The Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1877-1885, 1878-02-13
Wednesday. February 10. 1873.
Charity and PauperisIn

and towns, has awakened the attention OF
philanthropists to an unusual degree, and
has tended in like manner to arrest the
attention of lawmakers and public men to
the dire necessity of providing some means
for the arrest of this great and growing
evil 1t is obvious to the dullest compre-
hension that the present social and in
dustrial relations of too large proportion
Of the whole people of the country are not
in wholesome practical adaptation to their
wants, or their absolute needs, and, if left
to themselves, are not likely to eventuate
in good to them nor in accordance with
the general safety and welfare Of the pub
lie. It is not the intention of this article
to push inquiry in. this particular direction,
but to present to our readers the princi-
Plies of proposed organizations elsewhere
which haYe already been attended with
beneficial results, and which with the proper
notifications may perhaps be measureably
reproduced for the benefit of the INDECENT
more Immediately within the limits of our
own section of country. An anonymous
correspondent of the New York Herald
LAYS down the outline of charity oIgani-
cation society" in London, and also Of q
somewhat similar system which is about
to be adopted in Buffalo and some other
cities of the United States. In this con
nection he says:
As the best method of relieving the
poor appears to be now a question of pub
lie interest | shall take the liberty of ex-
planning the system about to be inaugu
rated 10 Buffalo, and which has been taken
from the method now in such successful
operation in London. 1t is known as the
charity organization society, and very in
teresting pamphlet has recently been cir
culated in this city that gives q very full
history Of the society, It's method and the
results obtained from its practice. 1t was
started in London in 1869 with the clearly
enunciated understanding that its object
was purely philanthropic, aiming only at
the moral elevation of the poor, the re-
preston of mendicity by organized action
and the prosecution of impostors, and
inviting, as it did, the cooperation OF men
of all creeds, it numbered at its very start,
and still numbers among its champions
men of widely different views. At the
head stands the Bishop of London, and
among It's vice presidents are Cardinal
Manning, the Bishop of Winchester, Mr..
Ruskin, Mr.. Gladstone, the Duke of Nor
folk and the Earl of Shaftesbury. Its
council comprises men Of every social rank
and of every profession and ministers OF
every denomination. The fundamental
law of its operation is expressed in one
word Investigates" and its motto is NC
relief Except in the extreme cases oil
despair and imminent DEATH without
RRE IRE" i9u and searching investigation.
The idea is TO help the poor to help them
selves, which is explained in the following
extract from an official document
HOW THEY DO IT IN LONDON.
industrious persons are aided when.
ever possible, to obtain suitable employ
ment and many are assisted during tempo
rary difficulties by means of loans, withou
interest, to be repaid by easy instalments
Owing to the arrangements made and Il
the care observed by the committees il
selecting suitable cases for this form .
relief, the loans are, with very few excep
tions, faithfully repaid. During the year
lS75-76 953 persons or families receive
loans from the society, varying in amour
from few shillings to upward Of G25. !
is difficult to overestimate the benefcii
effects of this form of relief to those W.T.
require assistance only for short time.
Another object of the society is the instil
ing into the minds of the poor sounder an
more ennobling views Of what the wor
home, in the highest sense of that tern
really implies and to help them to reaC
this ideal. This is arrived at through tt
medium of thorough and organized sy
ten of house to house visitation, til
thorough investigation OF the home lif
the relationships, the surroundings, OF
and all of the home. and this they hav
applied not only to single parishes, but
the entire city of London. One of Il
important features of the system is th
no visitor, as rule, is allowed TO tai
charge Of more than twelve familie
Again, the society grapples only with Il
earthly side of charity, leaving the heaven
slGe OF charity to the ministers of Il
church. 1t is the handmade OF eve
creed, the rival Of none. 1t offers it Sc
vices 20 all alike. 1t is simply human
tartan in its aims 1t seeks by the nigh
power Of love, sympathy, kindness iowa
all TO unite all classes, all creeds, in Il
bonds Of mutual good will 1t seeks Il
moral and social elevation of the poor, n
by the unbending application of restricti
laws, not by the cold hand of official relic
but by sending forth the noble ones of Il
city to visit the dwellings of the poor al
to foster the growth of those home virtu
which will make them better men al
nober citizens
WHAT BUFFALO INTENDS DOING.
1t is society based onthe same princi
les as the above that the people of Buffa
propose to introduce into their city. Ii
circular they have issued g. tn
distinctly explain that the object
the proposed scheme is the @
ganlzation OF societies &C., already in e.
lstence with view to cooperation, so
to prevent the overlapping of charity al
the relief OF impostors. They will invi
the cooperation of the city officials for d
transierrence of cases from the one TO {
other, IN accordance with the rules of eac
ana Tor the mutual benefit and assistan
Ot each. The society will discourage ind
cumlnate almsgiving as tending to paupt
We the people, and ask the citizens, befo
giving at the door or in the streets. to allC
the society to investigate such cases.
that lmpostors may not grow fat while 4
deserving are sent empty away. The @
lects OF the society are first, the repressi
OF pauptTism in the city, and, second, t
permanent improvement in the conditi
OF the poor. Its three leading princib
are the severance Of relief from religit
the severance Of relief from politics. p
the severance of relief from nationali
Speaking on the question of religion
paragraph reads 1T will have Ia
understood from 4ba start tbo. a.. -.