The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1872-11-18
concsrnina Aid to Boston.

( 1t Is well enough for Portland, whose srf-
fering citizens received such generous aid
from Boston after the fire of 1866, to express
her lively appreciation of that liberality and
her readiness to reciprocate should occasion
arise. But it is quite clear that such occasion
does not now exist. The number OF families
turned out OF doors is very small and can be
readily ami fully cared for through the regu-
lar channels OF Boston's charity, and the sew
ing girls need suffer no distress, as immediate
and abundant employment awaits them IN
families and their old vocation will very soon
call them, as the ready made clothing was de-
stroyed along with the stores containing 1t.
The m, rchants and capitalists who are chief
losers. of course decline to receive gratuities
from any source, but enter upon the work of
rebuilding their stores and re-establishing
their business with undaunted heart and per-
feet pluck. Mayor CASTOR, who seems to be
an amiable gentleman of a rather sentimental
and impulsve turn, has evidently misrepre-
sented the sentiment of his constituency in
asking for aid, and the best citizens of Boston,
especially those who have suffered from the
fire, are deeply chagrined by his action. The
Boston Advertiser of Saturday thus comments
on the situation and we commend its article
to the careful consideration of our citizens as
a trustworthy exponent Of Boston sentiment:
The determination of the citizens relief
| committee to encourage pecuniary contrbu-
tons from abroad for the support of the poor
of Boston must have been made in ignorance
| OF the feelings OF the community with regard
to it.. We have yet to hear of any one outside
Of subcommittee who really thinks that pc
cuniary assistance has been for moment
necessary; while tens of thousands, am ong
whom thnsn - Uttered most seriously by
and mortified by the hui
which it places them.
are, deeply, profoundly
lpression ofsympathy and
--.o5er form it may have been
oHered to them, they are not beggared, and
they do not intend to let any one near them
suffer. 1t is not false pride, but a decent self
respect, W ich is offended by the act Of theii
chief magistrate in taking contributions fol
objects which it is their custom to provide for
and which they are still abundantly able ant
willing to tpke care of. The terrible losses O
our friends in Chicago, which made the Civ
ing OF pecuniary aid an imperative duty OF
our part, and the receiving of it honorable OF
theirs, have nothing to correspond to them il
T Boston. Not family is without shelter, O.
has been for moment since last Sunday a
daybreak. Not a mouth has gone withou
food on account of the fire, nor is there tn,
slightest danger OF it until the city meets will
some greater disaster, or the character of it
people has changed. The relief committee
have exonerated the mayor from the respon
sibility of this step, but it is impossible 70
them to remove the sense of personal degra
dation which many citizens feel when MI
Castor, whether as the chairman of the com
mittee or as the mayor of Boston, takes ad
vantage of the misfortune which has befallel
some OF our citizens to delegate the care
our own poor to the good offices of strangers
The step is discredtable one. 1t is too lat
to remove the injury it has done; but it
not too late to retract il, and tell our kin
, friends the honest TRUTH that the fire ha
caused no suffering which the ordinary char
ties of the city are not able andonly too willin
to remove.