Little Falls herald., 1914-10-02
c. {. YASALY MADE ADDRESS
AS PRESIDENT OF STATE CON.
FERENCE OF CHARITIES AND
CORRECTION AT BEMIDJI

and Correction which was in session
at Bemidji, September 26-29, deliver
ed an address as follows:
While in the fatherlands of many Of
| our fellow citizens there RACES the most
| terrible war known to history, while all
that a Christian civilization represents
] is being hazarded in bloody conflict, and
| the cannon and the sword are fast de-
church and the. school, and men made
in the image of theil Creator seem to
| have banished from t1.eir minds the idea
of brotherhood, we have mobilized here
tonight a part of the great army of So
| cial workers which throughout tins
country is engaged III the far-rea ching
| and many-sided contest for social re-
| to keep the spirit and to practice the
! doctrine of brotherhood with regard to
the unfortunate glasses of society
or eXecutive e powers It a is tn the iy y5iuntary
coming together, for counsel, advice and
| inspiration, of those interested in social
se but the social %orkep
| close contact with the actual manifesta-
tions of the problem that he, may per-
| the average citizen: All, however, are
| welcome, and the Conference earnestly
| seeks the cooperation and help of every
I'VE believe the program Of this meet e9
| ing to be comprehensive and valuable,
for of We e0aX Shall af
what rural schools can do to deter So
cial conditions, an interesting phase of
gEeat Ms Nav w ee t9a M nseu aeT
| ness far beyond the physical regenera-
ton Of the sick. We shall be informed
what further may be done to lessen the
er the state should, in addition to sup
porting. it's special institutions for the
deaf, blind and mentally defective chill
same plane-establisi. day schools for
these classes, is vital question which
will be discussed. We shall be advised
vising the laws relating to children and
will have a report o.4 the work of re.
search carried on under the direction Of #
should be illuminating and instructive.
The necessity of a Special place of So
cial and physical uplifting for the adult
ance on the program, and the organiza,,
ton of county Commissioners, affiliated
with the. Conference. will discuss the
causes of poverty in country districts l is
on many phases of social activity. Some
of the subjects would have found no
place on the program twenty years ago,
not realized. This would be especially
true Of the papers; relating to tEbeEcu- oeesu
| ence programs should reflect current
conditions and current needs, in order to
be of value.
Conference since it's inception, he will
| be perhaps surprised es we'll as gratified
| to see how many sussestions made IN
boded ad ian in T Reipf1E ys iegislatien: and how
| many things proposed seemingly too far
| in advance are now responsive to present
needs: This is as IS It should ~,oe be-: oe me nn
the the present, ana YET, IN help toward com
pretending them, with prophetic n
lens to come. Whatever can be done
| wealth in the work Of the Conference
Of ideas on social progress but a definite
aid in achievement of better order Of
things: should be done: uo,,o go o,,oo+s
as follows:
give opportunity for the mutua! in
by those who are actively engaged
missioners and other citizens who
YORK fe for the Ees is dasred or TO- maRt
the Conference thoroughly practical
for the promotion of economy in
expenditures Of public money in ad-
| Rrovemsnts in methods of helping
the unfortunate, ...
ance is given to the question Of improv-
ing the condition Of st. the pSor p prob 9h
was interpreted more comprehensively
than the words would indicate, and in
! stead of emphasis being laid on matters
of expenditure, all phases appeared in
The object of the minnesota State
Conference Of Charities and Correction,
as given in the new constitution adopted
Ito encourage study and coop
Grafton to secure the improvement of
laws and methods of work, depended @ ad:s
fortunes of the wards of Charity and
Correction, in manner to. best, serve
the humane and economic interests
"To best serve the humane and eco
nomic interests of society! That is the
keynote of ,t this gathsT3ng+ III It sa is the the
operate, to prevent and relieve, enl-
braces a philosophy of social reform.
Surely no one scouts the need; While
the ever-increasing ARMY of the delin.
quent, the defective, and the dependent,
marches in sinister ray before us. The
tas stets costs
institutions. This IS the direct cost,
without considering the Cost OIL the ,Ilsa-
chinery through which justice operates
and the many agencies of amelioration.
But what of all that lies behind the
clogged mind of the defective, behind the
anti-social offender, behind the deserted
mother and the unprotected child, behind
the famished denizen of the rotten tene-
ment, behind the unfortunate boy or
girl whose home is the streets, behind
all the host of the unfortunate upon
whose banners are written sin and suf-
fering, misery and same? We are face
to face with them. They touch us on
every hand. We cannot escape them If
we would. for though among them be
thieves, degenerates, those twisted in,
mind and body, ,outcasts, the cunning
and the foolish, they are after all our
fellows, and we owe it to them, to our
selves, and to God to save those who
can be saved, and to labor to prevent
more recruits joining this frightfuE
army, this parade Of the result of the
omissions and commissions of society, sOf
it's negation of the brotherhood of man.
It sometimes seems, as one contemplates
this army and its axtul potentia1ities;
that little has been done. This would
be unfair and untrue. Millions have been
expended by the state in the care OF
these unfortunates, anL hundreds OF men
and women have given their best efforts
for them, so that good beyond calcula,
tion has been achieved. We have cared
for them and are now trying to under
81 %Ior,, To ID fh;a we need not