The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1901-11-16
TELLS BEAR STORY
Rev. Chas. VI. SheldOn's Illus
tration of Reform Methods.
People Fail to See Position of
Other Man.
LOOSE FROM POLITICS.
Only Hope of Improving Char
liable Institutions.
Makes a Few Suggestions About
Real Anarchists.


Will spend at least half their time in
teaching boys and girls the duties of
good citizenship and the principles of
good municipal government He pro-
mulgated these beliefs in his address
last evening before the Kansas ASSOcia-
ton of Charities and Corrections in his
address on What PrecedeS a Reform
The first thing that precedes re-
form said Mr. Sheldon, is knoWl-
edge of the facts. This must precede the
expectation of any reform. Call the at
tention of the public to the condition OF
things. Very few people in Chicago
know the condition of the wretched tene-
ment houses in Chicago L could THINK
of no better way of bringing it to their
attention than for five hundred devoted
men and women to go down into the
ghetto and the district surrounding Hull
House, learn the facts and then tell
them to other people
..One way to bring about municipal
reforms is to tell what has been done.
I If you should suggest to a Chicago man
the IdViSa bility of municipal tenement
hoJSeS he would likely scott al the idea,
but if you tell him that Glasgow has
them and that they are a success he
would stop and listen. The trouble with
is that are too prejudiced- There
are lots of grown-up people who don
know the difference between a socialist
and an anarchist. They think the words
mean the same. They are prejudiced on
the subject and yet they claim to be in
telligent people.
form is to put yourself in the other
mans place Look at the situation
from the other mans standpoint We
don't realize the difficulties that poor
people and the downtrodden have to
contend with Once upon a time two
men were chased by bull. There was
a small tree short distance away ana
both ran for it. The first one swung
himself up, but the tree wasn't strong
enough to hold them both, so the other
man could do nothing but keep on run
ming. The man in the tree sat safely
on a limb and watched the race AT
length he saw the other man dart into
a cave, but in a moment he came run
ming out again, and the race was re-
neWed. The man and the bull circled
around, and again the man darted into
the cave, only to come out again. When
they came near enough again the man
in the tree shouted:
q" You fool Why don't you go in
that cave and stay there? 1 don't want
to be kept up in this tree all day
g Fool yourselfi' shouted the pursued
man as he spend on. There's a bear in
that cave
1.-The trouble with u.s. continued Mr..
Sheldon, lis that we don't see the bear
in the other mans cave. We wonder
why the poor don't do something else
from what they do, or why they don't
move out into the country. We don't
look at conditions from their stand
point
Another thing that precedes a re-
form is getting together for the love Of
humanity. We are learning that now.
They got together down in New York
the other day and overthrow Tammany,
but what could the forces of righteous
ness have done against Tammany if
they had not gotten together. The time
is coming when there won't be any ma
tional or state politics in municipal
elections. We will vote for the best
men regardless of what their views
may be on national questions. I be-
lieve the good people are greatly in the
majority here in Topeka. I should hate
to think that there are many people
here who really bad. The great
majority want a good city in which to
raise their families with good infiu-
ences all around them, but the trouble
is they don't get together.
"A fourth thing that precedes reforms
is beginning a long time before YOU
think you are going to need reform.
Begin with the little children. That is
where you get results. When 1 was in
England I could not find out a single
thing that was encouraging to temper
ance until l asked about the children.
The Band of Hope was doing good work,
and the children were being trained to
fight against liquor. 1 was told that
three interests rule in England-the
vested interests, the railroads and the
brewers When any of these three want
anything from parliament they are able
to get it.
We preach too much to the old peo-
pie 1t is great temptation to min
lister to preach to those like himself.
think we should preach at least half
the time to the children, quietly teach
ing good citizenship. 1 believe the time
is coming when the Sunday schools will
not follow the prescribed lines they do
now but will devote at least half the
time to teaching the boys and girls the
duties of good citizenship and municipal
reforms.
Another thing which precedes all re-
forms is a faith in humanity. We must
not get discouraged. The man who gets
discouraged and loses his faith in his
fellow men never brings about any re-
forms. And we should always remember
that the only final redemption of the
erring man is by Jesus Christ. We too
often lose sight of that.
Our charitab BILE and penal institutions
must be entirely cut loose from politics.
The idea that a man should be put in
charge of criminals or the weak and
helpless simply to reward him for politi-
cal service is great wrong. No man
is too good to be warden of a prison.
1.-The last thing that precedes reform
is a love FOR men of all conditions If
we had sufficient love for our fellow men
we could bring about any reform"
Referring to the tenement house ques-
ton again Mr.. Sheldon remarked before
he closed:
There are districts in Chicago that
are worse than some places in Pekin.
/ went into tenement houses there that
were SO built that not ray of sun
shine or breath of fresh air ever en-
ters the bedrooms, although this is in
direct violation of the ordinances of
Chicago Talk about anarchists Some
of the most persistent law-breakers in
Chicago live in brown stone fronts and
are surrounded by wealth and luxury,
yet they persist in putting up and
maintaining these wretched tenement
houses in direct violation of the law"
After Mr.. Sheldon closed Amos w
Butler, OF Indiana, read paper on
THE DEVELOPMENT of the Reforma tory
Idea in Indiana" 1t was a history of
| the evolution Of the methods of punish