Daily Davenport Democrat. [volume] (Davenport, Iowa) 1864-1874, 1865-05-24

M. D. N. RscnAnpses--Dssr &C.
While The co0munity il I'll in . blase Of *.
eitsoent q to ~ omount q funds 70 b
raised fee ths s'Deldisss' OFphsns' Asylum. =
would Il net b wsll t. DO sonsthing fos
thoss woese than orphans, the soldiers sick
widow and starsiag children. That may
seem strong tssm TO uss IN this prosperous
city. Nevertheless, we have them right IN
our Ssidst A ease came 10 ny notice to
day, end my wife and lady friend went to
investigate. They found in one small mis-.
erable room, sick woman, with two little
children, one 6vs and the other two years
old; no cooking stove, only small cham.
bes stove, Z tin teapot, some cracked and
broken dishss-a revy ssssu supply ct that,
but ono dress, no bonnet, nothing but IN
old shawl 70 cover her head and shoulders ;
no shoes foe herself and children not even
table around which she might draw the
remnant Of her family; and she the sidsa'
efo man WAo kas led down. he LIFE for ~
within the last six months ~ soldier in
one of our Iowa regimsnks! am informed
BY neighbor, who knows the facts, that on
last New Years day,-that bitter cold day,
when other mothers and other children
were happy in their gifts, and thanked God
fosblsssings: bestowed, the poor mother gath.
cred her little oneo around her in the miser-
able excuse for bed, and covering them q
best she could With the rags, endeavored to
keep them from freezing, not having par
ticle Of fuel nor . cent Of money to get Il
with. Our good citizens only need q rc-
minder. She will be moved to day to =
moro comfortable place, sud her immediate
necessities attended to. But more than this
must be done.
g. II. ELDRIDGE.
Such recital is enough to make ones
heart bleed. Our people are generous
they give abundantly TO orphans abroad ;
they respond promptly to national monu.
ment fund; committees are appointed to
seour the county to invite every man, woman
and child to contribute money for the erec.
ton Of county monuments, and yet poor,
sorfowing, heart-broken mother, with her
emaciatsd, half naked children, in mlsera-
BILE hovcl, trembles on the brink Of starva-
ton Shainei What return 10 that to the
wives and helpless orphans Of brave men
who perished in battle for our country =
Shame again; and shame il must be upon
u II we permit such things. Were it not
better to form associations whose object Il
should be to canvass the city and county by
COMMITTEES, not for the purpose Of getting
dollars to build monuments, bat to seek out
the needy wives and children-and to pro-
vide for their wants. Such acts will live
when monuments crumble to dust. Such
deeds will stand recorded on the pages oi
the Great Book Of life, when craven marble
and our nation's history shah have passed
away forever.
Think your that the spirits Of the Scott
county braves, who have perished in battle,
would approve th;s could they speak to you
to-day. mol they would despiss and exc
crate 10 for erecting monuments TO their
memory while yet their dear wives and
precious children were in want.
Could the spirit Of Abraham Lincoln
speak to this people to-day it would rebuke
this mammoth monumental effort, and ad-
monish US to use the same degree ofenergy
in ameliorating the sufferings Of the soldiers
widow and her orphan children; instead oi
rearing monuments Of useless marble. "a
rear asylums for MANNED and helpless sol.
diers.
Candidly-let rs do our duty to the liv.
ing, for the dead are at rest. Let NJ stop
this absolute waste Of money for show, and
make glad the hearts Of the neglected wid
ows and orphans.