The University Settlement
By James 1$. Reynolds, Secretary
to Mayor Scth Low
T1IK struggle for good city gov
ernment all philanthropic agen
cies have come to be classified
l(7pr1 aa helpful or harmful thereto.
Ill The careful scrutiny of their
value did not begin with the friends of
food government; the spoilsmen and the
"grafter" were the first to test their polit
ical availability. Kverjr pastor or priest
Who would accept a contribution from "the
organisation" to relieve the poor in his
parish, every charitable society which
would accept Immunity from the law as a
favors were long ago rated by the poli
ticians as "approachable." The recipients c t
Such gifts, subsidies or favors could not
with decency attack the donors, and if
they did not yield to the. natural impulse
to announce their Indebtedness to "our
public-spirited fellow citizen" they would
at leant acknowledge the donor's kindness
to the poor. The donor's gifts were n:t
mere charity, but a good political invest
ment redeemable In votes on election day.
Under the present pressure of quickened
Interest in municipal Improvement political
reformers hae begun to scrutinize siclil
and mural agencies to determine their
relation to the public good. It Is coming
to bo recognized that modern scientific
Charity la at odds with the poli:lclat:s'
methods of charity. Intelligent philan
throphy declares with the reformer that
thu politician's subsidy takes away manli
ness and Independence which are at the
foundation of true democracy. The toli
tician whose avowed object is to make a
man "vote for his Job," or as his charitahl ;
friend dictates, in effect admits the con
tention. Among the recent agencies In the philan
thropic field Is the University of Social
Settlement. Tho first Settlement of this
character was established in London in
lb!s; the second. In New York In 1SN7; tho
third, in Chicago a little later. A Settle
ment is a small community of educated
The American Mother
O SEOTU5TARY HAY we are In
debted for the benevolent assim
ilation of the word "American."
It Is now in diplomatic parlance
the privato property of Uncle
Sara. Our representatives to foreign lmdi
liava recently written over the doors thej-j
words, "The American Embassy" or "Con
sulate." The appropriation of this word
characterizing the citizenship of tho Unite!
States of America is Justifiable and we
trust prophetic of that day when the city
of Washington shall bo the terebrurn and
cerebellum of the United State.) of North
and South America. This is tho inevitable
corollary of the Monroe doctrine.
Tho philanthropic nnd commercial forces
of the western continent w.ll in: 1st tint
liberty does not grant frteiom for s-clf-dtwtructloii
an persistently exhibited In tho
caricatures of self-government in Central
and South America. I'hilanthropy seeks
peace and commercialism demands stab:e
government.
"Tho government at Washington Insures
the autonomy of Its neighbors and will
make heavy Investments to guirantee its
word. It wili Just aa surely demand 1 s
dividends expressed In peace, prosperity,
Integrity and uninterrupted commerce. All
hail the new word 'American.'
"By the American Mother then we mem
that expression of womanhood that has
Intelligent and Intuitive sympathy with
democratic Ideals and under the stimu
lative influence of the.se ideals has given
to the world, we verily believe, the high
est type of motherhood.
"The American mother is typical only as
the American citizen differs from other
cosmopolitans. We cannot claim any dis
tinguishing quality of mother-love indi
genous to American soil. Its expression id
the same the world over. When God cre
ated a mother He embodied a thought
unique in all nature, a now. distinct cre
ationa force as Indestructible and bene
flcient as ilia own Infinite, wisdom. In
woman He templed beauty, incarnated the
refining graces of humanity and dedicated
every Impulse of nor being to the achieve
ment of love's masterpiece Motherhood.
"There ks in all this cold and hollow
world no fount of dejep, strong, deathless
love, like that within a mother's heart.
AdoratWm of motherhood is congenital and
compelling. Unhappy and degenerate Is the
man for whom his own mother has not
mmie ah other mother venerable.
"A composite picture of American moth
ersthe New Kneland, the southern, tho
western type would not be tho American
mother any more than a composite pho
tograph of the sculptured goddesses of
Grecian mythology would disclose a Nlobe.
The average mother of America 1st to
composite. We must seek tho ldal anl
from the physician's standpoint. The limits
of thht paper forbid many excursion of
thought Into the broid domain i of our
subject and but it brief discussion of 0110
or two points. We seek amid varied en
vironments, most hoiK"fully, for that ex
pression of womanhood wh!ch gives to the
home iffe of this nation the surest promise
of perpetuity. One who could desciibe
persons who make their borne In the poor
quarter of a city to engage in effort for the
intellectual, moral, social and economic
betterment of the people of that quarter.
