The Kansas herald of freedom., 1857-01-03
The Kansas Relief Funds.

The Kansas Relief Funds.
The example set TO the North by
Vermont, in the late appropriation Of
$40, 900 for the relief of Kansas, will
doubtless be followed by many of the
Free States, and large sums of money
will be voted for the benefit t=of the
Territory. This supposition and the
facts, that a large amount Of funds are
being contributed by the benevolent
all over the North. brings back the
question that has often been heard du-
ring the past month or two, viz: "ln
what manner shall the relief funds be
expended, so as to produce the larg-
est amount of good with the smallest
amount of evil 2"
1t is an axiom in philosophy, that
there can lie no unmixed good with
ont some evil mingling, and vies egsa.
Charity, therefore. though one of the
noblest sentiments of the human soul,
is still, often. productive of great
evils. The recipient of another's aims.
feels himself degraded and thus loses
his self,respect. The only way to help
men, as We have said before, is to help
them to help themselves.
AS this question is now upon us,
and the benevolence of the North has
already been felt very sensibly in our
midst. not only by materially dimin-
islring the suffering and want that
reigned here, but also, we arc sorry to
say, by producing chickering's and
heart-burnings. that time alone will
soften; we hail with delight project
for aiding our citizens, which seems
the least Objectionable Of any that has
been presented.
Gen. Pomeroy, at the late meeting
In Lawrence relative to the establish
ment of q University, proposed, while
discussing the appropriation of East
ern funds, that the money now being.
and hereafter to be raised, shall be
loaned to the squatters, for a term of
wears, without interest, security being
taken on the land, to enable them to
pay for their claims, and that it shall
when paid, be placed at the disposal Of
the State as an educational fund, or
used for such other purposes as the
donors may see fit to apply it to. We
recommend this project to the earnest
consideration of all friends of Kansas,
as being one of the widest scope and
vet not open to the objections that a
system Of eleemosynary aid is liable
to.
There are hundreds of honest, hard
working men in Kansas, who came
here with means enough to start them
fairly in life, ,and who, in ordinary times,
would now have been in comfortable
circumstances, able to pay for their
claims, and with enough left to i'm
prove and work their homesteads.-
These men were freen,en as we'll as
farmers, and could not idly stand by
while their rights were trampled under
foot and their neighbors property was
being destroyed, so they joined the
ranks of the Free State men, who were
combating the invaders from Missouri.
The consequences of this step was the
destruction of their property, and the
general poverty that is now spread
over the country. When the Land
Office is opened many of them will
find it almost impossible to pay fol
the homes they have struggled SO hard
to preserve.
If the plan proposed by Gen, Pom,
eroy, or some similar one, is not car
ried out, a vast amount of hardships
will have to be endured, and large
portion of the richest land in Kansas
will pass into the hands of spectators,
who, taking advantage of the settlers
necessities, will loan money at exor.
bitant interest, which the poor squat
ter will find it impossible to pay. and
consequently will have to sacrifice his
home. To remedy this, let all the fret
States, that appropriate money, senC
out commissioners to enquire into tht
needs of the people, and apply it il
the manner indicated. This will be ;
noble and generous method of aiding
Kansas, and if the funds thus loaned
shall be used as suggested, when pait
turned over for educational purpose
to the State. the future population o
Kansas win have cause to bless AM
honor the generous hearts and thought
full. intelleets that were thus mindful
of the present and future interest G
our State.
The Nail West.
.I.,,,s, from Wauhonsa tell