Omaha daily bee., 1909-12-17

The annual winter meetings % the
American Academy of Political and Social
science are 70 begin In Philadelphia within
the neUt ten days. snd Il is expected that
the series % discussions viii bring out a
wealth Of contributions 70 the knowledEs
Of the problems OF political and social
science There never has been a time when
the world has nswCred that fateful quss-
ton, Am I ny brother keeper 50
strongly IN the affirmative as It Is an
swering It today. Social service. the veal
q the Individual, the uDTfr Of the Gown
troddsn care Tor the poor. help for the
helpless, gentle drmnsss for the criminally
lncined-everything TIA makes for the
bettsrmsnt Of political and social eondi-
tons claim an attention today the like Of
which they have never before received
Il one wishes to appreciats this fact FUZZY.
let him consult the indexes Of the peri
odicaI literature on the subjects within the
scope Of political and social science. He
finds them the most widely discussed SUP
jects in American Life today. Everywhere
men are discussing them. everywhere the
great underworld is feeling the touch OF
the hand that would lift il Up the rugged
sleeps that lie between the quRgmlres Of
unfortunate existence and the more pleas
ant plains OF profitable living.
And TO no other one agency can this
change Of attitude OF the nation toward
is unfUrrunates be traced more easily tnan
to the American Academy OF Political and
Social Science. Founded for the broad pur-
pose OK bringing together In available form
all the ripest and best thought Of The world
on the pouuco-social problems. its work
has been s-yOch-maklng In stimulating the
interest o. people everywhere In the wei
fare CT their unfortunate brethren, and
has been instrumental in brtnging about
many Of the blessings Jnat have come to
the submerged Millions
The publications. Ok the organization are
the most widely quoted sources OF infor-
nation on social science in the world, and
those who make the literature OF the as
soc.atiou are the men who are achieving
things. Whether it be child labor hat
is discussed. trusts, poverty, the liquor
question. deep waterway Improvement, the
race problem. the labor issue. welfare work,
or what not. the best thought Of 20. 68. CO..
people is brought together in a concise
symposium In other words, the academy
has made itsalf the pioneer in the subjects
with which it deals, gathering the data
and blazing the way for the action Of the
nation.
The annals OF the academy are pub
Hshed In a bi-monLhly volume, and more
than a leo OF these numbers have appeared
They deal win nearly every subject OF
human welfare that has occupied the at
tention OF the people in the past quarter
Of a century. The contributors have nun
bersd among them ali the presidents from
Harrison 10 Taft. al the writer's on civic
bettermsnL-in short every one who has
had some mite to bring whose END
was the betterment Of the political and
social conditions OF the people.
The American Academy Of Political and
Social Science now mas about 4N0 mem
bers. II was founded in 1883. and IS char
tered along broad lines. Wherever there
is a human being there is some problem
related to him that social science must
solve. How to make him OF good to him
self, of maximum service to MS nation.
ard OF maximum help in the onward march
Of human progress. IS a question that must
be solved IN each individual case. IL is
therefoFe one o. the principal objects OF
the academy TO enlist the support OF
every intelligent citizen and 10 simulAts
direct observation and reflection on a.
the social phsnomsna Of every community.
And then il Is desired hat the academy
may become the clearing house OF Al
the data gathered. in the hope that new
rules may be CedUeed and new laws estab-
hsned
In this work the acadeuy has made
itself the hArblngec OF the new thousn'
OF the nation u political and social SUD.
jectE. and BY building up a comprehensive
literature ou a question about which there
was little written, it gives direction u
the Investigations which follow. WhsT
there is a question OF great public momen'
before the nation the academy may b
depended upon to produce some convtnc
ing and Authoritative literature on tina
subject. II the divorce question IS upper
most il viii bring forth al the laws OF
the subject that have been tried in an
J corner OF the world. in order that states
may be induced 70 acept the good anC
reject he bad Il child labor engages tn
attention Of he nation it will give
symposium Of current thought