The Montgomery advertiser., 1902-06-08
SOURCE OF CRIME
TO WOVEN BIZ
BISHOP SPALDING.
Peoria Priest Tells Charities Confer
ence at Detroit That Greater Fart
of Depravity and Poverty u
Due to Females.

Detroit ,(Mich.) Special.
In a sermon before 1000 visitors al
the National Conference Of Charities ana
Corrections this afternoon, the Rt;-KeV.
John Lancaster Spalding Roman Catho-
Tic Bishop of Peoria, ILL.,, laid the re-
sponsipIity for three.fourths sof the SIN
and depravity. the crime, and Indulgence:
and, poverty of America at the door OF
the women of the country.
More than half the audience at tne
Light Guard Armory were OF the iair
sex, and they Joined the men IN applaud
ing Bishop Spaldlng to the ecno; ,a,nr
argued for forcble resurrection OF mar
viages among reckless and TOO youtniui
persons, and declared that. II man snaii
learn to DO for his fellow-man Wn AT, ss -
do for the lower animals, the world VIII
be much better than IL Is today.
Power of Women for Evil
1.-THE women in our homes decide how
we shall build and furnish our houses,
said Bishop Spalding. They determine
what we shall eat. and wear, and read;
they select our friends. and even decide
the important questions Of religion. Tney
put words of the native tongue into the
mouths of the children. and influence
them powerfully in their growth to man
hood and 'womanhood.
''If the women of the land were more
large-minded, more thoughtful, more m
telligent, tthree-fourths of the depraWty
ana SIN lnaL curse present udy iie Woui >
disappear. The seat of the development
of the child is the home. To her man
must leave the training of the boys and
girls that are TO he the fathers and moth
ungratefuL and traitorous to the trust
that man has renosed In her?
Poor in need of Justice.
ut is more than pity that we need to
have for the poor and unfortunate. we
need to give them justice. which Is the
day has its source in political corruption
that taints our whole public life:
I'm municipalities particularly this IN
fuence disheartens the most courageous
and makes reform seem impossible. 1t
thrives in the saloon. the brothel and the
gambling hell, and perverts the pubic
conscience. II in the home, the school,
and the church, where womans love Is
potent for good, the sentiment were i'm
planted that corrupt politicians are more
dangerous to the nation. the State, and
the city than are the convicts of the pen
itcntiaries. what n power for good the
women of the land might be-
Prisons Nurseries for Crime.
"Our city prisons and station houses
and our county jails and county poor
houses are veritable nurseries for the de-
velopment of crime The poor fill the
prisons largely because they are unable
to pay fines and escape the prison bars.
1T is the part of wisdom to refuse to
Yield unreservedly to our American spirit
Of optimism. We call the ages long ago
the dark ages. May not the men and wo-
men of the future look back upon our
history and call us also the people of a
darker age than theirs? We are under
the tyrannous sway of commerciaiism
and expansion. Those who prefer money
to truth and learning are degenerates.
Easier to be Generous than JUST.
ut is easier to be generous than to be
just" said Bishop Spalding, taking up the
subjec. of organized charity. The poor
love the poor because they give. their
time and sympathy and encoura cement
to each other. They do not love the rich.
who give them only money
Mans chief value does not We In his
get money. We must give to the poor
our sympathy more than our money.
Personal influence, not almsgiving. is the
power that shall save them from them
selves"