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I esteem it a very high honor to be requested to address this Conference upon a subject which is demanding and receiving ever increasing attention from men and women whose hearts have responded to the touch of the Divine One, and who, as His representatives, are incessantly laboring for the betterment of humanity by minimizing the barriers to success on the part of those handicapped by physical defects or infirmities.

In the longest recorded prayer of Jesus Christ we find these words, "As thou has sent me into the world, even so have I also sent them into the world;" and the apostle Paul, in his epistle to the Romans declares that "We then that are strong ought to bear the infirmities of the weak and not to please ourselves."

I do not intend in this paper to preach a sermon, but I desire at the very beginning to place myself upon record as believing that this Conference called in the interests of our blind brethren and sisters, is a part of the gospel that Christ was sent into the world to declare, and which He in turn sent His disciples into the world to continue to declare until by His grace we arrive at that home where no physical disabilities or differences will exist, but all will be perfect and complete in the presence of infinite perfection. In every benevolent and philanthropic enterprise, the wide world over, I recognize the nearer approach of humanity to the acceptance of the gospel as condensed by Christ himself; "Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and thy neighbor as thyself."

This being in the broadest as well as in the strictest sense an educational conference, you will allow me to enunciate a few general principles, which I believe are of much importance and which lead us directly to the subject.

True prosperity in any state can be secured only by the development of an intelligent, industrious and self-supporting citizenship. Such a citizenship will result only from the proper education of all classes; hence it becomes the absolute duty of the State to secure to all, even by compulsion, if necessary, such an education.

As the result of the recognition of these facts our free school system has been developed until it has become the glory of the American people and the admiration and envy of other nations of the world. But this system of which we are so justly proud represents the growth and accumulated wisdom of many generations and is not yet perfected. This keen, practical age in which we live is not satisfied to accept as an authoritative "ipse dixit" "thus far shalt thou come and no farther"; on the contrary it is reaching forward with eager expectancy; never satisfied except when consciously adding to the value and efficiency of the already rich educational inheritance received from proceeding ages. In evidence of this, note the almost bewildering multiplicity of advantages and opportunities afforded the child of to-day as contrasted with his fellows of less than half a century ago. I am not by any means endorsing all of these modern appliances, but they indicate the forward trend of the ages. It was the development of our Christian civilization that rescued our blind, deaf, deformed and otherwise defective children from the cruel death which is still the portion of these unfortunates in many lands where Christianity has not yet shed its protective influence.

It was the larger development of this same Christian civilization that at a later age recognized the fact that these defective children had rights that neither their parents nor the world had the right to ignore. That simply to spare their lives and to make no effort to rouse and to develop the latent powers of mind and body was a crime against the children and against the State. It required centuries for this thought to obtain a practical hold upon the public mind. Even the sainted Augustine held that as "faith cometh by hearing," the deaf were not eligible to salvation because they could not hear, and his views were accepted by many of his day and even of a later date. Hence these defective classes were sadly neglected until idiocy or insanity often resulted.

It would be interesting, had we the time, to trace the little stream of thought that first hinted at the possibility but finally broadened out into the bold assertion of the truth that even one of these deformed or defective human beings was, in spite of all, a true Shechinah, a dwelling place of God, that all these latent powers were worth developing; that the obligations of the State were not met by pension nor almsgiving; but that simple justice demanded that these defective classes should be educated by the use of such means and along such lines as were best adapted to the limitations by which they were affected; that the question of "Will it pay?" must ever be answered by the reply to that broader, holier question "Is it right?" But our limited time forbids. Suffice it to say, it was not until the past century that any widespread interest was developed; but so rapidly did the leaven work when once it became operative that now among all the civilized nations of the world schools for the defective classes are established, and the best thought of the best thinkers is being exercised toward making these schools in the highest degree effective. Regarding blindness, both blind and seeing people are coming to understand, and seeing people need to understand it fully as much, if not more, than the blind themselves, that blindness of itself is no valid excuse for idleness or pauperism. Blind children are being taught that their parents, friends and the State expect them to develop into useful, self-respecting, independent men and women; that by the great law of compensation, the lack or loss of one sense may be largely met by the increased development of the others.

