The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1860-11-29

TIE BO ID Tho0ks We Have HSo-snAa
We Have Another ThanksHtvfag Day.
To-day will be devoted 10 Thanksgiving for
all the Inerc,ee which have been vouchsafed to
us In this State and in twenty three other States
and Territories throughout the Union. A. tbs
season the heart inciines to charity, and is
moved with sympathy tor the poor and friend
lees. II giving thanks 70 Heaven tor the bless.
,ngs which have been showered upon us-tne
sountiful harves,s, the commercial prosperity,
the exemption from devastAtine disesse-it is
Impossible to forget those who may have shared
them 10 lesser degree. 1t is something TO re
prosperity and progress, charity, which
"covereth multitude OF SINS" has not been
ignored or disregarded In this country, and
more en- ecisly in this great, thriving, busting
metropolis.
We publish In another column very interest
ing list OF the amount Of mou-y received aud sx-
penced by the different charitable societies ana
institutions which have their headquarters in
this city for the year 1896, which exampii-
des the bounty with which the wants OF the
poor and friendless are relieved In this me.
tropolis. Many of those societies, II is known,
hold their anniversaries here in May, but there
are many which meet at other periods through
out the year. II will be seen that the totsl
sum contributed from private and public
sources was very close on four millions OF dol
lars. Surprising this income to be uniform
from year to year, as we presume 1t will be, We
would have the enormous amount of forty mil
lions of dollars contributed TOR charitable pur-
poses in single decade.
Il would be curious to know bow much of
this ia expended for the specific purposes for
which Ii ia rais-d. A good deal OF IL, no doubt,
goes tor the remuneration of the officers of the
various societies aud insti tudons, and not lit.
tie for costly buildings; but it would be very
gratifying TO the public to learn how much s
expended in the actual relief OF taa poor, the
destitute aud the sick. II will be- seen that
nearly every society puts down its expenses
al sum greater than its receipts, making 10
toe aggregate an excess Of expenditure to the
amount of over 100000; but this, we 6nd, is
quite common on their balance sheets. A good
deal of the funds contributed to the;e institu-
rions Of course comes from the country, from
parties who are aware Of the fact that their
headquarters are located here; but the great
bulk Of the amount, we believe, Is raised in
the city Itself In addition to the charitable
contributions here referred to, 1t must not be
forgotten that every other city, town aud vii.
iaae throughout the entire country has its own
institutions 70 support; and 1t would not he too
much to say that the sum total appropriate rom
private and public sources in the United States
for charitable purposes amounts to betpeen fifteen
and t,centy millions of dollars annually.
1t canuot be denied that much GOOD Ia accom-
plished with this money, but we fear that It is
hardly commensurate with the enormous amount
contributed. weknow exactly, from the records
of our State prisons. how much il takes to feed
a human being per diem-contractors agree
ing 10 end them at specific sums, varying from
twenty Ave to ttty cents head-and 1t ought
not to be very difficult to estimate The number
of individuals relieved by the funds Of these
societies. Many Of them are the recipients Of
money from the State and city treasures, but
the greater number are maintained solely by
private contributions. and When we take he sum
total into account this fact speaks volumes for
the charitable disposition Of our citizens Nor
Is heir iiberslity confined to institutions Of this
character. There lie never call unresponded
to, come from what quarter II may. II Is but a
few weeks ago that one religious denomins alton
aione-the Roman Catholics-raised 100000
for the Pope by merely handing round the plate
In their churches, and hs Holiness has seat a
medal Of the drst class In return to Arch
bi.bop Hughes; and ct the present time q
fund, which no doubt will be swelled still high
er, Il being raised for Garibaldi, the list open
ing with $1,000 from one individual-Mr. John
Anderson.
The largest amount OF charity Of course dnds
| ie way into the Golfers Of the charitable socie
ties, because they are managed by set Of mer
| who make q regular business of 1t, and leave
| no stone unturned TO raise funds from ever
source. Many Of these societies are therefors
| rich, their funds having accumulated from yea
| to year. We remember an instance OF one In
stitu'ion in this city which receives an appro
priaton from the Legislature; on applying to-
$4,000 from that body two years ago, som,
opposition was offered bya Senator from tn
metropolis. on the ground that II owned valz
able piece Of property In the very heart Of th,
business part Of the city which would bring .
auction at least a million Of dollars, while
another location could be bad for Sl00,0o'
farther up tow. and In q more hsalthy spot
But the opposition availeo nothing and the sp
preparation was made, and doubtless will con
tInue 70 be made every session. without cbarg
ing that any portion Of .his four nilli,ar a ye.
is deliberately missFplied. we cannot hell
thinking that II It wa all disbuTsed jadiciou,l,
!. would be ample 10 relieve the necessities o.
All Ia poor and sick 10 the city for years.