The Settlement does not take the place of
other philanthropic agencies. It Is not a
church, a mission, or a school, nor Is It a
society to give charity. The settlement
worker's let gift. If he hi the right man,
Is himself; he gives his time and best
efforts to obtain a better knowledge, of the
forces for good and evil In his community
and to strengthen the force for evil. Ills
education should qualify him to take In
telligent and dispassionate views and to
distinguish between cause and effect, and
If he Is the right man his understanding
and education are supplemented by a large
heart and hmad sympathies; otherwise, iie
is a statistician or a student, not properly a
settlement worker. No one can help his
fellow man In any grade of society who
merely regards him aa a specimen for
analysis or tabulation. The most useful
settlement worker Is also a leader and as
such Is welcomed, for people In all prudes
of society wrint leadership. The general
desire f'.r leadership must not be over
looked by reformers who tire contending
for personal responsibility and independ
ence, (live the people leaders, but glvo
them leaders who will encourage Independ
ence, not repress It. If the qualities I have
named nre found In the workers the Set
tlement is an agency of Immense value to
Rood government for the following reasons:
First The Settlement Is the agency for
obtaining exact Information bo greatly
needed in political and social reform. The
political reformer wishes to favor Just
remedies for the betterment of the poor,
free from the pauperizing tendency or
demagognery of the politician, but he has
not the politician's knowledge of conditions
and is In danger of either refusing good
remedies In the fear that he may play the
demagogue or favor unwise measures, or
adequately such an embodiment of vir
tues could secure no greater fame. (Such
heights of eloquence, such pictures of rhe
toric, are beyond our powers.) The Amer
ican mothers of the past shine out In tho
deeds of their children whom the nation
honors In ita halls of fame.
"The American mothers are too often for
gotten in the deeds of their illustrious
sons. Could we mistake tho family traits
exhibited In these words of one of tho
colonial mothers. Good family government
assures good civil government. Wo must
learn to obey before we know how to gov
ern. Obedience and truthfulness are car
dinal virtues to bo cultivated. To a
mother, renowned for her wisdom and
beauty, is Washington Indebte 1 for such
character-building precepts as Just quoted.
It was the special endowments of his
mother that gave to l'atrlck Henry his
wonderful gifts of oratory which he us d
so effectively in the cause of American
Independence. From his gifted Huguenot
mother came those rare tralt3 of genlui
exhibited by. Alexander Hamilton. The
mother of Kmerson was a parag m of do
mestic virtues and womanly graces. It
was the mother of William Lloyd G.irrtsin
that Inspired those Jeremiads that smote
the hearts and consciences of this nation
In ante-abolition days.
"I,et me describe ono mother typical of
thousands in the early days of the, p ust
century.
"Taking her part In tho labor of the
household at a time when It was expectol
that the woman portion would not only
care for the house, prepare tho food, and
make tho clothes for all the family, but
also weave nnd spin tho materials as well,
she yet managed to acquire an education
of which graduates of our modern schools
and colleges might well bo proud, Shi
studied while sho spun flax, tying her booki
to the distaff. She not only became well
read in literature and history, and ac
quainted with the progrcs.4 of aclcneo,
then Just beginning to attract the attention
of scholars, but learned to writo and spoa'.c
the French language fluently. Sho nave
enough attention to music to bo able to
accompany her voice on the gultir, and
was sufficiently skilled in the use of pencil
and brush to paint some very credit iblo
portraits upon ivory, several of which are
Etill in the family. She was an udept in
the mysteries of tho needle, In fine em
broidery with every variety of lice and
cobweb stitch, and was gifted with great
skill and celerity In all manner of htndl
craft, so that In after years neither dress
maker, taiWress or milliner ever drew on
the family treasury.
"Such was the mother r.f Henry Ward
Reedier of whom ho spoke at often and
never more eloquently tlian when ho ail I;
'My communion with nature arose from
the mother In me. liecauae my niotl.er
was an inspired woinau, who saw God In
. nature as really as In thu book, and sho
bestowed that temperament upon me, and
I came gradually to feel that, aside from
God em revealed in the, paat. tlaire was a
Cod with an everlasting pre ent arou-d
about me.' What an Inspiring Ideal of moth
measures which are distasteful. The Set
tlement may bo the reformer's best and
must useful advbvr to help him In forming
discriminating Judgments as to what la
wisest and beat for the welfare of the
community.