The ever increasing conviction that the good citizenship for which our schools exist, can be realized only by trained hands, as well as minds, has led to a rapid growth and enlargement of the scope of our educational system by the introduction of sewing, cooking, carpentering and other industries into the curriculum. All of these progressive steps, marking as they do an ever advancing Christian civilization, were factors which, in their combination, led thoughtful people to consider the condition and the needs of the adult blind. As the result of this consideration and investigation it was discovered that many who had spent from six to twelve years at some school for the blind, while possessing a good literary education, and with minds cultured and broadened by the opportunities they had enjoyed, were still unable to utilize any of their accomplishments to the extent of obtaining a livelihood, and without home or friends were compelled to take refuge in an almshouse or to become mendicants upon the streets. Further investigation discovered another fact of which the public is still to a very large extent, profoundly ignorant, that of the blind people in any state a very large proportion (some estimate at least two-thirds) lose their sight either by accident or disease after they are nineteen years of age, or beyond the age limit in most states for entering the ordinary schools for the blind; and even could they enter, such a curriculum as these schools present would not be what is needed by these people, many of whom have families depending upon them. Conditions like these when properly understood by an enlightened public, will not long be allowed to continue.

If in schools for seeing children the introduction of manual training has proved to be a wise measure, preparing these children for lives of greater usefulness and consequently of greater happiness, how much more important is it that manual training should occupy a prominent place in the curriculum of schools for the blind; and that every pupil graduated from these schools should be proficient in one or more useful industries, as well as in the literary work to which attention has been given.

While the number of occupations open to the blind is necessarily limited, still from time to time new ones appear, and without doubt as people become interested in the subject and the blind themselves demand opportunities, many hitherto unthought of avenues to usefulness and profit will be opened.

Of the children attending schools for the blind, as of those attending schools for the seeing, only a small proportion will ever be able to obtain their living by what we call a profession.

By far the larger number, if self-supporting wholly or in part, must become so through the use of their hands. Hence that which will be a necessity to them in later life should be provided for them in their school curriculum, even though Greek and Latin and some of the higher mathematics be dropped out.

Those who lose their sight in adult life need to learn that while blindness may cause a change in plans or business, still it is not an insuperable obstacle to success along some other useful and honorable line of work; and that the State provides facilities for their training along these other lines, and stands behind them, not to rob them of self-respect by pauperizing them, but to enable them to maintain their self-respect by thus aiding them in their heroic efforts to continue as independent self-supporting citizens. Such schools for the training of the adult blind should be established in every State; not to supersede the schools for blind children already established, but to supplement them. They should open a door of hope to those who lose their sight after passing the ordinary school age, by affording them an opportunity at the expense of the State to learn some branch or branches of industry to which they are adapted and by means of which they may become once more independent. They should also receive such pupils from the schools for blind children, as having pursued their regular course of study are evidently not calculated to succeed in a professional life, but need an industrial training to prepare them for future independence and usefulness.

The question now naturally arises are such schools practicable? Connecticut has already answered the question in the affirmative, and to-day occupies the proud position of being the pioneer state to provide by legislative enactment for the instruction of her adult blind. Michigan has followed her example, and we are surrounded to-day with the evidence of her broad-minded, far-sighted liberality. Many other States through their Legislatures or by private citizens are working for the establishment of similar Institutions and the day is not far distant, in my opinion, when provision for the adult blind will be made by every State.

I have the honor to represent as General Superintendent the Industrial Institute for Adult Blind in Connecticut, and I frequently receive letters from officials or private citizens of other states inquiring about our institution, its origin, aim and scope, and what it has already accomplished.

