Atlanta Georgian. [volume] (Atlanta, Ga.) 1912-1939, 1914-01-25
Why Women Charity
Workers Go Wrong.
BY Prof. DAVID EDGAR RICE,
Ph.D., Columbia University.

.yTHE wide discrepancy that may exist between pre-
cept and practise is never more strikngy illus
trated than when some prominent religious leader
guardian of civic rights individual who is
active in political social reforms falls victim to the
very evils which it is his duty avowed purpose to
correct, Crime and vice among those who cannot be
presumed to know better accepted matters of
But when the faults in persons
whose training, occupation habits of life Justify the
expectation of better things attention is challenged
and curiosity aroused.
The past several years have produced unusually
large number of examples of these inconsistencies OF
human conduct Now it is judge of the Federal courts
who is convicted of accepting brides from parties to
suits tried before him, in violation of the law which
through his entire life he had been trained to
and support At another time it is high police official
who, far from making honest effort to suppress
is found guilty of actually instigatng murder in
order that his long record of grating may not be
brought to light. Now it is the chief executive of
great State whose conspicuous efforts along the lines
of political reform brought to sudden and gno'
minious halt by the charge that he himself has been
guilty of offenses equally serious as those which
he is endeavoring to suppress.
Or, again. it may be the honored and trusted pastor
OF fashionable congregation who first betrays, and
then to hide offense basey murders of his
flock who in her innocence and simple faith looks to
him for spiritual guidance and friendly help.
Although these ofenses of those who Ought to know
better" surprise and shock than similar Of
lenses committed by individuals in less conspicuous
walks of life experience shows that they are not
exceptional, and that they spring from the same pas
sons of the human soul
We know that no vocation line OF activity is in
itself guarantee of the absolute integrity of those
who are thus engaged The human side by which, to
be more accurate usually mean human fraites, is
the common possession of every man Even those VINO
may be Justly classed as great may, respects the
ordinary virtues of humanity fall far below the aver
age they above it because OF their special endow
ments. Milton. for example, who has endowed our
language with the finest and noblest poetry possesses
and who given expression to some of the most sub
lime thoughts the world has known was notorious Tor
his veness of speech and for his bitterness ana mean
ness in disputes with his personal enemies.
In view of these universal characteristics OF human
nature therefore instances the kind cited above are
MOI difficult of explanation The expectation OF per-
sonal gain or the Overwhelming force OF passion TEN
porarly dominates the consciousness OF the victim 10
inc exclusion of saner and worther considerations
The force of good habits may make the CONNECT harder
and thus postpone the hour OF surrender 10 the evil p
the and results the same as IN e case o
those With natural tendencies to crime.
There is. however another class OF cases OF very
similar character where individuals whose intentions
aro OF the worthest and whose training Is presumably
VI the surrender 10 impulses OF when hey them
selves must obviously be the victims and Tor Whch no
reasonable excuse be offered We refer TO the large
number of social workers who, while apparently de-
70 ing themselves to benevolent work among the Grim
ina1 and unfortunate classes, themselves drawn
down TO the level of those whom they have undertaken
TO help to better things 1t is important 10 hoe thdt
the victims OF this tendency retrogresslon are nvar
ably women a fact which it will be helpful TO nave III
mind when we come to seek explanation oil IT,
Attention was forciby called to tins peculiar phe.
nomenon few years ago by the revolving murder OF
Elsie Sigel. young girl of prominent tamlE VINO nau
volunteered her services missionary TOT personal
work among the Chinese on the East SIDE ihVesllsa'