New-York daily tribune., 1842-07-29
City Reform Street Nuisance, Begging
Alm.. MOrkhcases. &c.


Two common nuisances--Begging and Street
Peddins-have increased anda Increasing rapid
ly DO our city. They are ANNOYING in themselves;
but they are worse than annoying in view of the
great fundamental evil which they imply and
body-the fearful increase Of dcstitrton and COM
rcIed idlene.. with dminution Of average earn
.1cs among the Poor and those Who live by
simple Labor in our City. Now the are causes
for these evils lich undoubtedly ';cie,e to he
Fictitious and temporary-namely iesc which
grow out Of the perycrse neglect 0 our Govern
r'ent to protect efficiently the Labor the Coustr,
from runou. Foreign competition al TO provide
a sound. adequate and Uniform Cur tncy. Wedo
intensely bclieve-nay We know-thst a thorough
~ Protective Tariff and practical National Cur
rcuey would increase the demand for and the cora-
pcnsation Of Labor in our City and throughout the
Union. immensely and b.nefcially But these
cannot now be carried into fl siiec, perhaps not
ior vcar.-and meantime the condition. Of large
portion of our Population cannot he thought OF
without anguish. Tens of thousands are now
wholly destitute OF employment and OF adequate
means Of support thousands ere working for wages
which Ill barely hold soul AND body together and
every week Witnesses its scores OF men driven to
T,,,c,n,orance and Crime, of Women reduced TO
if,,nv and ruin. from absolute want of the means
Of reputable subsistence.
The increase Of BeerCart-, Apple-Stands and
other establishments of petty traffic cumbering the
Streets. as well a. that of Beggars, is but fea-
,urs Of the prevalent acstitution. Nainy will our
citizens exclaim against the annoyance of multi |
r,lied heggars vairly will our regular and rent
having Trader. hold meetings to protest Ga. they
have undoubted reason TO do) against the increas
ing and unfair rivalry in their business from those
who pay neither rent nor taxes, but whose stands |
carts. &c, are a serious obstruction the legit |
mate trade of the city. All this yuree wlts
great reason, and that, If the streets are to be |
turned into shops ant fruterics. they ought TO be |
r.t M to the highest bidder aud not let tho first
conner take stand worth $500 by mere right OF
Pr,a1uption. But on the other hand comes for
ward the .trcet.yender, and says Gas one lately
,aid t. us) Whit shall do TIA g sick wife
and three halffed children at home; make
ID f, cents day by my beer-sinnd, aud thus keep
tine breath Of life in them but can get no
work. and II | an deprived Of this | must starve.
What use to drive this out OF the street, even
If Humanity did not forbid Drive MIN Gut of one
street and he sets up his cart in arother; for he
cannot consent to starve, AID what - is left hin
We must always remember that New-fork Is
l.e chief point of debarks,ios for the increasing
nyrads Of immigrants from the Old World who
are constantly pressing to our shores-thst here
not onv the industrious and thrifty. bat the desti
,ute the vicious the cripple, and the pauper, will
be- poured ia by thousands. The worst of these
cannot be left to famish; at any rate, they have
wrestled TOO long with Want to surcuubto II now
" ithout an effort. We must thoss who can
toll entering into eager, depressing competition
with our own W orking Glasses, cheapening most
branches of simple manual labor, ard rendering |
emplovm-nt more .canty; while the sick, the do
crcpit and the intemperato must continue TO be
heavy burhen upon public or Pr, ue charity-ii |
Oh the former alone will be infinitely better for
all parties. Private. pgsu.iscuous chsrity i'cnpf-
ciol. and unreliable; it generally 'saes most from
those ho arc least able te pay, does little tor
line receiver beyond the immediate eccssiiy. Its
tendency is almost uniformly de adc the latter,
and render him ever after n,spab Of relying on
hi, own resources and mni,terins hisownwant..
\ child brough, mp to bcgeary ..ht better, hui
manly speaking. hpve persisted Il > cradle.
our Public Charities are better; but how much
hettcrl New-lork pays a VuNrter sf Million
Dollars per annum Tor the support Of her Poor
and how : it expended We wocd by no means
iupcach the conduct of the almoncr. of her bounty;
they probably do generally a. vel as they know
bov and ar, enabled to 30; but the system ap-
nears 10 Ms ncurably vicious. To huddlc soHc
thousands of paupers IN CsstlS of Incidence like
ia, Aims House with nothing L do. abundance
of food. fuel clothing and nursing, ia to tempt 10
rauperism while YOU corrrpt and "basch the pau.
pers: anA our public door Charity is worse.
inasmuch as it is css guarded against fraud and
deception. We are m,urcd tia, very many drunk
arls Who have families aided by It's outdoor char.
nv RELY in winter on their weekly dole OF a half
dollar or So for the means of intoNicaton. trusting
the supply si their real wants TO chance or exsrton
Our charities require q bold and vigorous Re-
form; this is icl, and acknowledged on all hands.
All know hat the presen, system is radically VIC
iou. and naturally tends from bad 20 worse Our
authorities have expended considerable tnkerine
and an immensiiy Of thinking upon it. Mayor
Morris has repeatedly urged ms grand panacea,
Work ouse-a narrow and insufficient eNpcsiclt.
bu, still locking in the right direction. The great
point to be gained is render the charity 'opeE
rs the day ready and free to all who need 1t; hu,
coupled with wholesome and useful Labor, 80 that
the expense should be greatly hghened if no,
mainly borne 10y tRe unfortunate themselves.
To ,h. end we would have tfc City establish
mo-, merely u WorS-house. in which Indiseace
should be tasked and punished, b., eomnreheu.
i've system OF Industry for II. destliutc pcnrle-