The national Republican., 1867-11-16
Interesting Reading on Every Page.
az Notice.-rhs DALI NATIONAL REPusLrcI
THE POOR IN OUR LAaGE CITIES,


This Is the season Of the year calculated to
bring vividly to our minds the situation and
sufsrngs Of the poor in our large cities and pop.
ulous places. It Is trite saying that "one half
Of the world do not know how the other half
live" and 1t may be said with equal truth that
ono half does not care how the other half lives
The rich, the well.to.do persons in this busy
world, as general thing, do not reflect upon
this subject, and when poverty, squalidnoss and
rags obtruds themselves upon their attention by
some bold or reckless representative Of 4 class
that Is very numerous in our communities, they
are very much in the habit Of dismissng the va.
grant and the beggar with this sharp retort TO
his appeal for aims "No; we don't give TO
begg,rs." They do not stop to think chow
sharper than serpent's tooth - Is this unfeeling
reply. Some people have q standing rule which
they apply in all cases 1t is this: never to give
to street bsggars just as though II was always
wise and humane to refuse aims becaufs, for.
sooth, some adventurous and unprineipled people
adopt this mode Of gaining a livelihood. Those
who can afford it had better be yictiui2sd "a q
hundred cases than to turn one needy eL,Id u
suffering from his preieneo or his door lnrs
lieyed.
But We took our pen at this time to call public
attention to the fact that always are there large
numbers Of poor people In all our large cities,
and especially is this true now; and the suffer.
ing and dostitu lion Of this large class Of our pop
ulation bids fair to be more widespread and ter.
rible than ever before Business is slack, and
is almost daily diminishing. We mean that kind
Of business which furnishes work for the me.
ehanic and labOrer. And when we add to this
falling oil In opportunities for employment, the
single fact that every article Of food brings an
almost unprecedented high price in the market,
the poor man who has nothing to do, and no
money laid BY upon which to live and depepd.
ent family upon his handf, has but a sorry look
for the cold winter ahead.
There are many thriftless, intempsrate people
who squander their all and more in the madden.
ing cup there are also many people who live BY
their wits, or try to at least bot have no wits TO
live by; and then there are many Adventures.
schemers, drones, and people who, MIcAwBER
hke' are waiting for something to turn up.
All these must be fed somehow or starye. Many
oftheu will die, If not by absolute starvation vet
from want, which, though 1t may be a lingering
death, Is equally certain and sure Now ada to
this great crowd which we always have with US
that other multitude Of mortals who would WORK
could they find aught to do, but who are, or soon
will be, from downright necessity, destitute. and
what throng of hungry, suffering mOrtals stand
before US in all their ptiable condition Of woe and
want. Now, what is to be done,
We have plenty in the land, and In all our
farming and rural districts the people will and
but little difficulty in obtaining bread. The
farmer, for instance, has enough and to spare
but in the cities bread, II obtained must be paid
for. Will the rich heed the cry? Will the be.
nevolent contribute Of their means to this end
that food for the hungry may be had, or shall we
have bread riots, as they now have in England,
and will soon have in France, unless LOUIS Ma.
PoLEoS shnll interfere in behalf Of the Door of
Paris, and meet the demand by scattering the
liberal loaf
We should be sorry to see bread riots in this
country, and we do not expect them. We only
make these remarks as timely suggestions and
cautions to all those people who have 1t in their
power to contribute Of their abundance to feed
the hungry. clothe the naked, and thus to learn
that in giving to the poor they lend to tho Lord
and that which they give will He return TO them
again.