New-York tribune., 1874-01-27
cOvpEL 7HEM TO COME IN


COMPEL THEM TO COME IN
The poverty that walks the streets and asks
aims we all know well enough. Sometimes it
IA genuine and honest though Oftener 1t is
composed of idleness and vice in equal parts
The poverty of Citizen Banks and Mcguire
has no false m0destY about making itself
known. 1t proceeds from passion for talk
ing and corresponding passion for not work
ing. II is illustrated by that speech oil
gifted young philosopher and stone mason OF
this city. who said he would rather starve
than work for So so q day, because the con-
tractors made more than that. But the greater
portion Of the poverty and distress which TINS
Winter has brought in the train OF the panic
of the Autuma, is not known or dreamed OF
by the people who merely count the beggars
on the streets and read Of the metaphysical
oratory of the sOft-handed agitatOrs OF the
Bowery. The real poverty of the decent ana
self-respecting working classes Is hidueh
away in garrets and tenement houses, rs
if it were a crime. Many father OF
family is going about looking for work
and scorning to ask for charity. with
limbs weak and head faint from hunger, while
his wife and little ones are awaiting his re-
turn by q fireess hearth, praying to Heaven
for that mercy they arc too proud to ask OF
man. Saturday night, PatrOlman Thompson
found Rosanna Reilly, who is represented as
respectable working woman only 81 years OF
age insonsible and apparently dying on her
bare floor in HamiltOn-st, from mere hunger.
On Saturday morning there was narrowing
case in Judge OtterbOurg's Court. thin.
emaciated child of twelve. too small for her
age with that prcmaturey keen look which
only comes from early misery, was brought
up, charged with grand larceny, and held for
trial. She told her own pitiful story, She
,,i.Tvsd IN a sarret On Attorney-st.. where she
saw her father and mother slowly starving.
She stole some clothing from room in the
same house and pawned it for nine dollars.
young thief snatched six of them ont of
her hands, and with the rest she bought
food and frewoOd for her parents. Seve-
raj days ago some one stumbled on
a different phase of devotion. A mother in
LeOnard-st. starved herself to death to spare
the scanty store on which her husband and
children were living 1t is useless to multiply
incidents like these. In thousand garrets
aud Easements of New-YOrk there are honest
people too good to steal or to beg, who are
dying of cold and hunger--thOse grisly allies
which are never so terrible as when they hunt
their prey together.
These cases must be sought out and helped.
The people who refuse to beg are too valuable
to be allowed to perish. The charitable assO-
Citations which are doing so noble work IN
this direction, cannot possibly organize 80
strict and extensive a system of visiting as to
embrace all the houses in the city where
honest poverty may be starving in silence.
This is a field in which all assist =
ance will be valuable, and in which our
political organizations may do such work
as will redeem multitude of faults.
Let the Ward and District Associations
of both political parties add to their present
system of canvassing the additional function
of ascertaning what families within the range
of their observation are deserving objects OF
charity, and let them report their names to
the Central Bureau. If one party would do
this, the other would at once follow the ex-
ample, and in this way the partisan spirit of
emulation could be made of use to a great
and beneficent work. The caucus could thus
second the church in its phlanthrOpic labors,
and the experiment of doing good would react,
rs it always does upon those who perform the
merciful work. The warm and enervating
weather which thus far has been so annoying
to those who prefer the comforts of Winter
in their season. seems to have given way to a
clearer and colder air. TO those who have
luxurious homes, the change is most welcome.
The clean streets, crisp breezes, clear skies,
all enhance the charm of q walk home
ward to warm fireside and good
dinner But to thousands of the poor there is
death in this fine, cold weather. The lowered
which is so grateful to people
who are we'll clothed and well nOurished, is
fatal to those from whom the lack of sufficient
food has taken the power of resistance. This
is the time of all the year which calls most
loudly, not only for generous and judlciOns
giving, but also for strict search for the shy
objects of charity who will not ask for it.
Our model should be that giver of the feast
who was not content with those who Obeyed
his invitation, But insisted on beating the
highways and hedges and compelling the
reluctant also to come in
Tbara was n mira and sturdv manliness about