Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1907-04-16
Philanthropy and Reform.

Mr.. j. G.. PhepS-Stokes the Young Now
Yorker of wealth who has espoused the
cause of socialism and has attracted atten
ton chiefly because OF his marriage with a
young woman of the East Side declined to
attend the exercises of the dedication of the
new Carnegie Institute in Pittsburg the
other day, and took occasion in a lecture
to criticise MIR. Carnegie's benefactions He
said that social ills cannot be cured by
Well-meaning but ill-advised philanthropy"
Mr.. Carnegie's gifts to the people of this
country have been guided by a dominant
principle which is quite as important in the
evolution of the ideal state of society as
any other that now animates the ph.lan-
thropists or the sociological workers Mr..
Carnegie believes in education, in enlight-
eminent. He moves toward the goal of cur
ing the ills of ignorance, which he regards
as responsible for most of the evil condi-
tons in our life today. He has scattered
libraries throughout the country in the hope
of inducing the people to read by offering
them easy opportunity. He thinks, and is
in this supported by many others. that read
ing cultivates the higher qualities Of peo-
pie and inspires them with ambitions and
lifts them out of their ruts. The desire for
education is often born in young men as
result of a casual reading of book.
The social ills, against which both Mr..
Carnegie and Mr.. Phelps Stokes are strug-
CLING in their respective ways. are deep
seated. They cannot be cured thoroughly
by neighborhood settlements alone or by
public libraries alone. The social settle
ment reaches individuals and sets up
standard of right living that leavens
small lump The public library supplies
means of self culture and provides an In
Srira fpr nbars ba fun
plement each other. Possibly the settle
ment enterprise comes first, in order Of the
effect upon the individual, guiding him into
the ways of self-respect and self-help, which
lead through education. to success.
The social Ills are caused by political
conditions, by uneven distribution of the
population, by too rapid an influx of Aliens
by the failure of our legislative and our ad-
miEistratve systems to cope with the
municipal conditions. To cleanse the slums
physically and morally will go far toward
solving the problem. But vice and crime
are not wholly confined to the Sums Wit
ness, in Illustration of this fact, the dis
closures Of the Thaw case. There must be
moral teaching In terms that will be I'M
derstood by ell classes of people. The
churches are doing their share of the work.
Associations OF young people founded upon
religious principles are doing a great deal.
Temperance societies and social organza-
tons inspired by principles of right living
are contributing to the end of causing
men and women to realize that evil doing
aud evil thinking lead to bitterness and
shame and death.
Philanthropy is a broad term and those
who are pursuing special courses of pub
lie benefaction in its name are all con-
tributing to the public betterment. Mr.
Carnegie's libraries are helping millions
today along the upward path, just as the
s!um works of Mr.. Phelps-Stokes and many
more selt-sacrificing men ard women are
starting millions along toward that up
ward course. 1t is unfortunate that there
should be criticism of any of the methods
by those who engaged in other lines,
for all are necessary to the great end of
retaining the human family from its mis-
fortunes and its bad habits.