, 1876-01-30

! men monopo1ize the names TINT are not born
to die.
THE PAuPER PROBLEM
The English authorities have lately issued
| Blue Book of 500pages, containing reports
| on pauperism in nearly every European
/ country. The information given is valuable.
| It offers cumulative proof of the doctrine SO
often asserted by TEE TRIBUNE, that the
methods of caring for the poor in vogue in
this country are not calculated to prevent
pauperism, but to increase it. Our charity
breeds beggars faster than it can feed them.
| It is based on the fundamental error that q
needy person has fright to relief at the
| public expense. This is the doctrine Of
the Communists of England, and it has
! been that Of Russia, Denmark, and
Sweden. There are no sufficient details
from Russia, but the reports on Denmark
| and Sweden arc full. In 1867 the former Gov
eminent recognized this right of relief and
proceeded to take caro- Of its paupers. The
latter at once sprang up like mushrooms.
The formation Of mutnal-beneft clubs among
the poor almost ceased. Cooperative in
despised when state-help was so easy to get,
The sentiment of manlness died away. At
present the Danes are energetically demand
ing the destruction of the whole system
Sweden suffered in the same way until 1871,
when radical reform limited the fright of re-
lief to the SICK; absolutely forbade aid to the
able-bodied; ga7e the guardians Of the poor
right to control the labor and property OF
every recipient Of relief, until the amount e1-
pended on him had been refunded and made
employers liable for the support Of their en-
ployes. This last PROVISIONS somewhat
dubious one-is intended toprevent the abuse
that has been common in both England and
Sweden, where masters have had their men
put on the poor-list and have then subtract
ed from their wages the amount Of money
paid them BY the guardians This is tanta-
mount to giving relief to the mas
ers themselves so that some of the
wealthiest men in the two countries
have practically become willful paupers.
Norway admitted, BY law Of 1916, the right
to relief, and pouperism OF once increased at
an alarming rate. In 1868 the right was re-
stricted to orphans and 1una6cs, and the
thousands of able-bodied Norwegians who had
been living on the national bounty went to
work for themselves, and have since earned
their own living, as they would have done all
the while had they not been demoralizsd by
the pauperizing Law.
France has an organized system OF charity,
supported mainly by private contributions
and eudoWmeutS but under the supervision
OF the State. The system Of inspection is
good, but the very poor are relieved too gen.
erously, and pauperism is consequently in
creasing, in obedience to the inevitable rule.
The report on France gives the following
curious bit of history:
The successive Governments of the Great Rera.u-
so having announced that tho relief OF the poor M.
a,tono' n,o Inc % o.. poak o..
nime Of every destitute pe.son, who v.s bencefoth
to receive pension varying from 10 to 1eo francs.
To AID the e1ehequer the property of al the local
s+a.a so,,'a not nnt .h a.. wa .ouna ~. ,1
creased In number to such m ertent that ad the sys
lem remained unaered. the whole Of tho yearly
nue. o. noe IA. YOU'D nave eeen ansofosa IN the d.
tn. .hsorv of tbs r,eht q, ths nanne+ To- re,tsf ~.
quietly ignored.
Belgium extends aid to anybody who |
chooses to ask for it, IA result, 10 Der
cent Of the working classes are paupers.
'* It is also found that in every instance pau
perism Increases in nronortion tn tba fnnds
1,ro1;ncea ora +boca vb;ch hova Tho 1sro,a.+ |
"111>~~
nuupot ~ P0uPoie'