The Van Buren press., 1875-03-30
For the Press.
Is Poverty a Crime (!

will premise by saying that | am not
a rich man, and that | am a working
man. Since | was nine years old | have
earned my bread, by the sweat of my
brow
1t is Of importance, at this time, and
in consideration of the financial condi-
ton Of many Of our citizens. that we
carefully consider the question which
heads this article. Most of your readers
are doubtless aware that there are many
families within the limits of this County,
who are in actual want for the nccessaI i, ;
of life. The bottom along the river, is
filed with families, who have left the
bills in actual want; while in the hills re-
main hundreds who are almost starving.
This is true Of our own County and
equally true Of adjoining Counties. 1t
has even been unwisely suggested by these
persons, that they combine and force
those who have corn to a division of their
property.
To speak of this feature Of the case is
not, however, the object Of this article:
but simply to examine into the moral
aspect Of poverty, as applied to most OF
these people. | therefore make, aud
hope to substantiate this broad assertion
that nine. .tcnths of the adult paupcr Gle
ment at this time, hare no moral ,Ight TO
be poor.
From the number Of those who now
suffer for bread, let us take those who are
lnfrm of old age, and those who are dis
ablcd through physical inGrlnity, aud we
a t,,ly
more than the tenth Of the whole mum
bcr. OF the remainder, then, say they
have no right to be poor, and ask char
ty from others. The general class in
question may be divided into two dis.
tinct classes. First, those who work, to
certain extent, but are improvident Of
the proceeds Of their labor; second, those
who spend their time in strolling through
the woods with dog and gun. or sitting
astride a log fishing in some pond, or.
what is worse, watching around some
mans corn crib or cultivatng the ac
quaintancc Of some honest mans hogs
on the range-in short, those who are too
lazy to work at all.
To the first class ! say that misfortune
eused for not proriding against such mis-
fortune | would here admit that there
are few misfortunes against which we
cannot provide J VITO would pity the
man who built house and neglected to
put roof upon it, simply because it did
not look like rain, and then complained
when the rain fell upon him I? who would
,>;.u wb ba Il ho n
avertcd2 His house was sufficiently
good without a roof provided misfortune
did not befall him in the shape of 4 fall
of rain. But against this misfortune,
and thousands of others, he should not
he excused for not providing How
much more ought we to be pitied, if IN
making provisions for our physical
wants, we only arrange for sufficient
food from day to day, or even from sea
son to season, and have that supply en-
tircly dependent upon the non occurrence
of the many accidents which are almost
as prone to occur as the rain is to fall
Since the war--whch is supposed to have
disarranged the plans Of every one-there
has been plenty of time in which any
person could by industry and economy
have laid by surplus of his present iv-
inc, to he used when the "rsiny day "
caisc And surely it has come during
the past crop year. Work, constant,
thorough work. and sposition-nay it
Is n duty--tO economic and mulate.
will place this class in condition that
they will not suffer if one crop should
fail--if q drought should come, they
have fortified against it and they need
fear no evil.
pity a man who is hungry, am sor
ry Tor those who are in want This feel
ing is but human nature. But morally
speaking, a ma has no right to be hun
Cry and in want-provded he could have
guarded against it, and nine times out OF
ten he could-he has no right to suffer
and bring like distress upon those de
pendent upon him; no right | say, be-
cause it is his lack Of energy, Of provi
dent qualities, his lack Of constant effort,
which has thus left him unprotected
when the storm falls upon him Present
suffering in the majority Of cases, is
simply the result of past failure, to do
q duty, or comply with natural law.
Regarding the second class, have to
say that their suffering is, especially, a
result of their own action; and their pow.
crty becomes criminal as they allow it to
affect those who are dependent upon
them This class at times seem to seek
remunerativc employment, but seldom
engage in it, They complain loudly of
hard times, and say they can find no
work. When offered work they either
refuse to do it, or so slight it, in the exc
cution, that they are not worthy of their
hire They are constitutionally lazy,
and live only by prccarious means from
day to day, while the worst OF them must
either starvc, beg or steal
Here the criminality does not end, for
the majority of this class are in haste to
marry and bring into the world other
human beings, who by association and
example are taught tn trend tho Golf s""'o
path trod by their parents, and thus this
class is increased every year.
The writer Of this is acquainted with
several worthy, hard working young
men, who are ofan age sufficient for mat
rimony, who yet deprive themselves Of
its enjoyments, simply because they
think they have not yet made sufficient
financial preparation, to warrant them
and their prospective family against want
VI. ....A