National news. (Chicago, Ill.) 1915-19??, 1916-04-12
PROFESSIONAL
BUSYBOO|ES
Glass n Persons Who Wish 10
D. Things For the Poor.
USUALLY FOa l. SALARY.


es~s-a~s~s cs~s~.ss.s~s Ns.ss~s
Wsses~s cs-sps~ssss~. bSe Asjses
eNsrts ~ ovtssds ovesss,s.sa
One of the m.~t dangerous phases Of
Pee.rnt day sRairs h the group II 9th
efwiss dtssnxnx~si philanthropi.'s Who
uAh tn d. things for fh~ Ioor snd ths
ievssoptns profession of sI~cially
trainej salaried individuals who are
anli"as to establish ways and means
10y uhtrh they may solve the Industrial
and sorial problems of the workers.
The burdens that the workers have
b,rne. the injnsts~ and abuse that
have been shunte,l upon them. ought u
sroas~ sympathy and concern hut
sympathy aud coocern must he tenn
I~red by a degree Of wisdom and d.
res-sed by knowledge ~ . principle fun
iamentsi for democracy and in.iivk iual
freedom
The prin,iple involved Is the real liza
tion OF one Of the difiicult. Important
and h~artbrraking facts Of life-the
limitations upon our capacity 10 help
our fellows. No one can transmit to
smother his knowledge or the results
- his experiences. The act Of learning
Is necessarily personal 1T Is hound up
with the lonene-s Of each life. BY &C
gnirinz knowledge and wisdom. by
mental and mornl Development como
prusr~>s and gr"wth. rsternalism and
the t~nevolrnt efforts To relieve indi-
,kiuals Of responsibility II working
"ut their own lives avert som. imme-
iiaie DISTRESS. but they prepare the
way for greater disasters In the future
hy weakening the mental and moral
fil~r II the PEOPLE Their. Ii much Of
ls,fh"s In the iney liable conclusion. but
yuu cannot io all things for all PEOPLE.
Iou csn advise. counsel. but the deci-
sion must r~si with the I@rsons con
,,.rns-i You may long to gather the
suffering AMI the oppressed under your
guhiance. but they have right TO thslr
nwn wills. even to - cir own mistakes
Rut there are p'ople p ho do not have
an appreciation q hat constitutes
the proper sphere Of their activities o.
. senae " 1ettrscy sbsst Invading the
privacy Of anoth~r's life. These per.
spus have basied themselves increas-
tnxiy with the problems and affairs of
the lives Ut their fellows-thoae bess
fortunate ecoaomicaliy. There are few
details Of nfe st home. at work. at
re.rrstkn concerning which they Do
MT feel thoroughly competent and At
liberty to give sdvsce or supervision.
So0e Of these unslerstudies TO Provi.
d~Wse are sctuated by generous and
sympathette emotions. They want TO
do gusa In the world-the majority In
truth that they may feel that glow Of
er,tinratioo that comes from doing for
others They have vision Of . new
world with themselves a. the creatosA
The work of these CREATORS and reno
vstoss has become commercialised and
,iixni6>si by the title Of profesaioa.
They are experts-experts In serial vel
fare. experts On home life. domestic ~
tafious. child life and the thouaa nd and
one problems that arise out Of the lives
Of thu poor They are willing and f.
vestshly anxious to BE- appointed upon
commissions % ~ government agents
90 help the wage earnerS 10 save their
money. Ia secure minimum wages BY
tss at q
projecting their physical well being.
All tbe-e solutions are formulated
along lines that necessitate govern
mental machinery and the employment
of exp~rts-the "intelleetuals" The
conclusion ~ inevitable that there 70 Q
very close connection between employ
ment .. experts and the enthusiasm
foe human welfare.
The, are auxious tn d. things for the
workers. anxipu. a. d. everything but
that which II e-sential-gef on their
hacks and give them an opportunity to
do things for themselves.
As these expert reformers- "tntellec-
tuais' increase IN numt%r and zeal
they di>'Io-~ plainly that their protO-
tyIs Il the ancient village busy body to
whom no detail 81 other mems lives
was sacred. and their present purposes
are M more exalted than were thoss OF
the unskillssi busyh"iy who worked
without technical training
Their 10 nothing IL greater contrast
10 IN. ideals and principles Of democ-
rncy than interference IN such phases
II mems lives as ought and must be
the determination OF their own villa
These 81 called experts can advise
and give counsel. but after all their In
formation IL indirect and lacks the
surrne~. and authority of personal eX
p<rt~uce. They are experts on thee
rvtk-sl plans and not authorities on
the fscfs of life and work-tbe emo
tious aud feelings that are inseparshle
from them-kpowis.ise that must h,