The Ocala evening star. [volume] (Ocala, Fla.) 1895-1943, 1919-01-28

ers Association of America, which is
holding an exhibition here of more
than $4,000 manufactured articles,
from hairpins to seal coats.
ing. The first forty years of his life
he spent in the study of art. Then;
seeing that art is but the bursting
into flower of the social conditions in
which the artist lives, he spent the
last forty years of his life in the study
of society. believing society must i'm
prove, If art is to improve. If art so
intimately depends upon social condi-
tiCns, how much more does social wei
fare.
President Butler of Columbia Uni
versity, recently defined "ethics" as
the doctrine of conduct and service,
economics as the doctrine of gainful
occupations, and politics as the doc
trine of the reconciliation between the
two and of living together in har-
mony and helpfulness." Politics, there
fore, appears to be the subject that
most vitality concerns social welfare
and social service. But politics, just
now, is the subject most agitated by
the war; mistakes therein have the
greatest power for social misery and
degradation, as the sad plight of Rus
sia demonstrates; and the first duty
of the social worker is to think
straight on the proposed radical refor-
nations of our social and political in
stitutions and to oppose them if they
are deleterious.
A priest, in accordance with the
custom of his country, was once asked
to say prayer for the spring plant
ing. He looked over the fields, noted
the sterile condition, and replied:
Brethren, don't use prayer, use fer
tilizer." One might as well try TO raise
crops without fertilizer, as to attempt
the betterment of people, ignoring
their environment. Those who under
take social service without paying
anxious heed to the changes in social
and political institutions occurring or
about to occur, are as wise as the old
debating society that discussed which
is the more important, the sun or the
moon, and decided the moon is, be-
cause it gives light when it is most
needed.
You are familiar, know, with the
details of philanthropic work. There
fore | have deemed it more important
to direct attention to the idea, the
prerequisite, behind this work With
this in mind / decided to entitle my
remarks, "The Blue Print of Social
Service What, let me ask, is The
most fundamentally important thing
about bridge? The blue print. II
the blue print is wrong, the bridge Is
wrong No amount of honest worl
and sound material, combined in &C.
cordance with an improper pattern
! can make anything but an unsafe
bridge. Now social service is bridge
over which the unfortunate and sub.
merged may pass TO the successful anC
law abiding majority of society. Oul
/, social and political institutions arr
the piers by which this bridge is sup
ported. These piers daily are assault
ed by the tides of sentiment and emo
tion that the war, to a large extent
has set in motion. The present pecul
+, lar difficulties of social service grow
out of the social, economic and politi
cal questions that the war has be
queathed US. Consequently. max,
mo apology for, discussing these prob
| lens with you. The blue print of soc
ial service imperatively demands thei
solution.
f.Iow me to offer some authorit.
for this statement Some weeks ago II
| Gainesville | attended a farewell din
ner of the four minute speakers. Ou,
chairman, the Rev Bernard Camp
bell, rector of the Episcopal church
/ proposed the formation of a societ.
for the study of social and politica
propaganda, saying that in his opin
ion the biggest work of the church TO
sometime was to combat the heresie
of treacherous, delirious, radicalisn
that would pull down the government
destroy the church, and make honest
lclean, decent living virtual impossl
bility. The four-minute men favore,
the idea, and the chairman was au
/ thorized TO request the Twentieth Cen
tury Club and the other organization
of the city each to designate mem
Der to form a committee to draw up
constitution for the proposed society.
In an address. before the Nations
Civic Federation. December End, 1915
Henry A Wise Wood has clearly dis
tinguished the different methods o
dealing with our reconstruction prob
lens. He thinks these problems ar
too vast and new to be solved synthet
ically by any body of men, howeve