The new Northwest. [volume] (Portland, Or.) 1871-1887, 1877-01-19
EFFORTS OF BBNRVOLENCE.

strong euOrJ maze Dy lew peIsOuS III
this city to rouse the feelings of the
masses on the subject of temperance.
Weekly meetings have been held,
pledges proposed, steps taken to organ
ize an "Open temperance society,"" and
various plans laid to carry forward a
more general temperance reform than
can be reached by Good Templar, and |
like organizations. We attended one OF
these meetings for the first time on last
Saturday evening aud found the spa
cious reception-room of the Young |
Mems Christian Association crowded
with persons who take an interest in
humanity and desire to see them ele-
waited, strengthened, and encouraged in
and by good resolves. Arriving little
late, we perhaps failed to get the spirit
or import of the meeting-for after lis
tening for over an hour to rambling
speeches from various persons, we were
utterly unable to decide what was the
intention of the meeting-its plans or
purposes. The President suggested that
the subject considered should be the
''Best methods of arousing public senti-
ment upon the grave question of intem-
perance," a subject broad enough in all
conscience for a display of conjecture,
logic, rhetoric, or plain common sense,
yet no speaker confined himself to its
broad limits, but went rambling off
talking this and that, relating auec-
dotes, telling the friends that what we
wanted was to stop the "horrid war;"
but proposing nothing-nothing.
We are told that at meeting held at
the same place a week previous, Rev.
DR.. Lindsey made a powerful plea for
strangers, especially young men, who
come to our city and failing to find en-
ploypent are reduced to absolute want,
and for others who are exposed to the
peculiar temptations that loiter under
gilded coverings in the various dens
! and by-ways that infest the city
, because they have 10 immediate
| social ties to keep them in the path OF
r rectitude. A home, and shelter, and
: warmth, and food, and social intercourse
2 was proposed as a refuge for these per-
sons-the first class from want, and the
| latter from temptation-and plans fol
5 supplying such a place were vaguely
? hinted at, but so far as we know there
s is as yet no feasible and systematic plar
|. proposed. The first difficulty in the
r way of the accomplishment of project
) of this kind seems to be want of funds
for while the class of persons who neeC
0 such home will cheerfully and readily
give every cent they can earn, beg, Dor
j row, or steal to swell the profits of the
saloon, or brothel-keeper, or the gam
! bling hell, not one would feel an inter
:, est in such a home as would promp
e him to give a cent toward its legitimat,
d maintenance. 1t would amount to jus
e about this: Proprietors of places wher
r immortality is fostered would receive al
such mems money, and when that wa
s spent they would come to the place pro
2, vided for feeding and entertaining tn
n hungry and be fed at the expense @
e benevolence and philanthropy, to re
turn again, when fed, to their oil
ie haunts.
Il The next obstacle is the unwilling
lie ness of persons of depraved tastes to ex
:, change the allurements of vice for tn
re calm pleasures of virtue. Their assc
-e Citations and inclinations all tempt ther
y to continue to pursue the paths of tn
10 former, and cause them to scoff at an
i turn from the latter. Poor and homes
It, young men who are seeking employ
~ ment and are utterly destitute woul
i be far more permanently benefited b
Id being induced to leave the city an
at search through the country for wor
r. that would give them food and sheltt
10 until spring. Our plan, if we migt
an venture to propose one, would be to pre-
d. mel shirt, and a pair of blankets, an
placing his face toward the country, bi
him use the powers of lOcomOtiOn &c
has given him, depart and seek wOr
70 that will give him Independent breat
10 Give persons to understand that Sc
a help is what they need, and that besid
o. being Independent and honorable it
~ aLlCayS attainable. If several hundrt
RI young men and old bummers could
re thus supplied and sent out of the cit
Nv business at saloons and places of ill-r
q pute would speedily fall off-farme
n and railroad builders could recei,
ST. needed help without employing Chimes
er and Christian philanthropists in tt
city could eat the beefsteak and driI
lv the coffee their thrift and industry b.
ed provided, without feeling uneasily CO.
lal scious that they ought to divide wi
ch some poor fellow who is out of emplo
ms ment and meat.
lat We suggest, therefore, that commi
he tees be appointed to take the matter
of charge and find out how many uner
de ployed men there are in the city WI
de desire to work, and that steps be TAX,
llv to supply them as above and send the
ter to the rurul districts where there is
an demand for their labor. If this is q
ng practical, nothing is, and we submit
he as Good Templars say-"in Fait
re HoDo op1