Los Angeles herald., 1908-03-15

a rich state like ours? state and
a city still in the rough, as 1t
were? And while moving heaven and
earth by all known devices and many
original ones to tempt the tourists and
health seekers of the world to its boast
ed paradise of delights Are these de-
lights so apparent to the naked eye on
their arrival or to us that they justify
our boasting? Does nothing remain to
be done that should be and can be done,
and done by small outlay?
Alas, we are all SO slow to learn and
slower to apply-both officials and lay
men-the lessons taught convincingly
at our very doors! Why do we wonder
and doubt haggle and postpone" from
day to day and week to week so press
ing a problem as this now upon us?
Why do we spend recklessly the pre-
cious time when not only men, but
women and children are starving, sick
ening and dying under the bitter cold
of our winter nights from lack of food
and clothing, many suiciding in their
despair or becoming criminals under
this fearful strain and atheists in their
Judgment of God and mani Are we
Christians are we even brothers In
natural and human way when we dare
delay relief to these weaker ones made
so. alasl too often by our criminal Gre
alton or allowance of conditions which
no soul of our beautiful, bountiful land
should be asked to endure?
The object Lesson
The lesson for immediate relief is
given by Cleveland, Ohio. a city which
under the repeated administrations OF
Mayor Johnson Is doing much to JUS
tify the claim of Lincoln Steffens as
"the best governed city of our country,
under the best mayor" It's plan of re-
lief Is to place upon tract outside the
city and owned by it the tramps and
the petty criminals of its courts, where
they raise supplies for the city insti-
tutions and for themselves, of course
a matter of twofold economy for the
city or even threefold In the self-re-
spect and gratitude of those thus em-
ployed. A delightful tribute to our mis-
called "poor human nature" is the fact
that those thus treated have neither
police nor guard placed over them and
no one has yet broken faith with the
city by attempting to escape why
should they, when many tramps are
said to commit offenses for the mere
sake of the shelter and food of city
jails, indescribable in polite society,
as they often are?
Should not such a sensible, feasible,
humane and economic plan commend
our puzzled officials and business men
practical business men," so called
i'm fact, to all our humane citizens?
Why propose and debate. day after
day, over a stockade. yet to be built
and at this cost of human lives or upon
other future plans? Why. unless. in
deed there be gift or a pledge to
some contractor involved? That can
not. must not weigh for moment in
this critical case; else will we be held
surely responsible not only for misery,
death and ordinary crimes, but for in
evitable anarchy and rebellion. We are
our brothers keepers-and even self
preservation should prompt us to this
wiser and only creditable course. 4
"Housekeepers Wanted!"
Not in your house or mine, dear
reader not at this timel But in the
larger house." the city and the state,
where disorders waste, hideous evils
and cruelty hold sway, even into our
twentieth century! And this, the CEN
tury prophesied by Victor Hugo-the
keen sighted. far sighted and great
hearted-to be the woman's century,"
Indeed, it was we'll earned for woman
by the heroic souls of men and women
of the nineteenth century, who pre-
pared the ground and sowed the seed
for her inheritance. And in our plea
for civic housekeepers we would seek
the type of Florence Nightingale. the
Lady of the Lamp in Longfellow's
poem, who brought light and joy into
3 the Wretched darkness of the Crimean
war, brushing aside the cruel ''red
tape of the old regime and giv-
ing the instant help which was at hand
and demanded by all the instincts of
sisterly and motherly nature, the type
represented later by our own Dorothea
Dix in the barbarous insane asylums
of her time; by our wise and brave
Clara Barton and Mother" Bicker-
dyke, who asked not what was the
war order" but what was the need?"
These not only saved numberless lives
to the state and the family, but won
the lifelong devotion of the saved.
Is there not an emphatic, an unes-
capeable lesson, in all this? Why
should we hesitate to make it practical
in our own time and cities?
The Woman's Century
1t is truly the dawn of 1.-The woman's
century i'm the wise and helpful ways
by which she is taking the initiative
on many lines of public effort in our
own and in other lands; while not yet
given full recognition as citizen
through the ballot and as an equal in
the home.
Think of this unwisdom and discour-
tesy! She, the mother of men, the
guardian of the home and its supreme
interests! HOW VIII her SOtlS DluSH anu
marvel over this in "the better time
comingl". as the noblest of them do in
our time, bless them!
Some of these last, In their despera
tion and courage, have already called
for the support of capable and earnest,
but unorganized women citizens in
their hard and unsuccessful struggle |
with civic evils and wrongs and have
been well rewarded, as in Ne-y
Orleans by the governor and other Off |
cials Other states which have grant |
ed the right of suffrage to their women
have reaped a much needed gain in
the character of the candidates pro-
posed, as is attested under oath by the |
highest officials-governors, judges, |
mayors-although untrustworthy op-
ponents have declared the result not
a gain because, forsooth, all the evils |
of boss and corporation rule, against |
which the minority of better citizens
have struggled Intellectually, were not