THE EXPANSION OF ORGANIZED CHARITY 21 



and thanks for the manifestation of the presence in the hearts 

 of so many citizens of the holy sentiment of charity and hu- 

 manity. Indiscriminate giving was the rule, and sentiment 

 the guide. 



Now the sad part of all this was that these people were 

 honest and supposed they were doing real good. 



The writer then resided in that city and in common with 

 other business men was ignorant of the actual conditions and 

 their effect upon the real problems of povert5\ It never oc- 

 curred to us, and no one ever told us, that these things were 

 wrong, not to say vicious. We simply attended to business 

 and put something extra on the plate on poor Sunday. 



It happened that a local clothing merchant once heard 

 the general secretary of a New York state charity organization 

 society deliver an address and was attracted thereby. He 

 mentioned it to a prominent local banker and to the writer, 

 and it was decided to invite N. Rosenau, of Buffalo, and Levi 

 L. Barbour, of Detroit, to address an opera house meeting. 

 With characteristic plainness of speech, Mr. Rosenau startled 

 the assembly with a recital of conditions prevailing in the 

 local public poor department, which his training had impelled 

 him to investigate as soon as he had reached the city ; and he 

 pointed out the direct and indirect effect of such conditions 

 on the future of the city and its inhabitants. The effect will 

 be understood when it is known that in three days annual 

 pledges aggregating $6,500 were secured with which to start 

 a charity organization society. A revolution in practice and 

 public sentiment of course followed. 



All this was a mere accident. It should have been done 

 years earlier. There were those who could have done it. The 

 city grasped the undertaking eagerly when the opportunity 

 offered. Are not those who know what is needed in other 

 places, and know best how to bestow it, conscious of a feeling 

 of personal responsibihty to cooperate to such an end? 



There are hundreds of American cities now in approxi- 

 mately the same condition in which Grand Rapids slumbered 

 fifteen years ago. Why not wake up? 



