The daily Evansville journal. (Evansville, Ind.) 1862-1863, 1862-12-01

The Poor Of Cur City.

EDS. JoURNAL:-I was absent from the
city on the evening of the 9th, and
hence did not attend the meeting called
to devise ways and means for the relief
of the poor of our city, and am sorry to
see by this mornings paper that there
was small attendance
The proceedings of the meeting, as l
understand the report consisted, first, in
the appointment of a committee to me-
morialize the Board of County Commits
sioners for an appropriation; and second,
by the appointment of committee to
seek information with view to the es-
tablishing of soup-house. And with
all Difference to the gentlemen who gave
to the meeting this direction, | submit
that they have certainly mistaken the
objects for which the meeting was called.
Settled paupers are provided for by
law, and their support constitutes one of
the items of ordinary county expense.
Of transient papers we have but few,
and they are provided for by the town
ship and city authorities. But it is not
paupers we want to relieve; tits wor-
thy class of poor persons, found in all
our large towns and cities, who by mis-
fortune or improvidence, are unable,
especiallyin winter, and when high prices
prevail, to procure the necessaries of
life, and many of whom have too much
pride to ask charity. And although |
doubt not the number Of this class now
in the city is larger than usual, vet / am
mistaken in the character of our mer-
chants and business men, if their liber-
atty is not equal to the task of supply
ing the funds necessary to relieve all the
deserving poor of our city by voluntary
contribution. The Board of Commission
ers have no right nor power to appropri-
ate the funds of the county to the sup
port of the poor through voluntary be-
nevolent associations, and if they had
they ought not to do it, because it would
be unfair to the country townships
when they have but few poor, and those
few are always relieved by individual
benevolence
But the very idea of a benevolent So
ciety for the relief of the poor, the funds
of, or the carrying on of, which are to be
dratcn from the County Treasury strikes
me as novel, to say the least of it No,
no, we are not so poor nor so Stingy as
to need an appropriation from the cour-
ty treasury to begin the organization of
an association for the relief of the poor.
Let an organization be speedily formed,
embracing the leading, .hsnevolent and
liberal citizens both LADIES' and gentle
men, and let our merchants and business
men be called upon to contribute, and my
word for it, means will not be wanting
know it is said that our liberaliity
has been taxed for the relief Of soldiers
in the Hospitals, and the families of those
who are in the army; that is true to some
extent, but haze ace borne oar share 0 t
the sacrifices Of these times Of great sac
rifceS? Certainly we have not. Those
of us who have, from necessity or choice,
remained at home pursuing our ordinary
avocations, in the enjoyment of all the
pleasures of home, while our neighbors
and friends are sacrificing home, COM
fort, health and even life itself, for the
preservation Of our free Government
should meet the demands of benevolence
upon us till we feel that we have made
sacrifices before we even mentioned it
then should we realize indeed, that it is
"more blessed to gire than to receive.
But more of us have done this 1t is no
sacrifice to give what we do not need our
selves, and this is about the extent to
which our benevolence ordinarily reach.
es, in money contributions at least
AS to the propriety of establishing
soup houses, confess am not very well
informed, but merely give it as my opin.
ion, that they are adapted only to large
cities and intended to afford relief to a
sort of out-cast population, of whom We
, have but few, and that therefore some
other mode of relief, through wardc ON
mittees or otherwise, would better ac
complish the desired effect A. c. |.
New CYLINDER-We neglected tC
no+ica at the nrOner time that the 7 II