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philanthropic work in America at the present time

are somewhat chaotic; the work is not well sys

tematized; there is much conffict of

g. Principles jurisdictions and much confusion of

of Work methods; there is great need of some

revision of the entire program of char

itable relief. The principles which should govern

this administration have been somewhat roughly

indicated in this survey. (1) It is important that

the State should more clearly define its own phil

anthropic function; that it should determine how

much it can wisely undertake in behalf of the de

pendent classes. The institutional work in which

it is now widely engaged should, for the most part,

be carried forward. If public outdoor relief is to be

attempted this relief should be given in such a way

as not to demoralize the recipients. The work to be

done in such cases is largely the repair or the re

building of damaged character. It ought to be in

the hands of those who have some skill in the res

toration of souls. If the State can not furnish offi

cials who know how to save men and women, it

would better leave this work to be done by others.

But it will still be necessary that the law stand

near to help the volunteer workers. There is many

a broken family the wreck of which is caused by

the brutality and dissipation of the husband and

father, and the wisest help will fail to lift the fam

ily out of misery unless he can be separated from

them and subjected to a discipline in which he

may recover his manhood. He ought also to be

kept at productive labor and his net earnings turned

over to his family. Charity workers are constantly

meeting complications of this sort in which the

power of the State must be invoked for the protec

tion of the weak and the enforcement of conjugal

or parental responsibility. If, therefore, such co

operation as this between the State and the volun.

teer workers is to continue, the terms upon which

it is carried on should be explicitly defined by law.

(2) It is also needful that the churches should come

to a clear understanding of their relation to this

entire problem of philanthropy. If they have in

spired the commonwealth to undertake these works

of compassion they have done well, but their work

is not yet done; it is hardly conceivable that an

institution which represents Jesus Christ in the

world should ever be able to discharge itself from

responsibility for the poor, the sick, and the un

fortunate. It has no business on its hands more

urgent than this; it can never convince the world

of the genuineness of its commission unless it is ad

dressing itself intelligently and efficiently to this

task. (3) The churches of every town or city should

recognize their joint responsibility for the care of

all the poor and the miserable and the unfortunate

of their community. If the State has taken over

some portion of it, still the churc~es are responsi

ble for seeing that the work of the State is hu

manely done. This is a work that can not be

done by the churches without systematic coopera

tion. If there were no other reason for the union

of the churches of the community, this would be

reason enough. The Christian people of every city

are confronted by poverty, sickness, distress, and

misfortune. They can not count themselves dis-

The greater part of philanthropic work, however, is done by public agencies. The Christian religion has filled modern society with what Benjamin Kidd

calls " a great fund of altruistic feel4. Public ing," which finds expression in a vaAdministra- riety of public philanthropies. To

Lion of Aid. that extent the State has been Christianized. " All-of-us," cooperating through civil institutions and public agencies, are seeking to care for the poor and the sick and the unfortunate. Let it not be forgotten that it is the enforcement of the teachings of Jesus Christ by his Church that has brought this to pass. Such results are not visible in non-Christian countries. The public philanthropies are largely institutional. Hospitals, almshouses and infirmaries, asylums for the insane, the blind, the deaf, the feeble-minded, the epileptic, homes for orphan children, sanatoriums for the victims of tuberculosis-all such institutions are provided for the most part gratuitously for the helpless poor and the unfortunate. Much of this work is of such a character that it could not well be left to voluntary agencies; the burden of it ought to be borne by the entire community. That the community is willing to bear it-that public opinion requires the imposition of this charge upon the public treasury is a signal triumph of Christian civilization.

The legitimacy and necessity of what is technically called indoor relief are thus apparent. But the State also undertakes to administer relief to the poor in their own homes, and for this service it is ill qualified. If, indeed, such conditions as prevail in the German cities could be secured-if the municipality could enlist a large force of its most intelligent and competent men and women to serve as visitors, this work might be done by the public with the best results. In Berlin more than 3,000 visitors of the poor are appointed by the city. They are selected with great care, are men of character, and are compelled to serve. The districts are small and the service is not onerous, but it is not optional; the penalty of refusal or neglect is disfranchisement. With such a force of visitors the city can dispense relief intelligently. But it is doubtful whether any such service as this could be secured by an American city; the investigating force is always absurdly inadequate and generally incompetent; the officials charged with this duty are frequently careless and sometimes corrupt; the funds are used for political purposes, and, as a rule, the needy are neglected and impostors get the lion's share. For this reason some American cities have abolished public outdoor relief and leave the care of the people in their own homes to voluntary charity, sometimes employing the associated charities or other voluntary organizations to do the work of investigation, and granting relief upon their recommendation.