Watertown republican. [volume] (Watertown, Wis.) 1860-1906, 1875-11-24
THE CHARITIES.

upon our northern latitude each
successive year, the same old ques-
tons Of charity toward the home
less, foodless and fireless ones of
earth, stir anew in the hearts Of the
benevolent. Societies begin to or
ganize in the name of relief and fer
tile brains are busy plotting expedi-
ents by which to secure funds neces-
sary to provide the comforts de-
manded by those improvident chill
dren, who too often want in winter
because they have wasted the sum-
mer.
Let not a word be breathed
against all-beautiful charity; rather
than less, let there be more and
more of it, until the wide earth is
filled 1t is, we are told, the ssgreat-
est" emotion that can stir the human
soul, and none even wish to gainsay
the statement. To feed the hungry,
clothe the naked, protect the inno-
cent, defend the prosecuted and
sweetly and earnestly look on the
brighter side of all human nature,
plying its ignorance and pardoning
its vice, is indeed as high living and
as great living as can be asked of
man. But to follow this idea in
these days requires a brave heart, a
hopeful spirit, courage undaunted
by failure and bright, flashing in
tellect to discriminate between the
imposters and the genuine sufferer.
Hypocracy has been cultivated to
such perfection, that her mark is
hardly distinguishable from reality,
Begging has become a profession.
Its followers are regularly organized,
trained with consummate skill to
perform their parts in the game, IN
der the direction of acute leaders,
who win fortune from their gener-
alship of mendicants.
The temptation is, under these
circumstances, to close the purse,
still the heart and turn a deaf ear to
all solicitations for aid. Still, hui
nanity will not permit itself to do
this. The divinity within chidcs
and reproaches until man seeks out
bis fellow man and gives him of his
store. Conscience is more silent
if a gift is bestowed even unworth-
ily than ifit is not bestowed at all.
But to silence conscience is not all
humanity demands of itself. 1t
must somehow, sometime reach the
right in the matter. AS evidence of
this one has only to look at the COM
mittees of investigation, in all large
cities, appointed to ascertain and re-
port whether strolling importantly
is really deserving of aid or not.
Charitable men and women have
awakened to the fact that indiscrimi-
nate giving is not helpful, but alb
solutely pernicious in its influence
upon community. The paupers
that were fed and clothed last winter
are still paupers, to be fed and
clothed this coming winter, with
only this diference-there are more
of them. Giving to-day, means
giving tomorrow, unless it be that
wise bestoWal which helps a man to
help himself; and farther still the
law should be to help no man who
will not help himself, except it be
into the control OF some authority
that will compel him to do so.
This is the way where benevolent
societies and wise individuals are
now looking in the hope of discov-
ering. some relief,-not from giving
aims, for man will always do that
but from the az .,alling and increas-
ing burden ofidle paupers. Alldis
cussions Of the subject seem to for
nnuiate their knowledge into advice
something in this wise: Do not
give without first ascertaining that
the recipient is truly a sufferer; do
not always believe a squalid home
a certain indication of want. Squal-
or is a part of the professional paup-
e1's stock II, trade and in tha c;+iac