The Tipton advertiser. [volume] (Tipton, Cedar Co., Iowa) 1856-1962, 1866-09-27
The Poor Farm.

ID -
EDITOR ADVERTISER: In looking
over the minutes Of the proceedings O.
our County Board Of Supervisors at theil
late term, l find that the question o
Poor Farm" is again to be presented t.
the voters Of Cedar county. The ques
tion has been presented to ASCERTAIN
whether or not those voters wanted sucl
farm and they answered by their ma
tority, we do not recollect how large tina
majority, that they did want it, and W,
thought that they directed wisely
Now, the question is, will they furnish
the "needfup with which to carry theil
previous decision into effect. Six thou
sand dollars are asked for, will the,
raise 1t? Were we to answer the cues
ton, we should say ayes" most emphat
ically, but we are not to decide in thu
matter. We will therefore present a few
reasons why we think the voters of &c.
dar county should respond affirmatively
to the inquiry of the County Board, and
by your permission through you, Mr.
Editor, we will urge them upon their
consideration. ...E.e. YIN
First-As matter of economy, for we
claim that with it the expense of main.
tanning our county poor, will be much
less than without it. This lessoning OF
expense will arise from two sources II
no more. First, all the recipients Of the
t County's bounty at the Farm will be re-
quired to render assistance to the extent
of their ability in carrying on the Farm.
We think that ability will be considera-
bic. Few will go there who will be able
to do nothing. Some will do much and
all that will be so much for the county
and assist in paying or rather 1 should
say in lessening the bills of the county.
Second-They should respond affirm
atively because, the fact being known
that the county has a farm and that the
policy is, that every one that goes there
to share its bounty shall labor to the ex-
tent of his or her ability for the support
of the farm, will lead greatly to lessen
the number that will make application
to go there. The idea of being pauDer
is not pleasant to any person having the
common selfrespect of our nature about
him; there is something repulsive about
it, that men do not like, ara, hence
many, suffering from causes which they
could not control or prevent, who are
worthy and deserving public charity,
utterly refuse to make application for it,
and go on suffering month after month
and year after year for the charitya gem
crous public would gladly and cheerful
ly award them. But there are others of
another class whose sensibilities are of
coarser nature, and hence, they care not
how they obtain livelihood, providing
any way can be devised i'm which they
may do SO without effort or. labor on
their part. Such persons, in their early |
history, you will find among the loafers
in our streets, the hangers-on at saloons,
and common bar-rooms of the |
idling away their time, and
enjoying in street broils until they be-
come so enfebled from vice and inaction
that they are ready to receive the cold
hand of charity OH any terms save the
one alluded to above. But let them
know in advance that whoever enters
here must work and earn his daily |
bread before he can receive it, and, even
% them, there will be dread of the
Door house. They will dislike the idea
If labaring under the eye of a master,
md, therefore will make greater effort to
supply their own wants and avoid the
arm than they otherwise would.
But there is one reason more why we
hink the expense Of supporting the
county poor will be less with a farm
han, without it, even though the num-
Der going there and sharing its bounties
be IA large "a It is or may be without the
farm. Greater provisions will be made
by the county for furnishing the support
Of its poor at it's own farm where it has
them all together, than private indiyid-
uals can or will make for the support of
only one or two, and hence can do 1t
cheaper. Such is the fact in all other
and we claim that the
same VIII III SUOtHN DC "
hold good OH Poor Farms.
But, again, we claim that the question
should be answered affirmatively be-
cause it will be much more convenient
to support our poor with a farm, than
can possibly be without it; convenient
we mean for those whose duty it Is in
the several townships to look after the
wants of the poor. We remember an
instance in our own township where a
widowed mother was left with some six
or more small children, with no means
for their support save her own labor
She found herself unequal to the task;
she applied to the overseers of the poor
for assistance and they were much troub-
led because they did not know what to
do with the children. They had no place
for them. Had the county had a farm
they could have disposed Of them at
once. zeH 5as19- tEtl
Further, We urge this question because
our own good rs citizens of ono of the
best counties in the State demands an
answer. 1t 10 we'll known
that we want such an institution. The
vote Of our last election records the fact;
it is also well known that we are able to
have it, and, If we now refuse to perfect
the measure so far carried on by our
we shall place ourselves
either In the attitude of the miscr who,