That Last Waif; or, Social QuarantineFletcher, Horace
History
That Last Waif; or, Social Quarantine
Fletcher, Horace
Child welfare
During the preparation of this appeal for a Perfect Social Quarantine
which shall allow no child _to escape_ intelligent care, the early
galley proofs of the work were sent to a large number of persons,
representing many different points-of-view, who are engaged in
educational, correctional, political and business affairs in this
country and in England for criticism and suggestions. The responses
have been generous and much of the argument, as it stands, is based
upon this testimony. While the book is in press, however, further
responses are flooding in, which show the interest of all persons in
the thorough aim appealed for. Those who have diverse ideas relative
to grown-up questions of competitive interest are of one mind relative
to giving babies a chance to develop the best there is in them. It is
recognized that, under present conditions of neglect, there _are_
children born who "have no show on earth" to be good and useful
citizens. It is also recognized that while one such example of neglect
remains or is possible a nation has no good title or claim to the
distinction of being called a civilized country. She can only be
classed as "partly civilized," while there is one known case of
neglect.
Of especial importance are the suggestions and data collected and sent
to the author from London by Julian Ralph, Esq., and promise of "a
substitution of a heavy backing of easily obtainable facts for the
appeals, which would render them unnecessary," from Prof. Graham
Taylor, of the University of Chicago, and of the Chicago Commons
Social Settlement.
These must form a separate book, for they are too extended for the
present volume, although their evidence adds valuable support.
The history of child-training and child-saving in the United States is
that of a discovery and wonderful development of latent forces, whose
cultivation or neglect produces more happiness or more unhappiness, as
the case may be, than any other source of power.
Child-saving, in this country on an extensive scale, was inaugurated
by Mr. Charles L. Brace, of New York, followed soon after by the
Catholic Protectory under the care of the Paulist Brotherhood, and
child-training was introduced from Germany into the United States by
Elizabeth Peabody, of Boston.
About the same time Dr. Thomas J. Barnardo, of London, established the
"Dr. Barnardo Homes," whose chronicles during thirty-two years show
only 1.84 per cent. of failure to make good children of the worst
product of city slums.[9]
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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