The Conservative. (M'connelsville, Ohio) 1866-1871, 1871-02-10
Better Philanthropy.
BY JAY oDELL.

not the poorest. 1t o merchant, be
looks for a locality where he can
sell the largest and not the least a
mount of goods. If he looks for
friends, he selects from amongst
the mass those who best please him
and not those who Will do so the
least. These choices exhibit wis
dom, as they are based upon the ft-
ness of things. But In the choice
and disposal of our ph;lanthropies
less wisdom and prudence is mani
fest, and very much is absolute fol-
ly, because of a waste Of money and
labor. The highest type Ofphilanth-
ropy is shown in saving from ruin
those who without our md may go
down to ruin. A much lower grade
of philanthropy Is shown ! n a total
neglect of the higher, and underta
king to restore to life and health
those whom to all appearances have
gone below the line of salvatIon,-
Both classes of effort are philanth-
but that higher and better
one is productive of good infinitely
beyond the second and lower, mas
much as it is founded upon a cove
enant promise of reward, while the
other may expend its energies and
fail because there Is not life princi
pie enough left for the restoration
OF the one ruined. A state of facts
relating to Dur dram shop system
stands out clearly before the eyes Of
every man who wants to see them.
and the efforts made by public and
private charity to pick up and pro-
vide for the wrecks Of life and cha
racter which this system daily
makes, discloses the ruth that all
of our efforts In this direction are
now upon the lower and unproduc-
tive plano Of picking up a man after
he has fallen, OF to make the matter
more PLAIN by our Incidence and 81
fence, invite the men who run this
system to hurry up their work OF
destruction, that we may have sub
jects whereon 10 spend our labor
and money. We deem this TO DO a
correct statement concerning the
system aud type of charities as now
manifested toward that portion of
suffering humanity who are the di-
rect vIctIrs of the dram-shO2 syE-
TEN. Legal Prohibition of this sys-
TEN, as the object and purpose Of
ProhlbitionIsts aad of the Prohibl-
ton party, is founded upon the
higher and better tFpe of pbIlsnth-
rcpy, that wo'd shield and preserve
from ruin those who are exposed to
ruin under the operation of the Wig
orous ~dram-shUp system, and the
slow and cooperative philaGthro-
Ply that only desires and is willing
to care for those whom this mother
of infamies brings forth. To make
the above assertions plain and I'M
derstood, we cite the premiums
now made, and being made, and
much greater to be called for in the
future, for securing some slight
measure of comfort for the poor -
Hospitals for the insane and imbe-
Gle, courts for criminals, fortrcsses
for the vicious, houses OF correction
for beginners in crime, hospitals
for the sick, homes for orphans, re,
treats for fallen women, reform
farms for boys, reform schools for
girls, the necessity for which the
dram-shop system creates nine
tenths. The taxes levied for the
building ard running OF all these,
the people pay without a murmur,
IS a tribute to this inionltons sys-
TEN, and for the privilege Of caring
for the wasted and ruined humanl-
u produced, and the only produc-
ton this system ever gave 10 the
world. Add to this the contribu-
tions mado by private gift and we
have an appalling sum of money
in this low grade OF phi
lanthropy. And as a compensation
for this expenditure the demand up
or us TO pay and contribute Is year
ly higher. The result of this ex
penditure is q temporary relief
from suffering, and keeping bad
men from robbing u pockets, or
from cutting our throats. What stu
pendous philanthropy is ours i
How wise In craftsmanship How
in political economy we are !
Yet nearly every man we meet up
on this subject, cannot endure the
loss of q vote to a party, by ex-
pressing hostility to SO viieasys<
TEN of wrong, which is as ready to
upon them IN all It's horrors
as upon any one. Wake up We in
dolent and careless poople TO your
philanthropy of shielding
our families and homes, with all
defenceless members of society,
from the fearful curse and power Of
this blasting system. How long
will ye stand guard around these
enemies of all peace and good ord
err? Up We, and grit you like men,
and strike down these men by law,
and declare in honor and right
eousness that they shall cease to
waste and destroy the people. The
manufacture Of these stale and pue-
rile excuses for maintaining this
lest a party be destroyed
shows the rottenness of your party,
ms well as the rottenness of your ex
cuses for maintaining it. For what
Is our government formed 10
parties, or to secure the
welfare of the people by the enact
ment of just ard wise laws ? Your
excuses for maintaining q party
when that party has no purpose or
desire TO MAINTAIN righteousness
and protect the people, is no better
han was the attempt TO maintain
Did parties that sustained the crime
Of slavery. They persisted for their
devotion 10 wrong, and so We ought
70 labor to cause all parties {, per-
sh that support wrong, and from.
lew on1s that support tae right
md mt owau The UrOpU Rand