The Ottawa free trader. [volume] (Ottawa, Ill.) 1843-1916, 1850-10-19
For the Ottawa Free Trader
The Present Poor House Negotiation.

NSsvS. Ediors-Much has been said and writ
nup"h the manner III which our county poor NJ.
fairs has been managed for the past few years,
ana many complaints made against the enormous
expense which the county was subjected to on
that account, until at the first regular meeting Of
the board Of supervisors they IN their wisdom.
thought to remedy all the evils complained of by
making each town taAe care Of It. own poor Now
would ask, what has been the effect thus far.
IN tins change IN Our poor lawsi In the first
place 1t requires each township IN the county To
pay an officer for doing what Nh individual co.ld
easily perform under the Old system. sBu, with.
ont considering the economy of the thing, | will
take It IN another and more important point of
view. ! would direct the attention Of the public
to the injustice and cruelty Of the present system
Nne leuths 81 those requiring To be supported or
aided ~ panper., are transient persons, without
any permanent place Of residence These almost
without an exception, when they become .ick and
unable to obtain II living elsewhere, seek the
large town. for medical aid and other assistnucc
The consequence is. such places as Ottawa and
frru are obliged 10 be taxed for "a large propor.
tion Of all the piupers in the county l. this lust,
DO the Inhabitants 81 the other townships wish
because They have the power. to cast such bur.
zen upon Ottawa, winch they IN justice olght to
help bear The worst feature However. of the
whole system IL, that many real objects Of CHAIR
~ are lett to suiier. Unless relieved by priya.,
CHARITY An individual WHO is poor, ragged and
sI,s, aiser spending all H., money is turned A.
DRIFT. lie brgs ride, l. brought into Ottawa and
len IL the door Of some citizen and asks the priy.
lltgc OF sttlr., down n few minutes To rest He
immediately becomes 80 unwell A. 10 he obliged
10 lie down NUw What Is 10 b, done IN this easel
lie taken care OF, OF course for the present and
then application is made to the town poor master
to provide Tor hun. BG, what answer do we get
!rom han IN such case Why, We must either
get a team and take lin back to some other town
or take care Of him ourselves, unless We measure
oar CHARITY by tLese whose dUtyit is tn take care
oi sGch persons, and tLrn him into the streets 4,
die. This Is no fancy sketch, but real truth IL
IL mol over week, SINCE such a circumstance took
place IN tits town, and it will be at least or 3
weeks logger s'li, before the poor fellow will b.
able to % moved and al this at the expense Of
one individual Better not have any poor laws
than permit such gross injusiicc-inlu,ice 10 tho
town 81 Ottawa and injustice to those unfortu-
nate beings who ask to be relieved in their dis
tres, hl.e the poor were supported by the
county, place Was provided where all could be
taken cafe OF IN some shape and none were left
TO suffer because they were SO unfortunate rs to
pass through some oiAer town IN coming TO Ota
wa The expense 10 the county Of keeping the
poor was sometimes very great, but no one can
pretend but what the poor as general thing. re-
cri'ed the advantage Of that expense. None oiit
was applied 10 other purposes and although
sometimes used extravagantly it was better thus,
thhn to take contrary course. and allow the SIX
and suffering to 20 unprovided for.