New-York tribune., 1907-01-16
BENEFIT TO AID BLIND
MISS KELLER'S APPEAL.
Help Make Them Sef-Supporting,
She asks audience at Waldorf.

She asks audience at Waldorf.
Happy beyond measure would the six thousand
blind persons this state have been last night IL
II had been vonIchsafed TO them to have had just
peep into the beautiful ballroom at the Waldorf
Astoria. where some two thousand men and women
had gathered in their behalf. They would also
have bsen glad to have heard the stirring appeal
of the Rev DR.. Lyman Abbott the kindly words Of
Bishop David H Greer the address Of Dr. Robert
Moon, OF the who invented the raised let
ters from which they have been taught TO read and
of Eben p. Morford. State Commissioner ioF lhe
Eiind and superintendent OF the Industrial Home
for the Blind ia Brooklyn: bat especially pleased
would they have been to hear from her own lips.
interpreted by DR.. Graham Bell. the address OF
Helen Keller the blind vice-president OF the New
York Association Of the Blind
Every box IN the balcony on three sides "t me
tig hail was occupied by the patrons ana patron
of the association. The chairs on TIE moor OF
the hall were all filed and many were standing IN
the aisles. Henry H. Rogers was among 'hose
eeated near the speakers platform
Miss Keller the last speaker OF the even
ing. Dressed in pink with a rose in her hair aiio
q string of pearls around her neck, she presented
vry pretty appearance.
Or. Bell watching der lips. spoke aloud the words
address. although many of them were plain
ly understood by those present even before the n
terpreter gave voice them. Miss Kelier's adj
dress in part:
York about The blind. Fo; New York is great be-
cause of the open hand with which Il responds 10
tire needs of the weak aud the poor The men ana
s Sa for e % Wo o Of e ehf sfe eap with
the human being fights his battle But they must @
must they be pensoned Ike disabled soldiers They
o &c ss ep' Of z tSe It is blessing to
strong give hello 20 tae weak StnerWlse , me .
would ae ID excuse for having the poor AWAY
RI. help He give 1he unfortunate must be In
tellice-t Charity may Gov freely and Yet fail to
5p cbs5t, ' Is cpeftsb 20 he heart but not 10
mind PITY and make poetry, but they DO
raise model tenement hoses or 6eeP @ d Gdi%Fsn 9
The heaviest burden he olind is nor h!incness
h,It .dleress and :Iey can be relieved II nus
ereater burden.
.,ies Kelrer aid tilat the task % make
careful census OF blind Of their circumstances
and when and from what cause they lost their
sight as was being done in Massachusetts. Ihcn-
The next steo :s 70 awaken each town and city
., snnse Of lis duty TO the blind. For II is the
rnnmr,nitv where the blind man lives that ultl-
,nsTeI,. determines his success his failure: The
state can teach him work supply him With raw
materials ana capital TO start MS BUSINESS Itut
products and give him the encouragement without
Enlfh no nilnd @ man lI,is can 1b sf meet him With
4 sympathy that conforms To the dignity 81 ms
oommunity should regard it as disgrace for the
blind TO beg the street corner or receive IN
earned pensions.
Miss Keller argued against the prrchase Of worth
less articles from the blind saying that they should
be taught to make useful articles and that good
workmanship should be promoted. She told OF a
commission. where the best handicrsft OF all the
sgEltless in the may be exhibited and scld,
ard OF the salesroom OF the Perkins Institution for
The Blind, under the roof. samples of what
might be done Continuing. she said:
T desire 10 see similar corporation between the
New York Institution for the Blind and the New
@ York i a The true value Of sehSOI for
darkness: but to lend hand to every movement
blind children receive a common school aduca-
ton They should do zG something well enough to be
Gated, they desire to work more than they desire
anbtionless and lazy. the fault lies partly with
those who have directed their education. partly
Eder. All the land blind are stretching
@ be Na hands ae to raSe s neT e tasks Sh shall
gladly because they know it is strength
There is fear OF killing the blind with kind
ness. Miss Keller said. A great many of them
that they should be trained and taught TO use tools
skifully. Then she went on:
Il}e new movement fer the blind rests On n foun-
9 Of ea Is not The DO 1asel6ss at 6s
& ieye that the blind should be segregated from the
as has been done IN Rumanis ana attempted in
ty America is democracy' n1' t;eioRsrcbt: Sf
and the city, of the. blind is everywfore, Each
vide eInployInent ZIP W @ for them. and epaD.e mem
appeal to YOU give The blind nan Tie assistance
5nnendene secure loF ,,1 nm complete or partial in
s 20 -, Iittie more than halfway to meet him Re
JirLhDeT however brave ana sclf-reiidnt he IL, he
VIII always need guiding hand IN his.
a pretty incident occurred at the close OF Miss
kellers address. Professor Bell and she are old
friends Ite was in Columbus when Miss Keller tele-
eraphed him asking him TO New York and
assist her i'm delivering her address. AT its con-
eiusion she looked up in the white haired mans
face with smile. and then buried her face upon
his shoulder like child and pressed there for
several seconds. i her unique way oe express
ing To her old comrade her thanks
Dr. Robert Moon told of the work of the Moon
society. which his father founded; or the recog-
aition in Europe of the need educational and
Industrial work fo- the blind and the bill
ny OF such work for the blind in This country.
me origin and work of the association was then
With moving pictures of the blind at work and at
aiay in the Royal Normal College for the Blind in
London. "
Then DR.. Lyman Abbott said that what was
Justice. lie quoted Dr. Armitage who had said
hat So per cent of the blind were able 10 main
AIN themselves. There is practically no limit to
ylat they can do said ne. What we need for
shall have the opportunity TO become a man that
ne then may profit by hts equipment /. isn't SO
much that demand that the Japanese shall
not come mere. but that the children that are here
should have chance 10 show what is in fhetfn
What We demand for them demand for tha
blind. We demand full equipment for the blind
We cannot give them back their sight, but we
Esn give them life"
At the end of Miss Keller's address the eudterca
adjourned 10 the Astor Gallery where thew found
blind men and women at work typewritina knit
ing, king broorns and toys and one blind girl
ment was made OF the amount realized at the
meeting.