Evening star., 1877-09-25
TIEWS OF COMNTSsTONER BRTIN
UPON THE DISTRICT SITUATION.
4 Thoughtful Exposition Of Our Needs, and How
To Provide For Them.

& Ihoughtul Exposition Of Our Needs, and How
To Provide For Them.
fGtior Sv,-That is "A very comprehensive
suhiect-"Tho LdbOr Exchange and District
Afdrs Generally" II comply with your
written request for my views they must be
accepted as hurriedly given In the midst OF
incesssnt official cares, aud hence in a crude
form - honest convictions fearlessly ex.
pressed in plain words, but with no harsh
intent.
One thing is certain, snd / believe al
mitted by all, that never before In the his
tory OF the District Was there as much abso
lutte destitution as exists here at this time
mol only among the worthless. the shtftlexs
and improvident, but also embracing the
worthy sick and disabled, and thousands OF
deserving labOrers unemployed. There II
but one alierr ative-either We must fold our
arms and witness with hesrtless indifference
all this suffering, threatening In some In
stances actual starvation, or We must make
some effort to afford relief, IN one form or
other. For twenty years have steadily op-
posed, as now oppose, iudiscTim mate aims
giving. To put stop 10 that, with all its
evils in this community, anu substitute a
better measure Uf relief, was The scheme OF
the Commissioner Of Agriculture, and OF a
few Others who met and conferred together
ON the subject. "A pamphlet was issued, aud
the press Of The city generously united win
us IN urging the OcSt citizens 10 met and give
practical direction TO the plan. We Who in
avOwed intention, because OF our own lacsI
eNleT'ence here being too brief TO enable u
10 act aaVisediy, and for other good reasons,
10 turn II over 10 tGe Older citizens, who have
a Nt0ttTtdi, aS Wei a. a humane, interest an
It's support and success. II bei ing thus wholly
in the power OF the citizens 20 control the
movement, viii them Tests the respDnsi bil-
lty. My belief Is, that tn people should. a.
far as pOss ble, look after and SuccOr TIE
sex and helpless in their respective neil gh-
bOInoOds; for private charity OF taat char
: "a h las
movement Just iIaugurated, n Suslaiaed a.
IL ought To- ue, with the active corporation
OF the humane, may be the germ of perms-
nent Institution, conducted on com mon sense
and business principles. which would reduce
beggary TO the minimum, by sending oil
the destitute surplus population where will
ing TO go, and wneTe their labor may be in
demand, and by insisting that those who
remain among Us shall work either voluu-
tarlly or by compulsion. Let IL be proclaim
ed far and wide, and the proclamation be
verified, that no mendica drones shall be
permitted 10 lnfest this capital Such Is the
scheme, why not try il, aud try IL fair y? In
tals matter, at least, II Is TO be hoped there
may be 10 confirmation OF the charge SO fre-
Quently made, that 'rhere is no common
wealth so small as the District, that can pro-
duce so large number OF factions" Having
often denied IL, i confess TO have been totally
unprepared al our recent meetings for the
incongruous elements which discovered
themselves, such as temperance aud anti
temperance, tobacco and anti tobacco, Mar
ket Co. and 6nti-Market Co, Public printer
and anti Public printer, Board of Health and
anti Board OF Health, &c, &c. These side
issues may have been more or less germane
to the humane object OF our assembling, but
II seemed to some OF us that their discussion
just then was not likely To make many con-
veTtS, but was calculated to excite ill-feeling
among the dlsputants, rather than generous
aid 10 the cause that brought us together.
We went home with the conviction that more
bombsbells were thrown into that relief
meeting than into any we had ever attended
elsewhere. And since the meetings / am in
receipt of frequent communications written
and printed IN temperance sheets, deplOr.D
my acceptance or the society's acceptance OF
the proceeds OF some beer sales-non OF
when communications j nave had tiEe 10
answer Will all those good people, who
doubtless mean well, ana the blows from
whose zeal cheeTfully bear, n may there
by parry their thrusts from the unOneudMg
poor, please remember that whilst their cOu-
victioIs are honest, and their zeal undis-
puted, other people have their cOnvict ions
also, ana may be equally honest IN enter
tanning and cor forming To them. Some Of
us who never knew, and who never want %
know. the taste OF either liquor o. tobacco ia
any form, and VINO deploTe iniemperauce as
one OF the greatest curses of the age, may be
permitted 10 profit by our observation in
other lands as well as In our own, AMI 10 be
lieve that the failure Of the temperance
ca use 10 arrest the monster evil which il has
cOmbau6d for so many years, is ascribable
mainly TO the weapons used aud the man
ner OF the warfare. HeterOtoX, though ID
doubtless will be pronounced, Il is my belief
that if the Temperance societies would send
their most accomplished champions 10 sur
vey the lands where beer and native wines
flow freely, and then TO return TO England and
this country where vile adulteratiOns prevail,
the comparison thus Instituted would induce
change Of tactics. II you, honest hearted,
earnest temperance people, wish 10 swell
your numbers into Irresistible hosts, that
victory may perch upon your banner, deter
mine on new departure. After q prOtract-
ed and desperate struggle in the past. the
enemy steadily gaining
the streets, the insane aSylums and prisons
with his victims. II Is time that you desiSt
from attem at the impossible. Men can
Lot be legislaied into cOmpuls sOry virtue.
Men 'ctU drink, and after childhood they are
not content, as rule, with milk or water.
Why not accept the inevitable, rather than
seek 10 regulate mems appetites by our own,
by bCmilies, by tracts, or by logic? Why
not attack the vile compounds that poison
some, craze others, and iGjure all; degrading
often the EOhleSt Of our race into beasts. ard
bringing wretchedness upon themSslysy
their families and society? Why not provide
those comparatively harmless substitutes,
which eAIefie.ee proves can be freely used
by any people without impairing their So
briety2 Many OF tine states offer. like Nir-
ginia, peculiar advantages OF soil and cIi-
mate fOr the cultivation OF the grape. There
is an opening for tie thousands OF yOEug
men, who, OF late years, have been taught no
trade or useful profess ion, who cluster about
the public offices pleading for appointments
10 DO Quill work, which should De given 10
men and women of more years and OF de-
pendent families. Let labor exchanges here
and elsewhere send these young men back
into the country, whence many OF them came,
and let them learn, before il is too late, the
blessings of manly occupation, of free air
and Independence. Let them cultivate the
grape, AT nstiye wines may abound. IL
withoht money or land they may enter upon
both, commencing as millions before them
commenced, with nothing but their strong
arms, stout purpose, and Gods blessing.
III is such commencement from which
most OF the farmers In Me region have lately
left grew into positions of independence, and
even wealth. IL is from such a commence
ment that habits of industry and temperance
are acquired. Go, young man, go West, go
South, and you will ind in the country |
healthy occupation that will develop your |
manhood lfyou prefer the steel pen aud |
Pen knife TO the steel plough or scythe, en- |
gage in teaching the young idea 70 shoot; /
thousands of remote localities need instruc- /
ton. At the same time teach yourself how /
the young vine shoots. Study nature. First /
raise some money, then raise some bees, 1
raise some fowls, then even pigs, IL you /
please; and corn and cattle. Become welded /
10 the farmers life, and to the farmers i
daughter. She will aid you raise these broois /