South Bend news-times. (South Bend, Ind.) 1913-1938, 1922-10-04
OCTOBER 4. 1922


ne III 4 > OOEOIC.
This city welcomes as is guests today the state
leadership It's various enterprises and organiza-
tons devoted to the betterment OF social condi-
lions In the state and the salvaging OF human
wreckage
They viii seriously discuss the problems of the
criminal, the wayward boy and the mistaken girl,
the IMPOVERISHED home and the devastation caused
by disease.
Less than a hundred and fifty years ago. insane
persons were killed or chained in novels They
were commonly SUPPOSED to be possessed evil
spirits.
Less than a hundred and fifty years ago a boy Of
twelve was hanged for theft OF few pennies and
two hundred years ago children executed for
any one Of dozen crimes.
These facts are cited as marking the difference
thai has come human thought and the human
heart in so brief a time short that IS as compared
to either the two thousand years Of Christian
or the seven thousand years OF recorded history.
The men and women who are assembled here to-
day are giving most emphatic answer to that
question asked by Cain, two thousand years
when he tried to shift responsibility by his querS
Am 1 my brothers keeper
Thus far the heart has guided and directed most
Of the enterprises and efforts under the name Of
charity.
The thought has turned largely to paliatlves and
TO FIRST aid methods OF those who piued,
effort made to relieve suffering and to minimize the
burden Of woe.
Crime poverty and disease now being studied
with increasing intelligence by those who
brought into contact with their results
It is fast dawning uron the world that there
other and better ways of meeting these problems
than by the almshouse the penitentary and the
hospital
It is still lamentably true that punishment of
criminals occupies more attention than the
dicaton Of crime the salvaging for society of
The criminal
It is suH lamentably true that the study Of
poverty. have not progressed much farther thar
the threshold merely stopping plunge hands
into pockets to relieve by gifts.
But it is through such gatherings as are now be-
ing held that the big truth - being dug from the
maze misery that the three big sources of human
suffering are in reality but one problem. all having
a common source and all finally TO be solved by
reaching the cure through the
AT last it is being borne home that it is time to
stop treating symptoms and to strike the disease.
a; last it is being discovered that crime has its
certain and definite and that its prevention
Is possible Much OF It is pathological
The old theory that a prison sentence becomes
virtually life term OF degradation IS giving
before the efforts strengthen weakened bodies
and weakened Wills and 10 send broken men back
10 society for useful service and happiness instead
Of bounding and hunting them 10 their deaths.
Juvenile courts discovering that the difference
between a mischevous boy and those who so to
iais is most difficult define and that most of the
mistakes OF boys their petty hefts their pilferings
can be traced TO environment and the is trust
and faith and the building OF a OF responsi-
rulty.
These students are discovering that the whole
problem works In its self propogating circle.
that poverty breeds III health and that I'll health
breeds crime and that II must be looked upon as a
whole rather than by segments.
No more useful body will meet IN this city this
wear The visitors are the social physicians They
vvtn discuss SYMPTOMS and remedies. In the end
they Will locate the germ OF disease and perhaps
ind chat The cure lies in serum compounded Of
soci1 ietice and OF brothery kindness. instead Of
the more brutal scapel and knife OF punishment
with later baudages OF charity.