The Idaho Republican. [volume] (Blackfoot, Idaho) 1904-1932, 1913-03-14
DIR. WARDS LECTURE.

At the Mems banquet at the Methc
dist church Wednesday evening Dl
Ward delivered an excellent address
on conditions among the workin
people of the cities that was listene
to with close attention by the fift
men present. His subject was Soc
ial Service as nearly as we coul
express it; service to society by tn
individual, the church, the frater
nifty, any and all who receive favor
from and owe duties to society. H
showed that as poverty exists it mus
have causes, and the task Of discov
ering the chief causes of poverty ant
the changing of the conditions 81
all will have a chance to overcome
their poverty is the greatest duty o
society to-day.
1t was what we call Socialist ad
dress of the reasonable ana rationa
type that deals with conditions a
they are and proposes improving con
ditions by eliminating the wrones
and giving to labor it's just share O
the products of toll. We do no
know whether DR.. Ward calls him
self a Socialist or one who Just loves
his fellow men and works for fol-
play, but his address was along tho
lines of equality of labor and o
those things which make for strong
happy boys and girls. strong mel
and women with opportunity to have
those things which make for good
health and happiness.
He told how they had worked in
Chicago to get records OF where the
houses are crowed with people and
lack light and ventilation, and kept
records of where there is most sick
ness and death and delinquency in
children and when the charts or
maps showing these things we're COM
pared, they showed these conditions
all in the same districts. Lack of
Fairgrounds for children, lack of sun
light and pure air bring sickness to
the family Sickness cuts off in
come and brings additional expense.
Death brings greater expense and if
it is the death of an adult it cuts
off means of support. The family is
down and out, and without hope of
getting back to compentence again.
They have to take the lean end of
everything, children driven by want
and lack of the amusements natural
to childhood, get into mischief or
theft and some before the court, and
thus once good and respectable
family go down the line and become
identified with the dependent and
criminal class. Year by year they
degenerate and, forgotten by the
world, they are replaced by another
generation that never knew respec-
liability and independence. Another
generation of the same downward
scale and they will be classed as
fiends and will be no more competent
for self government than savages
Every step in this process of degen-
Grafton makes them a greater men,
ace to the state and nation, and the
plain duty of society is to help them
at the starting of the trouble or to
make conditions such that they have
a chance to help themselves and get
upon their feet again by industry
and frugality.
He touched upon conditions among
the steel workers and showed that
he had thorough knowledge of
what is being done by organized eff
fort to bring about more equal dis
tribution of the rewards Of industry.
He laid considerable stress upon the
church as the servane of the COM
and suggested that the men
of Blackfoot should organize regard
less of church affiliations and see
that the few poor people we have are
given attention when they need it.