The Republican journal., 1874-08-20
PauperIsnl i.

Fourth pistrct-GORHA5I !" BolNION.
Pauperism.
The legislature of New York in 80"
adopted Il concurrent resolution Tor the
purpose Of collecting reliable and compre-
hensivc information regarding the increase
OF crime panperism and insanity in The
state. and directed the state beard ot
charities 10 examine the records OF all
public Institutions, and institute such other
inquiries a. will throw light on the sub
iect. The legislature OF 1874 made an
appropriation to carry ont The anne put-
pose.
Rev. nr. Anderson and Mr.. l.ctchWorth.
members Of the state board of charities,
in connection with lis secretary. Dr.. iioyt,
have been the chief agents in making m
arrangements 10Y carrying ouj the plan.
They are now ready 10 promul@atc series
Of questions which Will he asked in every
poor-housc in the state; and thus the
causes through which each paupcr has
| been reduced 10 his deplorahlc condition
will be asccrtaincd with the utmost prac-
| ticab]e certainty.
Within 4 few weeks from the present
time the secretary OF The board will visit
every roor-house in the state, in company
with the commissioner OF the district in
which the institution he is visiting is loca
ted, for the purpose of beginning the in
yestigaton. and loca, committees have
been formed in almost every county, oil
intelligent and thoughtful citizens who
will voluntarily aid in gathering intorma-
ton There are now abont 5000 paupcrs
in the various poor-houscs in that state,
and their number is alarmingly increasing.
Resides these many thousands az" con-
tinuaiIv top"''' lN'.f 90, l,,,ll;.. ,ol;af
Pauperism and crime, though by no
means necessarily associated together in
the same individual, are in the main
closely related. Often. when the individual
pauper is no more blamcablc than other
persons, the parents OF other relatives on
whom a natural reliance was placed,
have failed in their duties through vice or
crime. In innumerable ways paupcriSm
and crime aid and react on each other,
1t is therefore gratifying to learn that the
state prison association, under the direc-
ton of Or. Elisha Harris its secretary
is preparing a searching investigation
similar to that now devolved on the state
board of charities The two organizations
are acting in friendly concert, and much |
good to criminals, paupers, taxpayers, |
benevolent persons and the public at large
may be expected from their labors.
Among the questions on which it is eX-
pected light Will be thrownby the inquiries
is the number Of persons who inherit
paupersm, and how many pauprrs are
the offspring Of Industrious parents,
Another is, how far drunkenness is the
cause of pauperism. Another and more
delicate, but important and profound
question is, whether the well-meant efforts
of many individuals, and even OF churches,
relief associations, benevolent societies
and other forms of aid to the poor do not
often weaken the spirit Of energy and
self-rcliance and thus produce paupersm,
while in country like this the recipient
might be made eeli-supporing, happier
himself and contributor to the public
veal, instead of 4 leech upon its treasury
II may, we think, be taken for granted
that the result of the Investigations VIII
be the collection Of facts positively demon
strating that society is as unjust to itself
as it is in reality ungenerons TO paupere
in continuing the present system Of relief,
and thai nobler and more benellcient
policy may be adopted which, when there
is no absolutely insuperablc physical or
mental defect, will tend TO the elevation
of the pauper, and in many cases make
him a epryicaable member of the com
mnnitv. A yet greater object will also
there is little doubt. he attained. We
mean that prevention Of pauperism and
crime which, alike in its operations on
the unfortunate individual and on society
itself, is so much more profitable and
beneficial than their cure
As this subject of the increase Of pau
perism, and the maintenance of paupcls,
is attracting attention in our own state,
the result Of the Investigations in New
Yorl, will be looked for with much inter-
est in Maine as well as in all portions of
the country, Ii is believed that this SyS-
tematic inquiry will throw much hight up
on the subject Of pauperism and crime,
and perhaps suggest some better method
of treating them.