Allow me very briefly to answer these questions to you. Like many other good things which bless and brighten this world of ours, this Institution was "born of a woman." In the Autumn of 1888, Mrs. E.W. Foster of Hartford, while passing through a dark passage of a tenement house stumbled over a child. This proved to be a little blind Italian boy about seven years of age. She became interested in him, and found that he was not only blind but somewhat deformed. It became very fond of her and she would frequently take him to her home for several days at a time. Her interest in him naturally led her to take an interest in other blind people of all ages and conditions and in a very short time she had discovered more than fifty of them in her own city; the result was that almost before she herself was aware of the fact her whole heart, time and purse were enlisted in the work. Through her efforts Mr. F.E. Cleaveland, a lawyer in Hartford, who had been blind from early manhood, became interested with her, and from that humble beginning has grown the work of which Connecticut is justly proud. The General Assembly in 1893 passed an act creating a State Board of Education for the Blind, which consisted of the Governor, Chief Justice and two other persons to be appointed by the Governor. This board was charged with the educational interests of the Blind of the State, both children and adults. They were empowered to make such rules as they deemed advisable in order to carry out the object of their creation. A per capita appropriation of three hundred dollars per annum was made for such blind persons as the State Board should consider eligible as State pupils, and in cases where parents or guardians were unable to provide suitable clothing or to pay transportation expenses an additional appropriation of thirty dollars per capita was made. Thus the project was launched and the problem presented.

These early workers had no model by which they might be guided. They simply knew in a general way what they wished to accomplish. With very limited financial resources and with no practical experience the task undertaken was great and perplexing. The first duty confronting them was to ascertain as nearly as possible the number and condition of the blind people in the State. This number was discovered to be much larger than was previously supposed and the condition of many was extremely wretched. For the twenty-seven years prior to the establishment of the State Board only fifty-seven blind people, all children, had received instruction as State pupils; for the nine years following its establishment 225 were enrolled, of which 105 were pupils at the Industrial Institution. This verifies the old proverb, "that what is everybody's business is nobody's." Some one must be made responsible if we expect work to be performed. I cannot refrain from expressing at this point my admiration for the work of the State Board during these formative years. To their wisdom, farsightedness, patience and conscientious faithfulness in the discharge of their trying and perplexing duties, the State of Connecticut owes the success of this philanthropy. Not only have they been wonderfully successful in searching out cases of blindness, but their indefatigable efforts to prevent blindness by disseminating information therefor, have been invaluable. In looking forward to the establishment of a similar work in any other state I recommend the creation of a State Board of Education for the Blind or a Commission exercising similar powers, as the first essential to success.

So much for our origin. Our aim is to make all who come to us self-supporting, or as nearly so as possible. In order to do this we not only instruct them in the different handicrafts they may elect to follow, but we endeavor to instruct also in business principles, familiarizing them with the cost of the raw material and the best markets for their finished products; impressing upon them above all else the importance of strict honesty in the manufacture and representation of all their commodities.

We discourage everything that has the least appearance of an attempt to gain any advantage of any kind through the sympathy of others. We endeavor to treat all the blind as nearly as possible as we do seeing people, never doing anything for them that we believe them capable of doing for themselves. Many common matters incident to daily life that at first blind people think they can never do, become very easy and simple to them after a little practice. With the blind, as with the seeing, difficulties vanish before a resolute will to accomplish. In this connection allow me to say that seeing people through mistaken kindness frequently work great injury to their blind friends by treating them as though they were helpless and waiting upon them as they would upon infants.

As to the presence scope of the institution. We manufacture brooms of all kinds from a light whisk to the heaviest stable; re-cane chairs, manufacture and renovate mattresses, tune and repair pianos and organs, run a printing office where we print anything from a visiting card to a newspaper; carry on the making of mattress ticks, sewing these both by hand and on a machine; knitting, crocheting, basket-making, both splint and rattan, raffia, bead and other forms of fancy work, besides simple mending of the clothes, and ordinary housework. In addition to these some of our girls have taken full courses in massage and shampooing and are just commencing to practice these. Those that have never learned to read and write braille are given the opportunity to do so if they wish. Most of our people both men and women learn to use an ordinary typewriter for correspondence with seeing friends. What results have been accomplished? It is difficult to give absolute results. Much of the good will be apparent years hence than now. But of what we can see out of the whole number of pupils who have been at the Institution during the eleven years of its existence, we have 45 that are actually self-supporting and several of these are not only supporting themselves but they are also supporting families. Five have died, two of whom were self-supporting and two more who could have been having lived. A few who are not self-supporting are capable of being, but opium or intoxicants prevent; another few are capable of making a comfortable living for themselves, but having been robbed of their manhood or womanhood by years of dependence upon others before coming to us, they find it easier to receive either public or private charity than to work for what they need. In other words, they are lazy and as adversed to work as some seeing people afflicted with the same disease. Of the others who are still living, many, while not strictly self-supporting, have been so much benefited by the instruction received at the institution that they are able appreciably to lighten the burdens of those with whom they make their homes. In fact we believe the proportion of those among the blind who may be reckoned as failures so far as self-support is concerned, is no greater, to say the least, than among seeing people.

