The Cairo bulletin. [volume] (Cairo, Ill.) 1872-1878, 1876-04-01
THE DEATH OF A1kEN.-GARBO
DALE GRADOCED.
We find the follovinu I'm tho

We hhu 'nc ioiioWlux III tne VT Sar
mel Register Of March 3Oth:
For low-down stinginess the town o
| Carbondalc is entitled TO wear the belt
| Mr.. Aiken, a former publisher OF the nj.
noisan, and his child, were actually
permitted TO die tor want of the common
est neccssaries of life--literally starved
to death. The house in which they died
was destitute of furniture, cooking utensils
and food of any kind. All this
in a city which claims TO be
the Athens of Egypt; where the
Southern Illinois University is located (;
where the State pays thousands ofdollars
for the education of future statesmen.
Charitable, Christian .Carbondae-a city
where it is deemed sln to drink whisky,
but which permits honest. respectable citi-
Lens to starvc To death. The Register wiz
chip in IA ncklc towards purchasing Il
leather medal for the city council ot that
strictly temperate. but Enthusiastically
mean city OF Carb0ndalc.
Paragraphs of similar import to this
arc now floating about the land In every
direction. They do to the good people
Of Carbonate very great injustice.
Mr.. Aiken, the unfortunate gentleman
NI'>t d'dtis tIt 'dh-' VI tui,
scandalous report. gave much sorrow to
his friends and acquaintance, was, IN life,
a mixture Of minister, editor and printer.
Occasionally he would.cxhoit sinners to
invest in the scheme OF Christian saliva
ton, 80 that they might
read their title. clear
To mansions in the skies -
then hc would Use his pencil in the bust
ness Of instructing the people through
newspaper columns, and again exc out
livelihood by picking types from cases.
a gentle-dispositioned man, without
great energy or the ability to command
high position either as preacher, editor
or printcr-being too much OF all these to
excel as cither-lie did not, a. every one
may know, gather about him many of
tho luNurics or even the comfort. OF this
life. lie died Il poor man, As how many
have done before him as how many
now living and yet to be born will do
hereafter. But that he died for want of
bread is so false report that we must
give to 1t most emphatic contradiction.
Our contradiction becomes proof OF the
falsehood Of the starvation charge made
by the traducers Of Carbonate, when we
say that Mr.. Aiken was, at the time of his
death. beneficiary member Of the socie-
ty known as the Odd Fellows. No Odd
Fellow ever suffered for want OF bread in
any community IN which there was an
Odd Fellows lodge. 1t is the pride
Of this society, that, although the
poor crowd into its doors-laborers and
artisans-thOsc who earn their bread in
the sweat OF their faccs-thosc whose
means Of obtaining bread are cut off
when disease robs them OF the ability
10 !abor-yct not one OF its
has ever become an object of
public charity--thc inmate of an
"To visit the SICK, bury the
dead and relieve the distressed" Is the
of the law OF this society, an
imperative duty which Odd Fellowship
'njons, and each member is entitled
mol as charity, but As right-to GER
tain amount of money each week. and
two watchers each night, OF his sickness.
AT every meeting of each lodge, immcdi.
ltcly after the reading of the minutes.
he question is asked; docs any
brother know OF sick brother, or
brother In distress" and just before the
odge is closed this other question is asked:
y Are there any cases requiring the
eharlty of the Order:n In replying
TO these questions, with actions a. well
a. words, the Odd-Fcliows of America
expended in 1875 about S., OOO, 900. 1t win
not DO therefore to say that Mr.. Aiken,
The Odd-Fellow, living in Carbonate,
where his lodge was located. was pel-
United to starve to death-that his Child
was compelled to follow its father to the
dnknown land because there were no
hands to give to it the necessities of lie.
The charge is greater insult to the Odd.
Fellows Of Illinois than to the citizen.
OF Carbonate. We pronounce it to be
unqualilicdly false.
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