SCIENCE IN PHILANTHROPY 47 



a barrier l:)ctween the l^roken citizen and the prosperous. Our 

 official methods are bureaucratic in the worst sense; hard, 

 mechanical, rigid in routine, awkward and often corrupt in 

 administration. Our busy people, eager to be rich, farm out 

 their philanthropy, and pay relief societies to distribute their 

 alms and the remnants left from charity balls. Our educated 

 and comfortable ladies and gentlemen know not how the other 

 half lives. If the Elberfeld system could be introduced, or 

 the Boston corps of friendly visitors be organized in all towns, 

 we should know more of the meaning of struggle ''down in 

 the folks swamps." 



The principal inspirer of philanthropic feeling in the world 

 is the church. But up to recent times the leaders of the church 

 have been educated in a way not very favorable to a wise di- 

 rection of charity. The separation of ecclesiastical from 

 political power has insensibly weakened the sense of respon- 

 sibility for wards of the state. Our theological seminaries 

 are just beginning to provide for a study of the methods which 

 best represent the doctrines and practice of the founder of 

 the church in relation to the distressed. Those who give di- 

 rection to the studies of the church leaders have still to learn 

 much from the sajring of Dr. Arnold : ''It is clear that, in what- 

 ever it is our duty to act, those matters also it is our duty to 

 study." There is great reason to hope that another generation 

 will take up the burden with ampler knowledge, wiser method, 

 and more earnest consecration. 



In pioneer conditions only the rugged and dauntless push- 

 ed to the frontier. Indians, fever, and hardship selected the 

 feeble for extinction. Free land gave rude plenty to all who 

 could survive, and pauperism was rare. But with our great 

 cities have come new problems. Altruism must find a way 

 to be merciful, and yet reduce the burden of the unfit. There 

 is no prospect for the dependent classes in mere material alms. 

 Many can be educated to self support, and to abandon the 

 proletarian tendency to wear out mothers in bearing and rear- 

 ing chilcken who must starve on insufficient income. The 

 feeble minded and degenerate cannot be taught this funda- 

 mental lesson. Fortunately, they are not very numerous, 

 and can all be easily segregated in self supporting rural col- 



