第89部分(第5/7 頁)

and　saw　the　children。　The　parents　of　these　Fort　Amity　children　were　taken　from　a　great　city；　the　city　of　Chicago；　where　mostly　they　were　working　as　day　labourers。　They　came　with　nothing；　in　fact；　it　was　necessary　to　pay　the　fares　of　most　of　them。　They　had　no　prospects；　nothing　earned；　nothing　to　hope　for。　If　we　could　get　at　the　facts；　no　doubt　we　should　find　they　lived　in　one　or　two　rooms；　and　not　too　well。　I　went　and　looked　at　these　children。　My　daughter　photographed　them　in　the　schools　at　Fort　Amity。　Never　did　you　see　a　healthier；　happier；　more　robust；　more　promising　set　of　children　in　your　life。　And　I　wondered　how　these　children　would　have　looked　had　not　the　Salvation　Army　had　the　idea　of　starting　this　Colony　and　had　they　been　left　to　wander　about　in　the　streets　of　Chicago。　And　I　wondered　also；　gentlemen；　how　many　of　these　faces　—　these　happy；　contented　faces　—　would　have　been　wanting；　but　for　the　change　made　in　the　condition　of　these　children。

But　you　may　be　political　economists；　some　of　you；　and　we　all　know　that　political　economy　is　a　hard　doctrine。　And　you　may　say：　Well；　these　people　went　to　the　cities　of　their　own　accord；　let　them　expiate　their　fault　in　the　city；　let　them　welter　and　let　them　perish　there；　dead　beats；　and　the　world　is　well　rid　of　them。　Well；　I　am　going　to　submit；　if　you　will　allow　me；　another　side　of　the　argument　for　your　consideration。　If　you　do　not　want　to　do　anything　on　the　ground　of　humanitarianism　to　help　the　people；　I　submit　to　you；　gentlemen；　and　I　submit　to　everyone；　that　there　is　another　ground　on　which　the　thing　should　be　done；　and　that　is　the　ground　of　the　welfare　of　the　nation。

I　will　start　out　with　an　axiom。　If　the　Western　nations　allow　this　sort　of　thing　to　go　on；　allow　their　population　to　crowd　into　the　cities；　then；　I