Memphis daily appeal. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1847-1886, 1869-09-10
THE MACKeRELs.
The Necessity for WorkhOuse and
an Orphans Home.

Editors Appeal: Allow me to offer
few words in favor of this much la
mented part of our population. Who
is TO blame and responsible for them?
Are we blameless? ?-are questions that
every honest man should ask himself.
I teke it that we are all involved; that
none of US can look our children in
the face and say our skirts are clear.
| put the question home to every one:
What have you done to help those
little fellows to make an honest living?
How much time or influence have
YOU given to get one of these unfor-
tunate ones into a situation Of honest
employment? How many of you
have ever tried TO get place for the
fatherless and motheTless boy to learn
some good trade or honest professionP
How many of us have ever profered
to take one of these little ones to our
homes and educate him to usefulness? ?
Will YOU answer this question to your
own hearts and feel you are blame
lessP Aye, sirs, how many OF us have
ever spent one half an hour in eouns
selling and advising with one of those
little fellows whose loving mother and
father sleep that sleep that knows no
waking. They have gone from earth
and left little Benny and James and
Susan to the charities of cold and
cherries world, destitute and friend
less. True, they gave them all they
had-a mothers biessing-a precious
gift, IL is true; but it neither feeds,
nor clothes, nor furnishes homes, and
the little ones are thrown on their
own resources. None to advise, none
to aid, no kindly advice, no helping
hand, a few days or weeks at most,
the little pittance left is eked out and
the little ones are turned out of the
miserable shanty that they have called
home. to wander they know not where.
They approach you for tritie, to buy
bread. You turn them away empty,
not condescending to even ask Ques-
tion-perhaps saying, at the same
time, they are mackerels, and want
nothing to do with them; ~ and you
pass on, perhaps never once thinking
that YOU had erred; or, consoling
yourself by saying, "Ah, well, they
are none of mine; 1t is none of my
concern: let the city take care of them,
or the county provide for them," and
you pass on, and the little ones pass
out of. your mind until sou meetan-
other, and you perhaps go through
the same routine, forgetting that you
are one Of the leading men OF this
community, and tax payer; and yet
when some kind hearted individual
proposes an Orphans Home, you OBJ
iect, by saying, "Oh, we are taxed to
death already, and we cannot endure
this additional eXpense;" nor will you
subscribe out of your abundance TO
furnish a place-a home-for those
lonely little wanderers, Nay, more;
there are some men Of large property
and wealth who are opposed to paying
a school tax. For shamel No, gem
tIemen, allow me to talk plain about
this matter. 1t is a blot upon our
goodly city II is burning shame on
the great county of Shelby, that there
is no Widows' Home, no Orphans,
Home, where boys and girls
could be gathered and taught use
ful occupations, earning their own liv-
ing, and in so doing inspiring their
bosoms with an honest pride. ! take
1t that nine out of every ten Of our
white mackerels would be most happy
to be permitted to earn an honest liv-
ing and at the same time qualify
themselves for useful members of So
ciety. know it will be objected to
by Some, who win say, " Oh, they are
too far gone; there's no redemption"
Now, to my mind that Is simply nom
sense. 1t Is an undeniable fact that
whenever you can inspire self-respect,
you elevate the individual. If you
hope to win, never first insult the
manhood. In our country, ali want
to be selfreliant; and ii you would
save your city and State from ruin,
provide place or places where the