Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1857-10-31
WASHINGTON NEWS AND GOSSIP.

less, the discharges that nhSe aI0ouy saheH
place at the North are operating to send hither
mechanics of all descriptions in search Of en-
ployment. which, se regret to say, they will
not be able to find in this region Hundreds
such were in Washington last week asking in
vain for the means of earning an honest liveli
hood. 1t was enough to make the heart Of a
man of genial sympathies bleed to see them
and hear their accounts of their condition with
the knowledge that the supply of workmen in
all callings here among US is quite equal to any
possible demand for their labor that can exist
in the District Of Columbia this winter Of
their condition and prospects in New York, and
the duty of society towards them, the Tribune
says:
What shall be done for the unemployed the
coming winter, How shall they be saved, not
only from difficulty in procuring food, but from
actual suffering and semi-starvation! This is a
momentous question that must be met. There is
no time to lose 1t is not over forty days before
the commencement OF a cold winter-a winter
that must prove to many thousands in this city
the most cheerless they have ever seen Want Of
food and firing will not be felt by the idle, beg
ging class so severely by the honest, hard
working mechanics-indeed. by all who work
for wages and who have been thrown out of en-
Ployment Or soon will be. What are these people
to do! Perhaps one-tenth Of the number have n
very small fund saved up, that by rigid economy
will exc out existence till spring and hope come
again. But W hat will the others do!
The number Of people now in this city who
have been accustomed TO comic table home and
plenty of food, fire and clothing, who have no
means to carry their families through the Winter
without work and wages. is almost Uncomfortable
Dy those who have means and fearful to contem-
plate by those who must contribute to their sup
port, or see them starve But how shall that
contribution be made and applied The wolf
Is already at the door, and the sooner he is met
~ % md Sia- f1tyin b.
done Wait till Winters famine makes him
saunt and Tavenous, and the task will be fearful
fhe nien and women that are doomed to suffer
need present aid. Not that any vet are starving
but they are al .eady wasting their means If YOU
doubt 1t go to the shops of the pawn brokers,
wd'ch who come there, and what they offer to
pledge, and above all, look at the little price OBJ
tained-for price it is, just much as though it
was an actual sale, since but a small portion of
the pledges will ever be redeemed by the owners
Not less than a million of dollars will be lost
10 those who are driven to the necessity of pawn
ing their property 20 buy focd within the next
SIX months, TO moth ing of the fearful rate of
interest that all must pay for bawnbrokers' loans
Ihe legal rate Is twenty-five per cent. per annum
no more, FOR any sum for any time, under heavy
penaliies-tha: are never inflicted The law saws
the pdwn5soker shall charge only twenty five per
cent, but he charges three per cent a mont and
does 1t openly. Indeed, he much oftener takes
H1ty per cent. per aDnum than less, and not I'M
frequently two hundred per cent The law says
the pawnbFoker shall sell the unredeemed plrdg-
eS IoI tAe benefit Of the owner, at a fair puhlic
sale after duly advertising what is to be sold
and Pay the surplus To the holder of the pledge
ticket This is never done Just as soon as the
year expires, the pawnbroker claims all articles
as his own, contiS eating them without mercy
refusing 10 allow the owner to redeem Thus he
Glten Obtains valuable articles at 1.-THE of their
cost IL Is true ht has legal right to refuse re-
denPtlOn as long as the property rema ms unsold:
Out what Is legal right to poor widow or sew
my gill, once in the hands of Shylock! Anda
most Will Inevitably fall into such hands for all
an TEafG l.r,,
out OF employment by the IevulsiOn are the sew
ing women. Many of these women will he dri-
ven 10 pawn every piece of dress or other prod
eTty net absolutely necessary; and it is f,ightfuI
to contemplate the pittance they will receive for
the valuable articles thus parted with forever
ct many of these poor creatures will do il her
than make their distress known in quarters
whence relief might come.
Now, what can the charitable do for the relief
OF such class of their fellow-creatures without
debaslng them The best thing that can be done
Is 10 give them work. There is but one way that
those wanting work done can find those who have
been thrown ont of employment and are most in
need or work and that is, to have a cent al point
OF bringing them together. If some benevolent
lhulVlduals VIII JOIN III the eX pense of opening
an oniCe, under the charge of some capab wo-
man, where every enc who could bring a good
ceruhcatr from her late employer might come and
register her name, and the kind Of work she
could do, it would enable any in want Of su, Ia
Work TO give her employment by merely sending
a note through the penny post. is not this feas-
benevolent ladies will take the thing in charge
We can name one establishment that has lately
three hundred faithful, honest
girls-sewing girls, of good character-apd We
doubt rot that the names of three thousand
would be- handed in within week after such AN
ONCE was opened and advertised
There is another plan-of real charity and of ac-
tudl benefit To the poor-better than charity as
usually given-and yet il will cost nothing ex-
cept the use of capital. Let halfa dozen benevo-
lent persons unite together and establish a mont
de Piefe, like that Of Paris Instead of piyinp
money To be doled Out in charity let eyery per
son who IS willing to give, instead of bestowinp
q dollar or two outright and without knowing
what good il will do, put a sum of money into
the hdnds OF these trustees TO be loaned ont upon
pledges Of discharged workers who can be well
recommended as deserving, and who are likely
10 come to want without aid from he charitable
Let these pledges be made at fair valuation with
out Interest, or at most only enough to pay Office
expenses. In this way substantial relief can be
gwen to many worthy families at no other cost
IMAM The Interest of money advanced; and a mil
non CT dollars worth Of property can be saved
from great maelstTom that already has many
poor wretch in its Dever-ending whirl II need
hot oe sneerlngly answered that this is simply
setting up pawn shop. IL it is So and it is hon
rstIy conducted and offered only to the poor sew
Ing K iris, now thrown Suddenly aud unt pected-
~ out OF employment il viii! save scores Of them
from such temptations as human nature can hard
~ resist. W no will do something to realize
these plans, or any plan that promises TO allie
viate the surerinas of the coming winter
The MOVEMENT OF Gov. LIGoy in calling
out the military of Baltimore to prevent riots
at the election in that city to come of on Wed
nesday next, we take il, will meet the approba-
ton OF all, Of all parties, who desire that rufan
rowdyism shall be put down, wherever it may
show Its hideous form. 1t is very certain that
the municipal civil authority is incompetent in
that city to preserve the peace there on such
occasions and also at the same time to secure
to all quiet and orderly citizens the unmo.est-
ed enjoyment of their political rights, without
which the pretcnce Of free government is mere
mockery. In case of this sort it is wholly
unnecessary to argue where the blame for the
state of thing. in Baltimore justly rests. That
1T exists, is so patent as that none dispute the
fact; while 1t is equally as well known that to
hope for its abrogation in any other way than
that which Governor Lyon proposes to provide,
is hopeless. We cannot believe it possible that
the question of Politics will be permitted to
enter into that as to the countenance and SUD-
IN he Accorded tn Govarnor I ;c.on