Daily Iowa State Democrat. [volume] (Davenport, Iowa) 1856-1859, 1858-06-20
CITIZENS, ATTENTION
| THE DEaTrruTIoS OF oUK LABoRfSG POPULATION.
PLAN FOR THEIR RELIEF.

! PLAN FOR THEIR BELIEF.
Hard times fall most severely upon th'
lsboring classes. Upon tie proceeds O
their daily labor they depend for subsi.t
ence, and when business is stagnated and
wor1 cannot be had, they have no longer
the means of procuring the ordinary ne
csssaries of life.
1t is almost impossible from the proceeds
OF ordinary labor after paying house rent
and the thousand and one expenses of q
family. to lay up sufficient money to carry a
family through any extended period Of hard
times; and in addition, the abundance OF
work and the readiness with which employ
msnt could be found, has had -tAe effect oi
making the laboring classes improvident =
They, like all others, in the country, felt
the influence Of flush times, and with the
shrewde inanciers in the country, neglect
ed to prepare for the years of scarcity
Hard times, unanticipated, unforeseen by
the wisest, came suddenly upon them, and
with the failure of work their income was
stopped. On Friday last the spectacle Of
two hundred honest laborers, willing and
anxious to work. marching in procession
through the streets, and asking for employ
ment of the principal citizens, was present
ed in our city For three, four, FIVE, SIX
an. in some cases even eight months they
have been out of employment Their little
boards Of money are exhausted, and having
now no means of providing either food or
clothing, starvation and nakedness stare
them in the face Too proud to ask for as-
sistance, they have suffered in silence untiI
forced by stern necessity to make known
their wants. They assembled quietly and
peaceably and marched to the residence of
the principal citizens, and to the banking
house of the Mayor to ask for work. but no
encouragement was offered, They were an
swered that the city had no money to pay
for work, and could not give them employ
ment-and with downcast faces they de-
parted, with scarcely lingering hope re-
naming in their hearts. The spectacle was
q sorrowful one. Something must be done
for them. If the city can give them no
work. the citizens must do it, In this land
Of plenty, where our storehouses are full
and our granaries overhowing they must
not be permitted to suffer. Some plan
must be devised for their relief We owe it
to our common nature and to our religion.
The rich out OF their abundance must find
work or make contributions for the relief OF
the destitute. There are many persons in
the city of abundant means, who could
give employment to many of these men,
They can now procure their work done
cheaply. aud at the same time render assist
ance to their suffering fellow creatures and
we have no doubt but that, if some way
was devised by which the cases Of destitu-
ton could be brought to their notice, they
would be glad to avail themselves OF the
opportunity.
To this end We have procured book, and
propose that all persons out of employment
and all persons who are willing to employ
them, shall call at our counting room and
learn their names and residences, 80 that
they can be put in communication with each
other. All persons having contributions Of
money, clothing, or any other articles Of
value to the destitute, to make, and all mer-
chants willing to give groceries and othe
goods, may also leave their names with a
description Of the articles which they wish
to contribute, and worthy and deserving
persons will be sent to receive them. Let
the citizens think Of this matter during this
holy day Of rest-and when within the
temples of merciful God they raise their
voices in prayer, let them remember that
there are in this city. hundreds Of children
of the same Great Father to whom they
cry, who understand better than they. the
meaning Of those words "Giye us this day
our daily bread"