best men ana wo- men of the human race have aeknowl- edged the duty of charity, of help to those less fortunate than themseives. 8. Even heather religions grortfy this quality. and Buddha, in one of his in- carnations giving himself to the tigress, that she might feed her starving cubs, Is an example of the exaggerated forms in which the duty of compassion was set forth in their literature.
 But for many centuries the charlt- able followed the example of those doc- tors who treat the symptoms instead of the disease itself. This association of earnest men and women has now for twenty-five years been endeavoring to find the causes of poverty and crime, and thus go to the root of these evils. Prevention is better than cure, but for long time to come there must De much study of methods ef cure. as well
 t,xx thfa NfVRnNrAao nf Compassion" as it has been well called.
 Am I my brothers keeper?" said the first born son of earth with blasphe- nous lips. "I am my brothers keep err' is the heartfelt cry of the latest sons of earth-the man of Its twentieth century.
 More progress has been made in the knowledge of successful methods for the amelioration of crime and poverty in the last quarter of a century than in all the generations which have pre- ceded. One thought out of many which have stirred the brain and warmed the breast here is the new interpreta- tion of the ''elect." There are elect said one of the speakers, "the chosen of God to the high privilege of lifting up their fellow men. There are those who are born to this high destiny, marked out for it as surely as the first born of a monarch for the throne. Their crown will be a crown of thorns. but woe to those who through fear or shame refuse to wear it..
 There is so much that Is inspiring in the daily programs that 1t Is difncult to particularize. Everything is practical, direct, sensible. The speakers are men and women who are not mere theorists, but are working with all their strength toward the accomplishment of definite ends. The educator can learn much from these experiences. Individualism in all work is much emphasized; neith- CT adults nor children must be dealt with in masses, but each one treated in mind, soul and body with regard to his special characteristics. No two human beings are alike; no two require just the same training. Our educators must remodel their cut and dried methods of classification and grada- tion so as to give free play to individ- uality just as far as their means will permit.
 Every educator should lay to heart the moral of little parable lately written by one of their number. "Once upon a time a school was established for the animals. The curriculum was the same for all; each must learn to run. to fly, to climb and to swim. and must perform these exercises at just such a rate of speed-no slower and no faster. There was great trouble with the pupils, the poor little duck that her legs were not made for running, but swimming. However, she was told by her teachers that the less natural adaptability that she had for any exercise, the more important it was that she should practice 1t, and so she had to run so many hours every day that she almost forgot how to swim. The eagle complained that it was impossible 10 climb the tree just as the monkey did, but added that she could get to the topmost bough just the same, and py . much Quacker method, but that was all wrong, and she did not pass" :.
 In the end a peculiar species of eel who could do everything except fly won the price, and although he did them all very badly. he was made valedic- torian!
 O. are not many of us, fellow teach CTS, wasting our time and that of the precious children, trying to make ducks run races and eagles climb trees.
 Julia s. Tutwiler. for Alabama of National
 Charities and Corrections Confer
 ence