Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1877-09-04
RELIEF FOR TIRE POOR.
The Meeting Last Night

FECTED
Last evening a meeting was held al vii
laId's hall for the purpose of considering the
subject OF relieving the poor. Among Others
pre- sent were Commissioners Bryan ex- Mayor
Bowen, ex Mayor Emery, DIR. Rowland pr
Culver Dr. Gross, DR.. Cox. DR. Hunt. \ A.
ii. Marks. ST, John Hitz, Rev. Dr. Domer
George Savage, A. =. Solomons, A. W
Marsh, ]. q Adams. W. b. Reed. Rev \ p
Hui, c II. Bliss, T. NJ Plowman, II n
- are, Leonard Whitney, A. NJ. Gangewer
Simon Wolf. J. h. Wilson, J. r. Cake. T. J.
Durart, b. r. Douglass, Hon. Jos aph Ne gar,
II. Polkinhorn, Mrs. Church, Mrs. Hart well.
Mrs. Gangewer. Mrs Whitney.
Prior 10 ihe meeting beng called the com
mlttee of fifteen. appointed at the prelimi-
nary meeting held a meeting In a room al
Joining the hall. At VIII Oh the report OF SUI
comm ittee on a plan or prnj =ct for supplying
means Of relief was adopted
About O'Clock Gen. II. d MusSey called
the meeting Ia order and rOnlna'ei Com
missioner Bryan - president, and he was
elected.
Judge Bryan, on taking the chair. al
dr. sScd the meeting a. follows, being fire.
queutly interrupted by applause
F'LoU ciR-tJiy. Want bTlugs Us together.
Men want work, women and children want
bread, aid we want To aid them Ia the Oh
talnment OF both, II possible. |. { not tho
suffering poor IN our midst imagine thai
such misery l. confined Ia this District or u
this country From distant lands in ali
quarters of The globe. there come waited 10
us cries of distress, of famine and of dea' h.
Our own lard il OF all, perhaps, the most IA
Nored. Providence has blessed Us with al
abundant harvest, whilst an increa> sing for.
eign demand for our products would seem TO
promise n speedy return of commercial
activity IA revival OF manufacturing inter
estS and OF general prosperity. Bat meau-
while there il an interim Ia be bridged before
this recoN cry from the recent aud sim Ian
gushing condition of industrial pursuits.
The District of Columbia l. peculiarly sit
uated. With a noble river at command, IL
has no commerce. With remarkable water
mensurate with those natural advantages.
With facilities equal to those of other cities
in the Dry goods trade, and other branches
OF industry, IL loses often the custom OF its
own citizens who purchase elsewhere, re-
CARELESS of the enterprise aud courtesy OF its
merchants. With unsurpassed beauty OF
location and enviroDs, with unusual social
and literary attractions, IL has failed, be
cause OF odious personal tax and other Oh
noxious laws, 10 enjoy those rapid &C SESSIONS
TO its population and wealth that II merits a.
the capital of a great and grow ing nation. II
is true that large numbers of men and women
flock hither in quest of Office or of work, but
many, falling To obtain ether, remain in our
midst,
PENNILEss, II NOT HOPELESS.
And even the most OF those who are success
ful find their incomes barely adequate to the
most economical support OF themselves and
their families, and are therefore unable 10
obey their generous promptings 10 contrib
ute TO the relief of the INDECENT class. Recent
discussions in the District press show the
admirable frugslty prscticsd by the fami-
lies oil many OF the Office holders, neceS-
larry To keep within their meagre incomes.