One objection which is sometimes made to "Industrial Education for the Blind" is that impossible for the blind to compete successfully with seeing people; consequently the products of their labor will remain unsold or would have to be disposed of at a loss. This objection is simply theoretical and will be made only by people ignorant of facts.

At our own institution, while we may not be able to score quite so large a profit as may be shown by shops equipped with labor-saving machinery and seeing help, yet we sell our goods at a fair profit above the cost of manufacture. In the broom department, for instance, during the fiscal year ending September 30, 1904, we manufactured about twenty-thousand brooms, all of which found ready sale. The present year I think will show an increased number manufactured and yet, much to our regret, several times we have been obliged to refuse orders which we were utterly unable to fill. The brooms which we place upon the market with our label affixed will not suffer by competition nor comparison with any brooms made by seeing men.

This matter, however, will naturally come in connection with the next paper and the discussion that follows it.

But this problem of education for the adult blind is not solved simply by working from the dollar standpoint. The element of manhood and womanhood that enters into the solution must be reckoned with. Who dares estimate in money the value of a man? When Miss Stone was among the brigands, money was poured out like water for her redemption. When a man is imprisoned in a mine or his life is endangered in any other way the question of the cost of deliverance is never for a moment considered. With the sainted Whittier we believe.

"That the one sole, sacred thing beneath the cope of Heaven, is man.
That he who treads profanely on the scrolls of law and creed,
In the depths of God's great goodness may find mercy in his need;
But woe to him who crushes the Soul with chain and rod,
And herds with lower natures the awful form of God."

When we are privileged to look into the happy, contented faces of men and women as they sit or stand at their work, or listen to their intelligent, cheerful conversation as they mingle freely with their fellows, and remember that some of them but a short time before were rescued from a condition of hopeless despair in which they had attempted to put an end to their lives in order to avoid being a burden to those that were dear to them; others who had brooded in enforced idleness over the misery of their darkened lives until the foundations of reason were giving way and their friends were facing the added calamity of insanity or idiocy, when, I say, we see such as these practically raised from the dead, clothed and in their right minds, cheerfully and skillfully laboring from day to day for the support of themselves and their families, who will dare propound the query, "Will it pay?"

Now, shall this people who by disease or accident have been suddenly and unexpectedly plunged into hopeless darkness be plunged also into hopeless despair simply because no door of hope opens before them upon other avenues of pleasure and profit than those which their feet erstwhile trod?

Shall the State say to these whose plans for life are frustrated and whose savings have been exhausted in their vain effort to regain lost sight, who are asking not for charity nor even sympathy, but for opportunity, shall the State say to these, "Nay. My responsibility for the education of my people ceases when they have reached the age of nineteen years. Beyond that I offer no relief except what is found at the crib of public charity."

God forbid that any State should thus reply to the outstretched arms and the uplifted but sightless eyes of the hundreds of her men and women who, unaided, must rust and whither in almshouses or suffer under a constant sense of helpless dependence upon those they love. Rather let the great mother-heart of each state respond to this appeal for opportunity to stand again among the bread-winners and wage-earners, by providing and offering such facilities as will make it possible for these hopes and aspirations to be fully realized. While we may not be able literally to give sight to the blind, we can, by opening before them new avenues of usefulness, assist in developing their remaining powers until the limitation of blindness is reduced to the minimum.

DISCUSSION.

In opening discussion, Mr. Muck thought schools should place more emphasis on industrial training; unsuccessful graduates frequently ask for readmission to school to learn trades; thought pupils should not be left to choose course for themselves, but some industrial course should be insisted upon.

Mr. Jones, answering questions, said he had experienced great difficulty in transferring his most competent workmen of whatsoever calling to places of employment outside institution; lack of public confidence greatest obstacle; assistance of influential friends most valuable.

At this point, on suggestion to Mr. Jones, further discussion of his paper was postponed until after Supt. Burritt's paper should be read, the two papers being practically the same subject.