St. Johnsbury Caledonian. [volume] (St. Johnsbury, Vt.) 1867-1919, 1877-09-28
Pauperizing the Clergy.

We had occasion, i'll Il recent article
on the general topic of pauperism, to
speak of the bad influences of charta-
bic aid when rendered to young men
preparing for the Christian ministry
AS everything we said was conceived
in spirit of the warmest friendliness
toward the profession, we were not quite
prepared for the acrid, not to say con-
temptuous, criticism with which il was
received by Il portion of the religious
press. We had supposed that the de-
sirableness of independent means in the
acquisition of an education, for any
profession, was beyond controversy.
We had supposed that clergy and laity
alike regarded it misfortune to IL
young man to be in any way obliged to
accept aid in preparing himself for the
work of his life. Indeed, they undoubt-
edly so regard it still and if it is for
any other reason than that it tends to
degrade and pauperize him, we have
not learned it.
But one religious paper, which ought
to be ashamed of its childshness, has
undertaken to controvert this very
widely held opinion. We have not its
words before us, but the point it makes
is that if it pauperizes ii young man to
have his education given him, it will
pauperiZe him equally whether it is
given him by the hand of charity or by
the hand of his parents Another re-
ligious paper copies this with approval !!
We should do both papers great injus-
tice if we should assume that they do
not know better than this. The soph-
istry is so puerile that one feels humili-
ated III being compelled to expose it.
A man who takes the responsibility of
introducing child into existence as
sumes certain duties and obligations
which place him in relations to his Off
spring such as he holds to no other hu-
man being. The child possesses certain
rights in his fathers labor, his acquired
capital, his home, his conditions, that
can never be alienated except by his
crimes. Among these tights is that OF
a preparation for the work and duty of
life. Now, the difference between the
position of boy who feels that in his
education he is receiving his natural
and legal right, and of one who knows
that his education comes to him as IL
gift of charity to helplessness, is about
as wide us can he conceived. Nobody
knows this any better than the charity
student himself. If he is manly, his
position gals and worries him, and he
is never happy until he has in some way
paid off his debt. If he is not manly, it
has a powerful influence in making him
pauper for life. We say, then, that
the religious paper which declares that
the Influence of charitable aid is the
same as parental is not candid. 1t
knows better and ought to be ashamed
of itself.
More plausible, and more candid
without doubt, is a correspondent of Il
secular paper who compares the stu
dent at West Point with the charity stu
dent. AT West Point, a young man re-
ceives not only his tuition, but his sup
port, without charge; and the influence
of his education is not regarded as a
pauperizing one. On the contrary, it
is looked upon as a most honorable and
stimulating one. Now, why should not
an education bestowed by the govern
ment have the same effect upon the
mind of the recipient as one bestowed
by the gifts of the benevolent? We
may state as fact that it does not,
and that everybody is conscious that
it does not. We may assume, there
fore, that there is a sound reason tor
this difference in the facts. The gov
eminent thinks it worth its money to
have an educated body of men, learned
in the art of war, to be always ready
for service. This body of men, in sur
rendering themselves to discipline, and
holding themselves ready for what is
expected of them, have consciousness
OF rendering an equivalent for what
they receive They are ready to pay
their debt in the only way in which it
is desired to be paid, or can be paid.
The aid they have received is in no
possible sense a charity. 1t is given
by the country for a consideration it
is accepted by the student who perfectly
understands the nature of the equiva-
lent he renders.-Dr. j. g. Holland IN
Seribner for October.
SUCCESSFUL TRICK.-The other day
n IL a.,