Public ledger. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1865-1893, 1868-12-10
Bully for Butler.


day in Charlestown, Massachusetts, sent
center shot into the long range, never.
look-at-home charity of the prevalent
style of Northern philanthropists:
According to the statistics furnished
by the present Legislature, as q report
of their committee, it is more dangerous
to spend year in Massachusetts aims
house than it would have been to have
led the charge of the Zouaves at Ma
genta. / see that this statement strikes
some of you almost with dread. Let me
repeat. There was larger proportion
of the regiment which led the attack OF
the battle of Solferino came out from the
battle than there we're of the paupers oi
1858 who came out Give from the State
almshouses of Massachusetts,. Sensa-
ton
:. Allow me to give you the figures. How
many was the average number of pau
pers in the State almshousss during the
year 1858? Twenty seven hundred and
some odd. How many died in the year
ending October, 1858? Six hundred and
sixty. six-one in every four. Every
fourth man, woman and child that went
into the State almshouses of Massschu-
setts died and was buried in the potter 8
field of the paupers burying ground.
Three hundred and forty-one children,
under the age of FIVE years, died in these
charnel houses, and the physician of one
of these houses says he does not expect
to rear but three per cent. of the children
brought there under one year old Three
out Of hundred-all the other ninety
seven go to a nsmeless grave.
Why, this whole commonwealth fell
outraged because there came a report
from Kansas that six or eight men had
been killed, and yet our mothers aDd
wives and daughters secured the coun-
try for old clothes and other comforts to
send to the people of that Territory
Laughter In the same year three
hundred and odd children of Massa-
chusetts soil died like dogsin kennel in
our own almshouses, while we were weep
ing over the imaginary wrongs of Kan
sas. Cheers. Again | ask, my friends.
is it not time that we look at home
Where is Mrs. Stowe Where is Greeley
in the Iribune2 Where is the extra
philanthropy of the humanitarians
Where is that denouncer of great and
good men, Wendell Phillips Where are
all these men who regulate the affairs o.
the people afar Off Is there not ampler
room for their charities here at home
One hundred and sixty-6ve children dy.
ing at Bridgewater, one hundred and
fifteen at TewksburY, and one hun
dred' and one at Munson Forty in
fants dead in two months OH bu,
they we're white children. Laughter.
Why look after them? | do not wish tc
harrow your feelings further by going
into statistics. l only ask you if it is no
time we ceased to look after the wrongs
of the negroes of the South, and look a
little after the people at home? But il
any Know Nothing friend of mine will
say that is of no consequence, that these
people, or the largest portion of them.
were merely Irish paupers, to him
answer, that the great majority OF them
were native born citizens of Massachu
sets, entitled to every protection thai
Massachusetts gives to any of her citi'
zens [applause], and the very largest
proportion of them born on the continent
If | am told that, "oh, these were the
old, the irfrm, and the sick" have tC
say of these 662, ,34l-more than half
were under FIVE years of age; immortal
souls brought into this world and placed
in the care of Massachusetts, charity
Massachusetts philanthropy and they
have gone to God who gave them, and i
is for US to render an account for them