The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1866-12-28
RATE OF SUBSCRIPTIONS.
RATES OF oFADVERTIsING.
Aid for the POor.

Aid for the Poor. ,r4
Editors Intelligerleer;
AS the seventies OF the winter come
upon US, the wants and the sufterings
OF the poor and helpless, press upon
the thoughts and feelings of every hui
name and considerate citizen.
Sitting beside our glowing CRATES, In
our comfortable easy chairs, we are toe
apt to forget the deprivation and dis
tress which may exist within a few
steps OF our dwelling, Sometimes
when we feel the keen, piercing winter
blast, II comes home 10 our hearts, how
much the poor must suffer from lack ol
food and clothing, and the sick from
want Of every thing that can alleviate.
At such times there arc few Of US who
do not feel that perhaps tUe have mol
tUhoLiy discharged our duties toward
the unfortunate and needy.
Though christianity and civilization
have done much, and are doing much
TO elevate mankind, yet the words Of
Holy writ, "Ihe poor ye have always
with,you," are no less true to-day than
when first uttered.
It is a recognized duty of every civil
lied, not to say Christian community,
to make some provision for the poor
which Providence has placed in Its
midst, and thus under its care. With
the amount of worldly goods this city
possesses, with the personal eHse and
comfort which its people so largely en-
Joy, we are not excusable II there be In
our midst single case OF aCtunl suffer-
ing from want OF the necessaries of life.
And how many there may be we know
not.
The city through its constituted
authorities is bound to renderaid where.
ever utter poverty or helplessness comes
to its knowledge. But this neither does
nor can meet the case. There isaround
many desolite hearth, n long and sad
tale OF tears, before tender aud sensi.
tive natures are driven TO throw them.
selves upon public charity. Many q
widow and many an orphan with brave
but bleeding hearts, wage their
bitter warfare Of life all unseen and
unknown, till the hand Of disease lays
them upon beds Of utter helplessness.
Towards all such, every Christian com.
munity extends u large measure OF its
sympathy and aid. Nor can iUe, nor
t6ouLd ire, do less. thlnkit the COM
mon sentiment Of the large proportion
of our citizens, not only that something
ought TO be done, and that somebody
ought to take the matter in hand, but
that each one Is ready to contribute his
share Of what may DO required; but as
every one Is occupied with. his own in.
dividual business, generally to the full
absorption Of his time, no one Is left to
H. 4 In HnHns Il
tive have left undono the things we
ought to have DONE"
To compensate for this conscious
neglect, many give freely to every APP
plicant for charity at their doors,
though often with fear that they are
at the same time encouraging Vagrnn-
cy; whilst others, for fear Of rewarding
idleness, refuse to give Mt all. Thus,
for the want of some we'll developed
plan, the deserving are left uncured for,
whilst the vicious chiefly reap the fruits
OF benevolence.
To meet these exigencles the follow
ing plan for Benevolent Aid Society
is submitted, not with any claims TO its
originality, but believing 1t well adap-
ted to the ends sought TO be accom-
plished:
l. Let n committee Of well known
and trustworthy citizens, say five, or
perhaps one from each ward, be chosen,
10 whom shall be entrusted the general
control of the affairs and business OF
the society.
9. Let this General Committee divide
the wards into rs many districts as
they may deem advisable, and appoint
for each district Relief Committee OF
three or more ladies, whose duty II
shall be to call upon the citizens OF
their districts for Subscrip ptions and do
nations, and to relieve all cases OF want
and suffering as they may Judge expo
dent.
3. Let general advertisement be is
sued to the public giving the name nnd
residence OF each member of the Re-
lief Committee, with a request that the
citizens promptly report to the commit
tee every case Of poverty, sickness, or
distress needing attention; and with the
further request, that nll applications for
charity from vagrnnts or street beggars
be refused, and the applicants be dl.
rected to some member of tho Relief
Committee.
4, Charities shall not be 6cSt0wcd in
money. The general Committee shall
have il depository from which the Re
lief Committee shall be authorized to
draw to II specified amount, such nrtl-
cles ms after due examination III any
particular case, they deem necessary.
Other minor regulations would be
needed to guard against abuse and to
ensure effective RCIlOn; but the above
outline is sufficient to indiCnie Il
general plan OF benevolent effort.
IT'S CHIEF points Of merit arc
that II gives n guaranty TO the benevo-
lent that their bencfnCtions will reach
the class OF persons whom they arc
most desirOus of aiding; that II prevents
the charities from being converted into
"A means of intempGrance or vice, and
Is calculated to check vHgranCy mud
street beggnry; and thatit is one OF the
most eiIGctunl means Of finding the
nbodes Of suffering, and has always at
hnnd the means and the desire Of relief.
Another, and not unimpOrtant feature,
is, thnt IL interests 30 large number Ol
the public In so noble and praiseworthy
work. There arc generous men
enough in our city, II they are but
aroused, that their charities Will actual
" renCh the needy, nnd there are
enough noble hearted women who Rsk
no greater pleasure than seeking out
the retreuts of suffering, II they but
have the means of assistance.
But neither men are inclined TO give
without knOwingtO what purpose The
money may be converted; nor women
to seek the homes of the poor, II they
nrc without the ability TO respond tC
their wants.
Let us at once have II meeting Of oul
generous and kind henrtcdlpeOple, and
SEQ II we cannot devise wHysnnd mean
of Keeping tho suiTcrIngs Of poverty
from pressing upon any within the lin
Ita Of our city. Tsnot this our duty
and shall we meet our obligations Il
them by anything less? Il.
THE New York CitisCn Is little morC
explicit about that great game Of mrC
in Now York lust week, II snys: "Tht
most vigorous and pertinNCiOus iigh
ngninst tho 'ugOr' ever lnIdc in thi'
country cnmC OF on wednesday nigh
last. The nssnillng pnrty was an cx
member OF Congress of thiS city, whit
tho bnnk WINS bnckcd by II member
elect. Tho nltncking pnrty left tht
i,Scane of conflict nt0 n. m., on Thurs
ffft&y, tho winner Of Sl2i,OOO. We think
tSgt,SlIaIr has no parallel In sporting
,SGIAsIJl, ~. nFp pln1 0f H. Ignn.. H. WI |