Mountain Democrat. [volume] (Placerville, El Dorado Co., Cal.) 1854-1860, 1858-04-24


The great increase Of pauperism In the old
States is exciting very general attention there;
In thisSsate Ne have heard but little upon the
subject Gases Of extreme suffering have
been literally and promptly relieved BY indi-
vidual charity, or by the cheerful contributions
Of the friends and neighbOrs Of the unf0rtun.
ate and deserving, and the public generally
has heard nothing Cf T.. By reference to the
report Of the Grand Jury in another column,
Il will be seen that our county IL supporting
ne pauperS, but who these paupers are, or
whatimpOverished them, the Grand Jury does
not inform the public. II they are men who
are unable TO work, blind or limbless, they
should Be supported BY the public, but not,
a. the Grand Jury suggest, ct the Hos
pital. II they ere, however, men who are un.
able to support themselves because Of their
feeble health, the Hospitals the place for them,
and the contractors are compelled to provide
for them without extra compensation, wheth-
er that feeble health Is Of long or short dura-
ton. The Hospital is not the place for able
bodied paupcrs, because they can be cared for
at half the cost at other places, and because
the task Of drawing the distinction between
INDECENT sick and paupers should not be left
to those who contract BY the year for given
sum to take care Of ell the INDECENT sick Of the
county. Tho present contractors doubtless
would make the discrimination truly and fair.
", but it Is their interest to do otherwise, and
they should not have the power to decide be-
tween themselves and the county.
We assert without fear Of contradiction,
that there can be but few cases in the mining
counties of California Of men Of good charac.
ter, who are properly off Of the sick list "
who cannot find occupation adapted to their
strength, and for which their board and lodg-
ing will be readily given them. There is
plenty of light work, as toll keepers, watch.
men at mills, stock.tenders, &C., to be had at
that price by men who are not "abe'bodicd."
There can be no "able-bOdied" paupers in Cal
ifornia; If there are men temporarily out Of
work and out Of money, the counties can well
afford to board, lodge, and clothe oil such for
the work they can do, until such time as more
remunerative labor can be found by them
The ''chronic cases" Of restitution, Of men
who have lost reputation by dissipation or 9TH
erwise, and really are not worth their feed to
my ono; and yet whose health is such that
they do not come within the definition Of in
digent sick. should be provided for in State
poor. house; the blind and others who have
become SO crippled as to be incapable of ia.
king care of themselves, should have an asy-
lum furnished them by the people. But we
repeat that there are very few actual paupers
in California, few such men and women as
compose the $4,000, who were during the year
1857, relieved and supported at the expense
Of the State of Massachusetts,, many Of whom
were both able-bOdied and willing to work for
subsistence, but there was no work for them.
While We are free, comparatively, from pau
perism, we are preyed upon by more able
bodied idlers, idlers from inclination and from
su6erance, than exist in any other State-fel-
lows, who "toil not, neither do they spin, " but
who, nevertheless manage to subsist upon the
liberality and creduity Of their neighbors.-
In the large cities they most abound, but even
in the mountain villages, those are to be found
whom it is notorious have not, for years, had
or sought for employment Of any kind, yet
have lived comfortably and appear to move
cOntentedly through life. HOwthey achieve all
this is . mystery; we only know that some
body must suffer, that they receive from some
worker, and give no equivalent, and that there
is, consequently, less to give to those who are
really destitute. Let US have for the INDECENT
sick, hospitals; asylums for the friendless,
blind and decrepid; but work.hOuscs and
road work, public, compulsory cork for the
able and indOlent, aud there will be no pauper-
ism in California.