The evening Argus. [volume] (Rock Island, Ill.) 1861-1871, 1870-12-06
1gew York Charities.

A great fair is in progress iu New Yorl
under the auspices of the Hebrews, to rAise
funds in aid Of the Mount Sinai Hospital
and OF the Hebrew Orphan Asylum two
most notable institutions. The first adm III
listers to the sick and DING. the other pro-
vides for the care and education of the or
phans Gov. Hoffman by invitstion went
down from Albany and opened the fair In
su eloquent and effective speech from which
we clip the following extract
"We have reason to be proud of the State
in which we live. The industry of her PEG
pie has developed her resources her rivers
stretch their arms from the sea to the noun
tsins her canals and railroads open up the
channels of comm lcation with the mighty
west, and her hsrbors invite hther the com
merce of the world Within her borders
stands this metropolitan city, powerful in
her energy and wealth, bounoless in enter
prise, and restless in her great activity
Every time l come TO it 1 realize how great
1t Is and how much greater it IS to De.
city IN which people Of ali races and creeds
gather, aud where rank, wealth and station
are alike open TO all, whether jew or Chris
tian. Above all these things We rejoice in
the noble impulses of our people, who, In the
eager pursuit Of material prosperity, are not
forgetful of the higher duties of lite, but
stand ready always to give of their riches a
generous share TO the support OF
the sick, the helpless and the fstherless. 1t
is too much the fashion of the present dav
10 decrv the City of New York, end to paint
it in hideous coiors. Men of the press and
of the pul pi' join in the chorus of deuuncia
ton. Many of them apparently far more
familiar with its vices than its virtues, des.
crihe it to the people as place where fraud
and falsehood. passion, lust, greed, selfish
ness and sevrice reign triumphant. If one
half they say IS true, property here would he
wholly without value and life entirely with
out protection. Yet the men who thus
speak OF 1t know that tits pre- eminently what
Mayor Hall called it when he laid the cor
ner stone of your hospital: The city of
charity In the late evil war it sent 1885,
600 men into tho field, and it contributed
largely to the supper. OF their families while
they were gone 1t gave up its public
places for fair for sick soldiers and caused
It 10 yield more than a million dollars for
their relief. If food or FIRE, or famine, or
pestience, bring devastation and misery on
any portion of the whole laud or other
lands, 1t freely sends food and money
TO the sufferers IT war with Its horrors
bring death and destruction. whether IN
Germany OF France or else where aid and
sympathy go from here. Upon the islands
nesr by are erected By our people hospitals
and asy iums, which, in their magnitude and
perfection, have no equals in the whole
country. We have signsgogues and church
es, temples and caGhedrsls, and along our
avenues and streets, and we lend q helping
hand to every struggling congregation OF
Christians or jews ali through the land.
Ne have, access bic to al, our institutions
for the relief and care of old and Young
ceaF and dumb the halt and The blind. the
widow, the orphan the en- icile and the
incurabe. More than q hundred thousand
children gather daily IN our schools, which
are free, al al annual cost To the people OF
several millions of dollars, and as many
millions more are annually spent 10 public
charities by our municipality. Add TO ali
these the stream of private charity which
flows out from our midst TO the remotest
portions of our land, as increasingly and
regularly as the tides ebb and flow in the
beautiful hsrhor which lies at our feet. and
YOU have an idea'of what this city of charity
is. Shame, shame on the men, whether OF
ulpt or the press, who grow fat and rich Of
its bounty and yet smite the hand which
feeds and supports them Thank God thev
cannot eithe. check iss good works or iu
pede Its marvellous growth. 1t is and it will
be. the great city of the New World !; and
while it's business will speak of it proudly as
the commercial metropolis, its great liberal
hearted people will take care that 1t contin-
ues to be the "City of Charity