Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1910-10-10
FOR KINDER WORLD
Aim of Humane Workers Now
Meeting in Washington.
FIRST GATHERING OF KIND
President Taft Sends Greetings to
the Conference.
NAGEL is HIS SPOKESMAN
Secretary Of Commerce and Labor
Welcomes Delegates to Ma
tional Capital.
FIRST GATHERING OF KIND
NAGEL is HIS SPOKESMAN

Delegates from every state in the Union
as well as representatives from foreign
| nations were present at the new Ma
| tional Museum this morning when the
first international humane conference be-
| gan it's sessions.
| Following the invocation by Rev. DR..
Wallace Radcliffe. Secretary of Commerce
and Labor Nagel formally opened the con-
gress with an address that won applause
from the assemblage. President Taft.
honorary president of the conference. who
is out Of the city. sent his regrets, say
ing: Convey my cordial greeting to the
delegates. I sincerely hope your delibera-
| tions for the betterment Of mankind will
prove beneficial"
| This meeting, which is the first interna-
| tional gathering ever held since anti
cruelty work was founded in 1896, has
! brought together pioneers in the work of
! mercy, and the addresses and discussions
| scheduled for the week will cover every
pnase OF the humane propaganda.
Secretary Nagel's Welcome.
The new auditorium of the museum,
which was used for the first time to-
day. is artistically decorated, and grow
ing palms and ferns grouped about the
| stage made an appropriate background.
DR.. William o. Stillman, president Of
the American Humane Association, called
the conference to order at $50 O'Clock
and introduced Secretary Nagel few
minutes later. On behalf Of President
Taft the cabinet officer extended a well
come to the delegates. Continuing. he
said:
Conferences and conventions Of this
kind are Of inestimable value not only
because they aid humanitarian move
ments, but because they make for peace
among the nations of the earth. 1t is
the National Capital, because of the IA
cilities offered by the various depart
ments of the national government which
are always at hand The results Of in
quirtes conducted by the government are
at the disposal of all. but We must not
conclude from this that further efforts
are unnecessary. The problem Of relief
from conditions that are oppressive to
humanity rests with every Individual
Sad Stories Of Cruelty.
Il fail to see how any human being can
fail to withhold sympathy from the fate
Of any child or animal who must fall be-
meath the cruelty Of man. Slavery was
abolished not only because the slave could
not bear it. but because the master could
not bear the consequences and man was
becoming degenerate. The pictures paint
ed by many of the official reports Of this
government dealing with cruelty to chill
dren are sad indeed. The careless and
cruel treatment of the child Is the most
reckless and useless course q nation can
pursue.
I'm the last few years we have been too
much In pursuit of material interests to the
detriment of the law of the brotherhood
Of man. We know that In many states ut
most care Is shown in the selection Of
judges for the civil courts, but In the
criminal courts any old thing will do. In
the criminal courts, and especially In the
judges. 1 am glad .the awakening has
come and that the world is beginning to
realize that the individual being is fac
tor in the economic life Of the state
Paper by Elbridge Gerry.
paper prepared by his father. Elbridge T.
Gerry. founder of the Society for the
Prevention Of Cruelty to Children. Com
The paper, in part, follows:
Child rescue Is not child reformation.
1t is not technically charitable work.
But it places the subject for the charita-
BILE work Of reformation in the possession
and under the control Of the societies,
who are constantly occupied in charitable
work only: and 1t terrifies the cruel by
the vigor Of As prosecution. Its mouth
can never be closed in a court of justice.
There ii reveals the truth That is what
the cruellist breads.
What wonder, then, that our great
work of child rescue is SO valuable
factor in the maintenance Of proper gov
ernment. Nobly have our societies. fIom
their inception, recoRnized the Importance
of securing for the Children of the poor
the sancuty of their homes and the in
duences of parental religion; of preserv-
ing unharmed the future sovereigns of
the state; and the incalculable benefit by
which. under the hand Of Almighty God,
the least of His children rescued from
cruelty, sin and misery has an opening
provided for the entry of His sunlight
into the wretched life to make his future
a benefit to himself and his fellow-beings
and a blessing to the nation
DR.. Stillman's Address.
Judge Robert j. Wilkin of New York
was introduced as the chairman of the
day, and DR.. Stillman began his ad-
dress. He said. in part:
Since anti-cruelty work was first
founded in the United States in 1866.
by our great pioneer. the late Henry
elapsed have witnessed the placing of
anti-cruelty statutes among the laws in
practically every state Of this great
commonwealth. 1t has Witnessed the
|
| education by statutory enactment in
fourteen states. This includes one
large city. the great inland metropolis
of the United States, Chicago. At pres
ent there are in the United States seven
monthly journals or magazines devoted
to the extension OF humane principles
and practices. with circulation ap-
proximating q hundred thousand copies
a month This eventful period has wit
messed the publication Of numerous
humane text books and innumerable
anti-cruelty Leaflets or humane tracts,
which latter have been circulated by
millions.
'The work performed by the humane
propaganda has Influenced much OF CO.
| temporary literature, and evidences Of
| these effects are to be found In hundred
| of books and in many current magazines
The humane movement has done some
! rhing more than conduct an academic
| crusade 1t has radically altered the tone
| of the public mind in regard to cruelty
and has helped to raise and ennoble the
national character of our people.
| "A successful humane worker and or
! uanizer wrote me some time since and
! employed the expression that Humane