New-York daily tribune., 1861-01-19
wsNTER IN THE CITY.


kut the Winter is mild; our Public CharilloS w
very much; and our thrifty and forehanded c,ri-
gems are prOverbiauy generous 10 laui'' w
6oubt il there was ever another city wherein 81
barge a proportion of the people were rea"! dnu
xvIfino 70 minister to the wants OF the reaiy
~eedy if they could only be sure that they were
s,ob And if it we're possible to distinguish the
reapy deserving objects of charity from the legion
Of svindlers and impOsters who prefer beggar!
20 work. we are confident that no one need SUI
fer from hunger or cold in ew-York, even IN
mid Winter of comparative stagnation Ike the
present. -,-. go +,xaa
aud tried as here. The never-ending procession
of ignorant and incapable adventurers who madly
suppose that they can find work 10 great city
the crowd of poor relations and nveterate
ne'er- r-do.weels, who are sent here by those who
hnow better as the cheapest way of getting rid
of then1--the crowds of knayish idlerS and vaga-
Bonds who would infinitely sooner tell dozen
lies for a dollar than earn it--these test the
patience and exhaust the means OF every one
eho labOrs under the fatal reputation of benevo-
lence. And, though some of our rich men are
generous alike in will and deed cOvet and main
Gain the reputation of meanness simply because
fbey shrink from giving up half their lives to the
solicitations of importunate, and often impudent
as well as undeservng beggary.
We rejOiced when our present Commission oi
Charities and Correction was created, because
we felt sure that it would in time correct many
pbuses connected with our system OF Pubic
Aims giving; aud already our hopes are partially
realized More of the paupers now work than
formerly; and the proportion will soon be further
Increased; while the notice recently given by the
Commissioners that they will keep books of
record open at No. L Bond street and at the
Rotunda in the Park, where all persons want
inq work and all who want labor may become
known TO each other, is very important stepin
the right directiOn-a step which we hail as the
beginning Of march.
What is needed is perpetual effort to reduce
the number of paupers by wise measures OF pre-
6eDtiOn ard cure. For pauperism is IN many
eases perfectly durable disease, though it Is
not generally so regarded. Were it possible to
close grog.shops universally, the number OF
paupers, at least in this country, would be speedily
LIQUORS were utterly and finally banished from
shis City, and all alms-giyiDg and public charity
along with them, there might be more suffering
from want at the outset, but there would soon
and eyermore be far less than there now is. As
n general propo sitiOn, it may be safely assumed
flat the number of public paupers in township,
city. or county, VIII usually bear very close re-
cation 70 she number of places at which intox-
icating drinks are sold therein: so that, by
simtly eIspcing at our Alms-House returns, we
alay know that the number of tippng-houses in
5his city ranges from five to seven thousand.
Reduce these TO one thousand-which ought GER
family to suffice for eight hundred thousand peO-
pIe-and we should not at once reduce our
raurers in proportion, but we should take long
and sure step toward il,
The p$Ns. We have always with you the
crippled, parslytic, idiOtic, and insane These
gre rightfuily paupers, if they have not enjoyed
opportunities in better days to acquire property.
1t IL pretty safe general rule that the young
plan who saves nothing in the first year after his
majority VIII never save anything, but, should he
eusiive his manly vigor, will die virtual pau
per. If every man and woman could be per-
snsded to lay up sOmethiDg-though il were but
D t7Iae-dnring his or her first year Of inde-
pendence, we should have few paupers after
Che disappearance of the present generation.
-aer Commissioners have made a small be-
ginning in the work of preventing or curing
pauperism let us encourage and urge them to
proceed Let every citizen who wants rude
SOmmon labor, male or female, or who shall
sxaat il at any time hereafter, call at the places
iDdirated above, and see If he cannot rescue some
sne from the living death of having nothing to
do. IL we can but make beginning in the good
work Of giving employment rather than aims to
1be needy who can work. we may largely reduce
eur Aims House expenditures, and our still
feayier beggary-tax, within few years. We
believe the City might wisely spend 100000
per sunum in finding employment for its needy
sdlers or in transporting them to places where
fhey can fairly earn their own subsistence, OF
course this must be undertaken cautiously, 80 as
not to call in horde of idlers from all quarters
ON purpose to be so disposed Of; but the Commits
sioners have st all events made wise and safe
beginning, and We trust they will be encouraged
90 enlarge upon it, until ultimately no person
eAaT remain idle and needy here who is capable
Of earning his daily bread. Nothing else viii so
4hsFOughIy bother the swindliDg beggars-and
tbeir nasne is Legion-as permanent public pro-
ssion to give bread in exchange for work.
#
Al. Il