New-York tribune., 1869-06-18
OCR NOBLEST CHARITY.

Our City is justly liable to many rebukes
and reproaches; but she atones for some Of
her faults and vices by truly imperial gen.
erosity. We do not believe so much money
was ever given by so few people since the ere
alton of Man as the People of this City have
given, during the last thirty or forty years, not
only for the promotion of religious or phi
lanthrOpic enterprises, but for the relief of va
rious phases of human misery.
What is tho usef The more you give, the
greater become the helplessness, the need, of
the recipients. There are more needy persons
in this City to-day than if no one here had
ever given dime. Cover the earth with aims
houses and hospitals; beggar the rich to re-
lieve the poor; and there will only be the
more who need, and their need will be more
urgent, more hopeless, than it now is Giving
cannot be forborne, for the destitute would
starve in our streets; but it has no curative
efficacy. The thriftless, the prodgal, the dissi-
pated are only confirmed in their evil ways
by abundant giving. We need q ministration
of benevolence more thorough and far-reaching
than that of Aims
Our Commissioners of Charities and Correc-
ton are inaugurating nobler charity. They
are establishing an Office where every person
who wants work TO do or hands to do work
can apply and be rendered all the service that
the best Intelligence Office could give without
money and without price.
Now, do mt say that this enterprise will be a
failure because every one cannot and will not
be provided with work That is understood to
begin with. We apprehend that the number
seeking work here will rather be increased
than diminished by the opening of this Office
for thousands will flock hither in the delusive
expectation that it will find them employment.
But here is what this Office can and will do:
young lady is intent on finding some gen.
teel supplementary as music teacher or gov
cness. Disappointed elsewhere, she at length
applies at the office, and learns that five hun
dred have made similar applications within
the last week, while only two or three have
inquired for with intent to employ either n
music-teacher or goyerness. Must not this
knowledge be useful to the heart-sck appli-
cant7
A youth wants mercantile clerkship, and
at length applies at the City's office. He is
told that 5,368 seekers of clerkships are already
registered while barely 10 inquiries from per-
SONS wanting to employ clerks have been re-
ceived in all. Possibly, that youth will con-
clude to go back to Rabbit Hollow and engage
in hOeing corn and making hay. If he has a
thimble-full of gumption, he certainly will if
he has none, what matters it whittier he goeth
Five thousand persons tramp our streets for
weeks together, looking for Something to Do"
If this Office does nothing more than show
these persons the futility, the madness, of seek
ing work where it is not rather than where it
is, is not that very muchf
We urge all who want muscular service of
any kind to seek it first at the office, where
there is nothing to pay and no one interested
in palming upon you bad egg for good one.
Do MT expect to get all the virtues that adorn
human nature for ten dollars q month"; and
don't promise men or women more than is
reasonable and just. One who has half ruined
himself by drink may be worth hiring. though
not at high price; and kindness may aid TO
reclaim one who knows that he has been q
rascal, and that vOH know it. Do let us all try
to make the Office helpful to the needy who
seek work, helpful to the City in ridding 1t OF
idlors who ARE willing to earn usefully their