Second The Settlement may aid In bring
ing the reformera of all classes together.
The politicians through their political
machinery have representatives in all
sections of a city who arw in touch with
their leaders. There are reformers In all
circles of society, among laborers, capltll
Ists, professional and business men, but
they are separated and each group Imagines
that it alone represents the cause of honest
government; consequently each feels itself
to be weak and la less aggressive for that
reason. The Settlement whose workera
are in touch with the honest leaders of their
community, and with local labor leaders,
performs an inestimable service in bring
ing together the representatives of the
various classes having a nmnon purpose.
This meeting for political reform Involves
no act of condescension on the part of any
class; it is n meeting on the basis of equality
for mutual good, each having some
thing to give and something to get, and
each being aware that the goal of common
endeavor can be reached only by overlook
ing differences and recognising common
aims and purposes.
Third The Settlement furnishes a social
center for the forces of good government.
So effectively have the politicians donn
their work, and so wide-spread is their
Influence, that the strong political leader
directs and controls a large proportion of
tbe social agencies In his community. Ills
young men have formed or control at his
Instigation most of the soeMl clubs of the
community. No excurrion Is complete with
out the leader's presence or his con
tribution of solid rash, lie aids In finding
"outsMe talent," and knows where to get
supplies, lie represents a targe part of tho
Paper of D. A. Footc, M. 1)., of Omaha, Head Uefore
American Institute of Homeopathy at Boston
erhood. The unselfish devotion, tbe self
sacrificing love and unswerving patriotism
of America's mothers has made the page
of our history resplendent. The American
mothers of today are Just as lliusUloiw
but they are embarrassed and menaced by
fraudulent and dangerous Imitations.
"We must pass by consideration of many
forcva that menace motherhood. We can
not discuss l-.eredlty and the laws of se
lection, although motherhood and our raci
find here moat serious and f un 1 imen:al
problems. We cannot give time to educa
tional questions, although they aro fraught
with most fateful considerations. Ovei
educatlon, misdirected education, fori el
along unnatural lines; education with tho
mother left out entirely her place usurped
by the hired nurse, governess, kinder
garten teacher, at a time when the moth
er's heart should be the child's school
room; education In nil tho arts, sclemes,
languages, accomplishments, pastime 1 and
tollies, witTiout tho slightest knowledge of
how to properly manage a home and bereft
of tho physical reproductive pawcrs to
eive to honest love Its crown of bliss
vouchsafed to wife and mother.
"We must pass by tbe discussion of so
ciety and Its fraudulent and brazen usur
pation by endowed Idleness and vein ere 1
vlclousnes. We can only utter a protest
against this misrepresentation of the roil
American refinements as found in polite
and modest circles of society. The noisy
and ostentatious counterfeits give, by their
sensual revelries arid aimless dixplays, a
reputation to America moat scandalous and
undeserved. It Is not here that wj lo ik
for the American mother. Tho subject of
divorce should be given the time It do
serves in an enumeration of the dingers
that threaten our homes, but it can only
bo mentioned as a growing and unblush
ing evil of modern time. This list Is In
complete, but we must now piy our re
spects to a matter of portentlous Import
in which our profession la espeel it y In
volved. These dangers and others tiiat
might be mentioned unite in one common
and liisiduous influence that threatens
motherhood today most alarmingly. We
refer to Uie practice of abortion and alliel
evils.
"Thu payslelan la the evangelist of moth
erhood. To him Is entrusted the gospel of
maternity. Woe be, unto him If he filters,
compromises, or proves recreant t his
high calling. Ik-fore him krteel the qu.ern
of the earth to learn wisdom. From his
Hps, from his heart flow forth lntlueitccd
that as surely cherish or blast the Uvea of
thousands as did ever the decree of
tirth's mofct puissant despots. The mu'e
annals of the unborn, la the world's greit
okt tragedy. IJefore theae records we ala.nl
applied and word fail to) characterize the
deep, dark lefamy of thia unceasing car
nagn of hrlplesa inrutcants.
"The physician cannot shirk, hl duty. It
Is time to speak out plainly against a, crime
so common as to have become the sport of
UnUluahing go. sips- and a nuwt swrlou sie
nace Ui our national life. There U a spirit
abroad that seeks to hold up t rblimilo
the otd-Lialiluitod families. Hence, ai.ly
general social enterprise of his ward and
brings together other enterprising and often
not too scrupulous spirits who find enjoy
ment In tbe exercise of power and in the
manipulation of social ficces.
