New-York tribune., 1901-10-27
THE LIMITATIONS OF PHILANTHROPY.


A discussion more curious than profitable has
been started in the States of Washington and
Oregon by a recent sermon of a Presbyterian
| minister OF Spokane. in which he made the
unquestionably true assertion that atheists. inf
| dels and agnostcs have built no institutions for
the relief OF suffering and need. There are
no Huxley" hospitals. Robert G. Ingersoll"
orphan asylums. Stuart Mill" maternity and
| lying-in homes or "IIaeCkel" refugees for the
| aged and INDECENT. 1t is the spirit of religion
| alone which Is able 10 establish and maintain
such institutions. AS n rule, the clergy rank
such work. next TO the saving of mems souls in
the world TO come. as the highest duty OF
humanity. and many philan;hrOpists and pollti-
cal economists who are not themselves for
/ mally religious men agree with them perfectly.
Indeed. one of the most marked tendencies OF
| modern civilization is the stress either con-
sclously or unconsciously laid on the service OF
humanity.
1t hardly needs 10 be said that this gospel OF
service deserves the fullest recognition and
encouragement. The men who are preaching
1t, whether In the Christian pulpit or in the
social settlement OF the tenement are doing
much to purify. sweeten and brighten human
life, and make real the ideal of brotherhood
which must be the basic principle OF any true
civilization But there is no truth that cannot
be turned into a falsehood by ignoring or deny
ing other truths equally important, and some of
the good men and women who are engaged IN
ministering to the needs of humanity are in
danger OF falling into this mistake. Homes for
the aged orphan aSylums. hospitals and all the
helping hand agencies of modern philanthropy
are good. and everything should be done to
widen their scope and increase their usefulness.
But that IS no reason why philanthropists
should sneer at Of science, for Instance.
who do not build such institutions. The man
who devotes his life TO enforcing a better
hygiene that will diminish the number of people
who have to be cared for in the hospitals is
serving humanity as effectually as the man who
builds hospital The Investigator who in his
laboratory discovers how some deadly epidemic
disease may be prevented is quite as worthy of
honor the noble men and women who devote
themselves TO nursing those stricken with such
a disease and all men who, in whatever way
help the race to see how to avoid conditions
that inevitably produce suffering or destitution
are not less worthy OF honor or praise. because
having chosen one field OF labor for humanity
they find themselves unable to work in another
The fact that Huxley a Darwin built no
hospital or almshouse Is not necessarily to their
discredit, and does not in the least lessen the
other work that they may have done in teach
ing man to know himself and his physical
environment.
Moreover. every intelligent philanthropist will
admit that philanthropy, good as ii is, may
and sometimes does tend to breed serious evils
The harm done by coddling has become a COM
mOnplace in the literature of philanthropy
Admirable as it is, the emotion Of pity is not
always safe guide in human conduct. 1t has
often stood as an obstacle in the way of prog
ress, which occasionally finds itself compelled
TO employ the kindness Of cruelty. And philan-
thropy is always in danger of acting from
motives Of mere blind pity intent only on relev-
ing the immediate sorrow or pan with little
thought for the need of remedying the contrib
utng causes That charity sometimes breeds
pauperism is a well known fact. and the only
way to prevent such an outcome is for philan-
thropy to welcome as co-workers all, whether
believers in religion or not who are laboring to
destroy the conditions that must inevitably pro-
duce poverty. vice and crime