The Savannah morning news. (Savannah, Ga.) 1900-current, 1904-12-25


unteer Prison Lcague-TaI1es Care
al Thousands of Released ConNicts
Annually and Is So Successful in
Reforming Them That Only n Very
small Percentage Return to a Life
of Crime.
By William Thorp.
New York, Dec. 24-"Are the Vol
unteers of America making good?"
said Gen. Ballington Booth, in reply
TO a question. "Well. We have only
been at work for about eight years,
since 1 left the Salvation Army; but
l think 1 may fairly say that we are
making good
Figures are powerless to set forth
much of the philanthropic and Chris
tan efforts of the Volunteers, but fig
ures- will at least show that our phil
anthropy is on a large scale.
During the. past year year about
eleven hundred women have been
tenderly cared for in our Homes of
Mercy, and some 3O,26O beds in all
have been provided in those institu-
tons. need hardly say that this is
one of the most difficult features of
our work, and it's peculiar character,
being somewhat unthankful and hard,
causes it's increase to be slow The
LOO women referred to are those who
have been not only cared for, but per-
manently aided. Many others have
been temporarily relieved.
A Great Work of PhilanthrOpy.
The Volunteer officers and work
rs-it al ,fJ
than 63O,173 families during the year
in and around the slums of the large
cities where they labor. No less than
234 500 persons We're lodged in our va
rious homes and institutions for work
ing and destitute men and women,
not including the many thousands
who were given temporary relief dur
ing the strikes in several parts of the
country. There were 366,037 persons fed
with substantial meals in these insti-
tutions, exclusive of those persons
temporarily aided with food during
the holiday seasons.
Our philanthropic work is carried
on through the instrumentality of
homes, and by others means, in Chi
cago, Joliet, Boston, Fort Dodge,
Kansas City, Denver, Minneapolis,
Lewiston Toledo, Erie, Pittsburg,
Buffalo, Newcastle, Pa. Philadelphia,
Newark, Flushing, L. l.; New York
city, and other centers.
Il admit that we may help people
who do not deserve to be helped. 1t
is inevitable that we should some
times do so. The need at times has
been so great that our zeal to help
the poorest and most dependent
classes must be our plea for having
harbored any undeserving ones. You
cannot always wait to find out wheth-
err a starving man is meritoriouS be-
fore you feed him.
Help the Poor.
Apart from the humane philosophy
of lessening the taxation upon society,
we are only following the example of
the Samaritan in trying to alleviate
the suffering of men and women who
are without homes or friends or sup
port. Unfortunately, society has al
ways its parasites who are hard in
deed to shake off; but if, through such
institutions as our homes, we can find
among even thse a spark of manhood
or womanhood and lead them to a re-
formed life, surely we shall be par
doned for having given one chance to
the incorrigible.
That is the distinguishing feature
of our work-we try to get down to
the lowest, the most helpless, the
to a brighter and better life. Perhaps
you will be able to better estimate the
many-sided advantages of our Volun-
teer philanthropic work if l divide it
into three branches.
First, there are the homes which
probably are the most meritorious of
all, namely, those for working, wage
earning men, to prevent them from de-
teriorating and dropping down to the
W n
dread, that of poverty and dependence
upon charity for a livelihood. Then,
there are the homes which prove a
refuge for hungry, poverty-ridden and
friendless men and women on the wa
ters of city want and despair-the
homes for the temporarily drifting.
Thirdly, there is the department in
connection with these homes which
provides meals at a nominal cost or at
the price of labor, or which distributes
them free to the hungry.
The Fresh Air Work.
Our fresh air work in the summer
time gave over 100000 women and
children from the tenements a days
fresh air and healthy change In the
country. There was also much good
accomplished through the Volunteer
reading rooms, sewing classes. distri-
button of literature, hospital nursing,
finding of employment, Thanksgiving
and Christmas dinners, temporary
financial relief, boys fresh air camps
and many other worthy undertakings.
The Volunteer Prison League.
Probably the best known branch
OF our work is my wife's Volunteer
Prison League, with the three Hope
Halls for discharged prisoners at
crushing, l.. l., Chicago and Fort
Dodge, Ia. do not think history
records a more remarkable and far
reaching work for moral reform. Mrs.
Booth has established the league in
twenty-five state prisons, and others
are clamorlng for it. The prison au-
thorities indorse II most heartily and
of the 25.OOO members of the league,
il Is safe to assert that at least 20 per
cent, on the most conversative esti-
mates, are leading reformed lives.
purlng the past year marked reforms
nave been introduced into the prisons
IN several states, and legislative ac.
llon have been taken. directly or indi-
Iectiy' through the influence of the
league. The league not only seeks
10 reform the prisoners and help them
70 lead an honest life when they come
out OF jail. but Il also aims at ameli-
Grating evil conditions in the prisons
ana improving the laws concerning
prisoners In different parts OF the
country.
Ia INSTRUMENTATION
IAN our philanthropic work. Of
course, n carried on uDon a strictly
uhdenominational basis. The door
OPENS tIaI a. fr..I.r 80 al araaNa aud