The Birmingham age-herald., 1913-09-28
Developments Brought Out
/ by Henderson Case May
do Much Good
NALYSIS MADE OF
! CAUSE OF TROUBLE
hack of Sympathy and Too Much
Sociology Given as Real Rea-
sons for Unpopularity
of Work Here
BY RALPH r. SILVER

BY RALPH II. SILVER
The hazardous straits into which the
Birmingham Associated Charities has
drifted has been pitifully placed before
. the public in the recent letters of DR..
| George Eaves, in which DR.. Eaves at
|3mpted to defend the condition of af-
. fairs at the Associated Charity offices
by rhetorical and literary tricks of argu-
ment DR.. Eaves Is one of the most
learned and intellectual men in Birming-
ham, and when he resorts to trickery TO
defend his hobby, scientific charity" lit
tie other argument is needed that scien-
itic charity is a farce.
Over-Development of Good Idea
BirminghamA present affliction as re-
CARDS organized charity is the result Of
an over-development of a good idea. Like
in everything else, the pendulum In the
charity conditions of a community swings
from one extreme to the other. Not
many years ago the Birmingham dis
trict suffered greatly from haphazard, in
discriminate methods of administering
charity and from group of rival charit-
able institutions which were continuously
Snghting each other, the latter condition
laving never been completely eliminated.
From this the pendulum swung over to
the other side and the city is now suf-
fering fro mthe opposite extreme.
The Associated Charities is and of right
ought to be the one and only institu-
tion for dispening charity in the COM
paunity. But, charity cannot be dispensed
with the same methods that are used to
operate detective bureau or coal min
|1ng company. Charity is not busi-
ness and cannot be done on business
basis. Charity is love. Charity is SYM
pathy. Charity is liberality. Charity is
Judgment Charity. true, is intellectual;
but 1t also must be partially sentimental
or emotional
Must Have Sentimental Side
Therefore, no man, no matter how good
q business man he may De. no matter
how much executive ability he may have,
no matter how honest he may be, no
matter how Industrious he may be. il he
has no sympathy. If he has not love for
his fellow man. If he has not judgment,
II he has not a sentimental and an emo
tional side to his nature as we'll as an
pntellectual, that man is not the man and
never can be the man to operate and
be the executive head of charitable
institution.
0The board of directors of the Asso-
cated Charities is composed of some OF
the best and most prominent citizens
Of the city. True. But, when a man
comes to the Associated Charities hun
10 A Tod
Charities ill. when a man comes to the
Associated Charities for a warm place
10 sleep or food for a sick family. is
that man hailed before the board of direc-
tors and his case acted upon? No. sir.
Who does pass upon his case and de-
eide whether or not he shall be given
-elief? The secretary.
How does he do 1t? He does 1t by
putting into effect set OF directions, the
provisions of a constitution, the restric-
ions of a set of bylaws all of which
we're made and adopted by a group OF
wealthy and healthy and successful busi-
hess men. perhaps . or 10 or 20 years
before. In cozy directors room with
lot an hungry man or an i'll man or a
broken" man near.
Deciding Cases BY Rules
Now can the case of this man who has
ONE for relief be decided by the secre-
ary by applying the rules and regula-
ions and constitutions and bylaws pre-
iously adopted by the directors? In some
ses 1t can and in the majority OF cases
Aeannot. That is, it cannot unless the
ecretary in question has love for his
elbow man, has sympathy for his fellow
nan, has sentiment and emotion as well
$ intellectually and last, but not least,
as judgment.
Secretary W. NJ. McGrath, In the belief
the writer, has not these qualifica-
ons. There are others who believe the
anne thing There are hundreds and
undreds of others who believe the same
ring. Right here 1t might be we'll to
iY that both Mr.. McGrath and DR..
aeyes are considered among the writers S
est friends and it is hoped that that
riendship may continue. Because men