He is said 10 be an adroit coachman who
turns skilfully In the narrowest space; bat
there is, perhaps, an equal or greater num-
Der OF familie, resident in the District whose
heads were once, but are no longer, ia otfce,
and whose incomes have been materially re-
duced by the present depression OF values,
and in many cases totally eXtinguished
Thousands OF others, never Ia OH e. ont
wing on their daily labor, are now unem-
ployed. Then, too, for many years past
Ghere has been constant influx into the
District OF needy c0lored people from the
adj jacent states, and who constitute ct this
moment the largest portion of the necess .tOuS
classes, numbering many thousands, with
out any means of support. The aSylums are
taxed TO their utmost capacity. the streets
threatening, If allowed. To swarm with beg
CARS, ard these destitute people impose
daily Increasing burden upol the comml-
Bily.
II was with the view OF a iscussing this mo-
mentous question that a few &c ltlemen met
several weeks since, and considered the pro
jet of a labor exchange" as then proposed
by our large hearted and efficient Commits
slor er OF Agriculture, the publication and
circulation in pamphlet form OF that plan
having given ri>e To the forming OF "A larger
committee, at whose instance and for The
hearing of whose report we are assembled
this evening. You Will perceive that from
the inception of this movement the central
idea or the principal underlying the who'll
plan has been to do away, except as TO the
sick and helpless, with the giving of mere
aims, and To require labor to be performed la
return for aid extended To the needy. The
anclents were wont to say 1.-The gods soli Us
every Thing, but gave us nothing" GTatui-
tous or simple aims enervate the INDECENT
who are able 10 work, impairing their self
respect, willis. labor elevates and fortifies
them. In short, we hold that charity Is the
most effective which lessons the number of
those needing its exercise To arrange in al
vance for work, and provide IL for the poor
who want II; TO encourage and fOvor them rs
the means whereby we may prove TO them
the truth Of that maxim sanctioned by the
wisdom OF ages: Hunger may glance I'm at
the door of the frugal and industrious, but A.
dare not cross the threshold"
In addition 10 the report TO which we are
about TO listen second is under CD istder-
alton by another subcommittee win tue
view of providing for a permanent institu-
ton. Independent OF this movcm mt is an
Other on a smaller scale, but OF g.eat merit,
having I'M view the purchase OF a large body
of land in Virginia, within easy access from
the District, TO be owned by the subscribers
TO the fund. and cultivated in vineyards. \
plan which promises a home and subSist
ence 10 discharged Clerks and others a. mere
ly a nominal cost. These, fellow citizens.
are the simple IA rs, rs / have ascertained
from careful inquiry and observation. I'm
welcome as the truth may be, Il cOnironts
us, and cannot be gainsaid. How TO cure or
even mitigate the evil is problem the solu-
ton OF which may well engage the attention
OF every philanthrOpist in the District. In-
deed IL ns occurred 10 me frequently OF late
that the proposed permanent society might
embrace a colonization feature, To encourage
ard even promote with pecuniary aid the
emigration OF some of the neediest among
cur people to the Southern states. say to the
Gulf, where il may be ascertained by CORES
pOndence that labor would be In demand and
be required and where the mildness OF the
climate ditpenkes without any great expense
for fuel and clothing, whilst the abunda nce
OF fruits, fish and aquatic fowl would pre-
vent any suffering from that hunger here so
bitterly complained of. IL strikes me that
such emigration would be the feast expen-
sive mode OF conducting largely TO their own
and to the public good, and ought to be a
welcome alternative 10 those now threatened
with starvation. Another feature, and one
which for year has been with me q subject
OF thought as worthy of adoption, even II
standing alone, might be
BUREAU FOR ADVANCING SMALL SUNS /
OF money on the pledge of personal effects. |
often q person in direst necessity for the /
want OF few dollars for instant use would |
gladly secure the return of the amount by
the pledge of some superiority, and yet |
would suffer, by placing it I'm the hands of !
some vampire of q pawnbroker, the loss OF |
several times the amount borrowed. doub; |
not that such q bureau, If now in eXisteace-
not like the French Mount de Pie.e, but coz
Quoted by q person OF perfect pro5ity, and |
with privacy and delicacy-would he OF in
finite service to the meritorious. Few can |