The Ocala banner. (Ocala, Marion County, Fla.) 1883-194?, 1911-11-10
CHARITIES AND CORRECTION

Every community in Florida, wheth-
er the smallest town or the largest
city, has a peculiar interest in the
work of the conference on charities
and correction to be held at Jackson
vile November 1918 Conditions have
made it imperative that the calls that
are made upon the charity of the peo-
pie of this state be answered in
manner which protects the philanthro-
pists from the unworthy and at the
same time best serves those who
need help.
Charity and sympathy are the most
common impulses, and are therefore
the most frequently abused by beg
gars who have grown rich on it. Real
charity to the recipient does not end
with tossing pittances to the needy
that is merely the beginning. To be
effective and lasting in it's benefits to
the distressed and to society, charity
must seek out adm correct the causes
of poverty and lend the helping hand
of sympathy to those who are down
on their lot and feel that the world
within which they live is all sordid
and unkindly. 1t is the real work of
charity to plan such readjustment of
each stricken familys affairs and to
provide such intelligent guidance as
will restore it to self-support
Merciful charity sees in poverty
something more than backs to be
clothed and stomachs to be filed.
There are lives to be uplifted Some
times the need is material relief,
sometimes it is medical aid, consola-
ton, advice, encouragement, discip-
line or reorganization of conditions
of living. 1t participates as a posi-
tive factor in related movements,
having for their object the improve
ment of physical, moral and social
conditions in the environs of the poor
Organized charity is all this.
While only the larger cities would
require paid officers to administer Ct
fectively their charities, the smallest
towns might follow the plan of organ |
ization and the methods employed in |
Tampa and Jacksonville with greater
economy in all matters, and chief
among them in the efficiency of the |
work done. There are in every town
many who would be willing to admin
lister the affairs of the organization
without pay, just as there are,g hun
dreds who would be glad of an oppor-
tunity to contribute to the aid of their
fellow man through an agency which
carried with it public confidence and
a guarantee that permanent aid will
be extended to unfortunates. 1t is to
the interest of society and the world |
that every man or woman forming
one of it's units be preserved to con-
tribute to the happiness and wealth
of the community. Each man or, wo-
man restored to basis of self-sup-
port is transformed from a charge
into a valuable unit of the community
The perfection of such organization
and the sure and effective methods of
of charity and the pro- |
verbal helping hand is a matter that
has been studied by many experts.
The best of these will explain the
workings of the system at the jack
sonville conference. Our city and !
county governments should have rep
resentatives there, for they will de-
rive many benefits from a more eff
Gent administration of the public /
charity. Our churches and charitable
organizations should be well repre-
sented Private citizens who feel an
interest in charity should encourage
it by their presence and support. |
There is nothing to be lost, and ev-
erything to be gained. From the .
first, the Florida Conference on Char
tiles and Correction should assume
an important place in the civic affairs
of the state Our people should see
that il does