The Montgomery advertiser., 1908-12-20
BIG CHARITY
 CONFERENCE Called for Montgomery
 January 8.
TO ORGANIZE REFORM SOCIETY
Prof. Henderson of University of
 Chicago to Make Address.
Where Convict system is AFactorx of Crime" and Present Charity Schemes @Breeders of Pau-
 peri.m" scmethiag, :.
 Needed. q. ..

An active movement has been inau- gurated In Alabama for the organiza- ton of a society for charity and pris- on reform. A meeting has been called for Montgomery on January 8, which will be addressed by Prof Henderson. of the University of Chicago, perhaps the greatest living authority on prison and charity work.
 This particular phase of philanthropy has received but scant attention In Alabama. 1t is said that what charity is done in Alabama 1t is done in a reckless manner, and the need of pris- on reform was brought to the attention of the State and its lawmakers in a convincing manner.
 The call for the meeting at Mont Eomery comes from the Associated Charities Committees of Mobile, and says in part:
 "Alabama is awaking along this line, and some of our leaders are throwing themselves into the breach. To con serve these efforts and to awaken con- tinued and intelligent effort among our people. no step seems more important than the organization of such a socI- ety. The National Prison Association and the National Congress of Charities and Corrections have done remarkable work in our nation, and State confer ences of similar character have like wise been effective in some of our States 1t was a society of this kind that largely conserved the great work of John Howard and of Elizabeth Fry years ago. The Pennsylvania Society which has completed its 12Oth year: the Massachusetts Association begun in 1s24. and that of New York, is44. and others organized later, have been in- strumental, along with the National Association, in bringing our prison work to its present effective standard in some of the States Even our pres- ent awakening In Alabama is in a greater measure than we are aware the outcome of the foundations that they have laid.
 Certainly, there Is a crying need for such work. Our present convict sys- tenn Is a factory of criTno, and our hell ter-skeltef charity breeder of pau- perism. It ts disease, not health. , says pr. Strong, that is contagious and if we go on, without building up process. and do no curing. we are go- Ing some day to wake up to a serious situation. The important question is not whether the State gets revenue enough from the criminaI's labor to pay the cost of crime; nor even wheth- CT we deter others by examples of pu- nitive tustice; but whether the man punished Is not made worse by hia prison HE, ana turned loose to spread his mtschievous influence, or whether the man who leaves the prison friend less and with the ban of his punish ment upon him does not ind the odds so against him that in spite of good intentions, he falls into worse crime than before.
 Again, Alabama's charity is done in c most reckless way. Our poor houses are not well kept. and it seems to be nobody's business. It is not the fault of the keepers that it is SO, but of the State and its methods and appropria-. tions. Our charity. organizations in most of our cities give indIscriminate- ly. and no one knows how often they are the prey of the unprincipled and the encouragers of. td4eness and de- ceit. And here again 1t is not the fault of the charity workers who are nobly. trying to face the situation at hand.
 "The crying need is not legislakion but social education, and in our fast changing conditions that need Is Im- psrative. Mawklsh sentimentality can do no good: but really practical and scientific treatment can do much. Can this be done in a more effective way than by the organization of a society, which shah meet once every one or two years for the discussion of these questions. and the doing of such work