The Washington herald., 1910-09-27

| III He wants us 10 be charitable. He
wants US 10 be enlightened In charity
That is. charity guided and directed By
the light OF the intellect; for He is not
only the God OF love. He is also the God
OF light"
In these words the august Archbishop
| Blenk. or New Orleans, eloquently epito-
mixed the mission or the first annual con-
ference OF Catholic charities In an ad-
dress before the delegates in MacMahou
Hall OF Catholic University last night.
The conference tests and analyses the
! church's present-day machinery OF
mercy" II hopes TO unity the various
/ agencies in minlstering TO the delinquent
IND the defective. 10 the sick. the needy
/ and the God-forsaken.
This national conference IS Provfden-
t!al" proclaimed the archbishop, in adj
dressing last nights meeting 1T points
out our lick OF combined wisdom in the
past. II shows what energy we have
wasted through lack OF organization. This
is the first inventory we have ever taken
and It ought 10 lead 10 far-reaching re-
suits
Address Comes Hs Climax.
The archbishop's stirring words were
the climax of an inspiring session. Paul
Fuller. Of New York. voiced a broad and
Christian doctrine in his address on
Recognition OF the religion OF depend
ants by the State" and Rev. DR. J. w
Melody, professor Of moral theology in
the Catholic University gave a strictly
scientific treatment OF the subject. Nat
ural rights OF dependents"
That the dependant has an inviolable
by inheritance was the uncompromising
stand taken by Mr. Fuller
THE common conventions upon which
the political organizations Of the country
are based" he said. ARE In accord with
the dictum that the religious inheritance
Of the child is one Of those essential
rights which may well be classed among
! those which the Declaration OF indie
pendence declared inalienable. The politi-
cal instruments attesting that organiza-
ton make profession OF reliance for aid
and inspiration upon an all powerful and
benehcent deity. the worship OF whom
should forever be freely exercised with
out let or hinderapce as to the forms or
methods which the worshiper may choose
10 adopt
IT would indeed be an unusual punish
ment TO deprive the unfortunate Deepen
dent. and still more. the offending law
breaker, OF the ministrations and moral
izing influences Of religion. II 1t be
answered chat opportunity for religious
profession and worship are not denied,
but that any denial is only OF the right of
the dependent or delinquent to instruc-
ton in his own peculiar tenets, we run
counter TO the universal rule that in the
exercise Of religion there shall be no dis
elimination or preference. and that no
establishment Of any religion by law is
permissible"
Urges Rights of Criminal.
Following Mr. Fuller's address. Rev.
], w. Melody dealt with an altogether
different aspect of the subject of the de-
linquent He spoke of crime and the
right of the degenerate criminal to per-
petuate mis- species. He said. in part:
We have rather complete statistics of
crime According 70 the United States
census. there was, in 1890. one criminal
10 every 757 Of the population. In 1850
there was only one criminal to every
S,442 Of the population. Taken as they
stand, such figures would indicate Woe
ful increase of crime in our country.
Yet, regarding such a conclusion, au-
thorities differ, some maintaining that
such statistics fall to prove the apparent
proportionate increase. although it would
appear that the greater number of stu
dents of criminology would declare that
crime is multiplying out of proportion
to our growing population.
When We remember that among these
classes considerations of prudence and
selt-control offer little or no check, we
may Judge of the danger arising from
a tainted and degenerate offspring.
studying 80 degenerate families in Ems
land, an eminent physician found that
the average number Of children was 7.3
per cent. while the normal number of
children per family in that country is
only per cent"
Remedies Are Suggested.
Dr. Melody then discussed the remedies
for this growing menace which have been
discussed-the gentle removal from life
of the idiotic. imbecile. and grossly de-
fective. the separation of sexes, restric-
ton of the marriage Of the unfit, &c.
significant address was given by Da-
vid F. Tilley. of Boston. a member OF the
Massachusetts, State board of charities
and of the national conference OF chart
ties and correction. He compared the
laws relating to the delinquent and the
defective In the various States in his
article on ''the State and private institu-
tions," and showed that In practically al