In such communities there la greatly
needed a social force with equal entrrprlso
and Initiative but making for righteousness
and asserting moral standards. In cities
where the party of municipal reform lias In
trenched Itself strongly enough to possess a
permanent organisation the new agencies
for socl.il betterment have become a part
of the assets of reform politics, but this is
true of but very few of our American cities,
and then only to a limited extent, la most
elites the reform party la a spontaneous
movement lacking persistence and most de
pend for ita strength upon forces more per
manent than Itself. Among such, the Set
tlement should be reckoned as the mast im
portant, the most extensive In Ita social
reach, and the moat potential for tho estab
lishment and continuance of the forces of
civic righteousness. The Settlement Is not
partisan In the ordinary sense", but If intel
ligently manned it Is partisan for decency
and good government. No thoroughly In
formed Settlement worker can witnesa tho
depressing Influences of corrupt polities
upon the life of the poor, without rcnllzlna;
his obligation to light them. Churcaes,
missions, educational Institutions and
chul sble societies nre all awakening to
find the labors of their workers limited and
often wholly robbed of their proper harvest
by the pntiprrlxliiK and debauching activi
ties of Ignorant and corrupt politicians. All
such moral and philanthropic ngencies tak
ing a luoad and courageous view of their
responsibilities must therefore Join with
those who regard these conditions with th
ssme nhhnrreiice and maintain along lines
of moral nnd social effort the struggle for
god government in our cities.
New York.
and craven-hearted parents are resorting
to methods of thwarting nature th it ais
essentially criminal nnd suicidal to tho
physical and moral life of woman. What
aro the records? The average size of the
family In the United States has decrease!
steadily during the past fifty years, not
withstanding' the acquisition of large fam
ilies by emigration, in lSr0 It was 6.6; In
lssa, D; in I'.Hi), 4.7. There nre In round
numbers lt,K,U families In this OHintry.
If the average size now wns tin large aa
in UGl), our population In the United States,
exclusive of Its l:lands nnd Alaska, woull
be MJ.GCHP.tXX) In place of 71,0,. In other
words the new-style family Iias robbei this
nation of a natural and stalwart Incre
ment of Kl.rou.OO) of people In fifty yoira.
This parental malfeasance If con.Inued
fifty years longer will result In conditions
Inexpressible In numbers. Hut the loes In
population alone Is appalling, fur figuring
on a moilerate Increase in our total pop
ulation and adopting the same ratio of loss
In the size of the average family as has
been evliient In the past fifty years, wo
aro confronted with the fact Ui it la 1'Jj)
there will bo a Um: of upward of I1M.IXO4COQ
of pt-ople because of this departure from
the wholeuome standards of our fithers.
This Is indeed 'race suklde.' Such figures
cot 4 our patriotic ardor and mill our clam
orous assertions of our being, the greatest
on earth. For it is evident that our decay
has Ix-Kun Hnd that If these conditions con
tinue nnd this evil reuiuln uuclwicked, wa
will be the easy proy of a foreign Invasion;
we will be displaced by a race of immi
grants of more virile blood than the degen
erate sons and daughters of the sturdy
founders und valorous defenders of this
natiuu.
"To mention all tho causes of this de
fault in tho American family wouli la
deed 1. a tad. There are fulse und ex
travagant standards of the cost of m un
tenant e of a home that are deterring
thousands of our young men from mar
riage and roUiing ttwnn of tlio sifegnir.ls
and blessings of matrimony. There aie,
too, 'bachelor quarters' ami 'maiden !
treats,' in which it has never been discov
ered that 'a woman has two Hmile that
un angel might euvy, tl amile that ac
cepts a lover before words are uttered, and
the smile tiiat llg.hU on the first twin
baby." There tire also too many men say
ing: ') woman, lovely woman; natura
made thee to temper man; we had ben
brutes without you. Angela are paiu!el
fair to look like you; there's In you all
that we believe of he iveu; amazing bright
ness, purity and truth, eternal Joy and
everlasting, love, but 1 prefer my club.'
"The social evil ami its twin, Intemper
ance, by th4r morul and physlral ravages,
annually blast the Uvea of a great army
of our youth and. cheat our couairy of
iim biMnen.
"JJut the l-fcyaictan has ampin evidence
of H1I mora fea-lile rtuw of this sapping
of our national blood. What are tlut re
cords? We dare not tell. We fear to pub
lish to the warld the secrets of our coa-
(Coutiuued enj l'utf Glxloen
