Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1902-02-22
.FORPOLICEMATRON
Need of One in Rock Island and
Other Cities Pointed
Out.
GOOD WORK AMONG ERRING
Helpful Interest in the Unfortu-
nate Boys and
Girls.
GOD WORK AMONG ERRING
by GUssIE PACKARD DUBOIS.

OF the many workers who toll
among the unfortunate and criminn
of our great cities few are more de-
serving of recognition than the po-
lice matron.
That wonderful worker i'm the
slums and depths of degradation.
Jacob Riis, says i'm a recent number
of the Atlantic Monthly. "The world
is to be reformed, if at all, by the
humane touch"
No Legislature. however wise. no
talking the matter over, however
earnest. no written essays on the
subject will accomplish the end, but
hand to hand individual work
Jane adams. whose noble life ia
the social settlement work entities
ner to he heard as authority. saws:
when we become as willing TO wori,
for the unfortunate among the poor
AZ we are to work for the umfortun-
ate of our own kin. we shall succeed
i'm this problem that looks so easy
but * 50 difficult OF solution
But few. even Of the number who
recognize the need. can work person
ally among the worlds submerged
the only thing we can. do is to so
move public interest and bring the
matter to the hearts of good citi-
zens that we will be enabled through
our civil governments To work out
that which lies i'm our hearts.
This is already being done through
various channels. No one now ques-
tiOns the advisability of social settle
mcnts. The pivotal thought of them
all. that one clean spot in the center
of filth. one home i'm the midst of
homeless. will spread and grow, has
verified itself. Where only few
years ago the idea was an expert
ment. looked upon even by earnest
people as vague and visionary. il is
now an assurance. an accomplished
fact and positive good. One of the
most hopeful aspects about il is the
fact that it is appreciated by the
poor themselves, and il has been
truly said that to help the poor you
must fight the poor.
No Longer an Experiment.
Mission work is no longer an eX-
periment-the Jerry McCauIey Mis-
sion i'm New York. the Pacific Garden
i'm Chicago. and many others have
shown the great need for such work.
The same * true of the fresh air
fund. vacation schools and the vari-
Gus homes. reforms and charities
that are making along these lines.
Mrs. Darlington Booth * doing
splendid work in her homes for err
ing women, and in her latest effort
to meet the convict who has served
his sentence. as he passes the gate
of the prison and is once more free,
and aiding him to find what has
heretofore been denied him. chance
TO earn an honest living.
All these. and many more that ]
have not mentioned. are kindly
hands reached out through the com
bined efforts Of all whose hearts
have ached over the need to lift UP
to the level of true manhood and
womanhood those who from environ
ment. heredity. misfortune or what
ever cause have fallen below il.
The work of the police matrOn goes
back of the mission, the house of
refuge or reform, the aid To con-
victs. and in some cases back of even
the settlement work. i'm that il tends
to prevent crime. At first this seems
strange, since the thought of police.
whether male or female, is usually