Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1877-12-21

The Protestant clergymen Of st. Adams,
moved by the increase Of house to house
begging, as well as by instances of personal
suffering, in that place, have recently, after
considerable consultation, drawn up the fol-
lowing propositions, which they presented
and recommended to their respective con-
gregations, last Sunday
/. We lesrn by experience and observation that
indiscrmnste giving, even Of food, 10 persons who
are unknown, is harmful, by developing 10 the re-
cipent the habit OF dependence and Of cunning and
deceit In securing aims from various quarters most
destructive o: their welfare and that OF society.
ii. For the snme reasons indiscriminate giving
even To those known, IS unwse. unless the givers
have iull knowledge OF the Circumstances Of the
parties and the sources Of their support.
Ill. Giving 10 tramDs Is To be discouraged under
all circumstances they are a dangerous class
who really need our help, but who should be dealt
with in different ard more effectual manner.
w. The multiplicity OF organizations - town
church, voluntAr, together with individual benevo-
lonce affords pre- mum upon dependence and idle
nets TO those whn are bold ask, while the tenden-
cy OF perunctOry. giving through organizations Is
TO dry up the sympathy aud to hinder those bene-
fits OF private charity which accrue both 10 the
giyer aud receiver.
We, therefore. earnestly urge upon all persons
tindly disposed towards the poor, the cultivation
OF a sympathetic and discriminating spirit, by
such intimate acquaintance with the subjects
OF our bounty a viii encourage and lit them up.
There is obvious wisdom in these sugges-
tiOns. 1t will occur, doubtless, to our Bur
lington readers, that a plan like that adopt
ed by the Women's Association, of this city,
combining associated provision for the wants
of the poor, with organized investigation and
personal interest in and care for objects of
charity, on the part Of aims giyers, excel
lently meets these recommendations
In the opening number Of Sunday After
noon, new magazine for tho household,
there is an interesting paper by Fanny b.
Ames upon i" The Germantown method Of
relieving the poor" Germantown was
formerly suburb Of Philadelphia, and is
now the Twenty -,econd ward Of that city,
with population Of $4,000. About four
years ago. an effort was made to introduce
in that community wiser system of char
tiles. 1t was considered Of the first impor-
lance TO put stop to indiscriminate aims
giving, based only upon the opportunities
of the applicants for relief, and an organize
ton was elected whose working plan included
a board Of nine managers, all men board
Of 40 or 20 visitors, all women, who are
divided into groups OF three or six, according
to the size of the district and a salaried
who receives all applications,
notifies the proper visitors thereof, and per-
sonally visits and follows up every case. tx
cept in cases Of instant and-pressng need, no
help Is given, save with the approval of the
superintendent and at least one visitor. The
society has gradually pu: itself in connection
with the overseers Of the poor, the police
and various asylums and charitable institu-
tons, and the results have been most adyan-
tageous to the whole community. As the
society was OffceTed by representatives of
nearly all tho churches, it was soon found,
By comforting together, that their own
churches were doing mischief where
hey only intended to do good. BY
'tiering charity as an iDducement to bring
he children of poor families into the Sunday
chools, they were corrupting both parents
md children, and encouraging idleness and
deception Some parents with large families