The Baltimore County union. [volume] (Towsontown, Md.) 1865-1909, 1874-12-19
Charitable Work,

One of the chief difficulties OF the times is the
fact that vast numbers OF men everywhere are
out OF employ ment. In large cities and towns
large numbers OF people must be fed this winter
oy public charity. This is true to some extent
10 the country. The means for the feeding OF
these people must be furnished in large mea-
sure, almost altogether, by individual generosity
Thus far the winter has been comparatively open.
II is blessing that tits So. This renders less as
Sistance than would otherwise be required
There is considerable that ean be~pursued
while the weather continues thus open. There
are vast numbers OF people who would prefer to
work than 10 live upoa charity, public or private.
And there are others Who would prefer to live
upon charity of any kind to working for living
IN any shape. Those who are beggars or paupers
By instinct, or education, or inclination, or from
combination Of them all, will be sure to impose
upon public charity, if they can. Those who
would prefer to work to living at the expense of
others will suffer considerable before they will
put themselves in the way Of receiving charity or
allow their restitution and need to become known
We think that it is altogether in the domain Of
modern art to devise some means by which those
who have to be sustained by charity shall earn
something to assist in defraying the expense oil
their support.
In Baltimore and other large cities there are
societies whose business it is to ascertain who
need charitable assistance. This once establish.
ed those who receive it should be obliged to give
their labor to assisting in paying the bills. This
could be made practical by placing all the money
collected for this purpose in general fund and
then applied to the prosecution of some enterprise
BY which work could be furnished to the needy.
None should be allowed to share the benefits who
would not work if able Grading might be OBJ
tanned at re luced prices in the city. Some Of the
needy have trades They could be put to work
a. them The proceeds Of their labor could be
disposed Of to furnish materials for labor for
Others Places could be obtained for many
whore they could have home for the winter for
their work Many persons need help who do
not have the means At hand to pay for and who
would he glad to have it for boarding one
Others who do not exactly need assistance about
their premises could fad use for one and would
prefer to dispense their charities in this way to
having ont money for it No one knows what
wonders can be accomplished in this line until
they try it. The double advantage about it il
the fact that it gives charitable assistance to the
need and at the same time it discourages idle
ness It has tendency to break up the practice
Of shameful imposiions upon the generosity oil
those who are willing to relieve suffering. There
are thousands Of people who exhaust all their in
gennitv in feeding upon the charity Of those whe
are willing to he charitable
The city Of Baltimore has been about six years
and half sqnabbling about improving the CON
dition of Jones' Falls-that evil genius Of Jews
Now is her chance for having the work o
strengthening, widening, deepening or filling uI
the low land cheaper than she will have the op
pnruuitv Of doing it again IF the city can ap
preciate the chance she has she wonld have 6
thousand men at work every day until it is com
pleted But it would be uncharitable to spoil tht
pickings-for they are very choice.