The Leavenworth weekly times. [volume] (Leavenworth, Kan.) 1870-1880, 1878-12-12
The winters Charity
philadelphia Press, 81

| As usual, the ears of men and women will
| be filled with accounts OF the forlorn CON
dition OF people out Of work this winter
The time IL coming for the renewal OF
| charitable work. Just as the Golfers are
being replenished, 20 the appeals for aid
are being reyanIed and revived. For
some years past the vagrant world has adj
| iusted itself to the most advanced theories
of benevolence, and now it asks for work
when it only wants aims. New pleas of in
genIous, minds will appear and be success
fully urged for time. One OF these re-
Gently came to the notice of the Pes.
Two well-dressed women, in the early eve
ming, asked for aid to get a nights lodging,
on the pretext that the constable has sud-
denly levied on their landlords furniture
and turned them penniless into the street
without warning. The story is Improb-
able, for a constable cannot sell household
goods until five days after he has served a
notice OF restraint. But these women have
applied to several persons, telling the same
story, and each day, in imagination, their
woes are renewed
There is nothing which touches the pub
lie mind quicker than the situation OF per-
sops who only want chance to work, and
who are presumably suffering - not
from Incidence, but from misfortune.
Now, there are persons cut OF employ
ment who really wish for situations.
But thee people do not go upon the streets
arousing sympathy for their trials.
They work among their friends, or suffer
in silence 1t would be a pleasure to
serve them, If they would accord the OPP
portunity. But they will not practice up
on our sympathies.
As for the great multitude out OF work,
this pretense ia humbug. The Massachu-
sets Board OF statistics estimated this sum
mer that only abou; 10000 persons accus-
toned to toll were unemployed in the en-
tire United States. Yet it il common to
saw that three or four millions are out OF
work. This extravaganza is incredi bic for
those who think at all, since it means that
from one-fourth to one-ffth of all tine
bread-winners of the land are unoccupied,
which fact would produce an Eruption Of
tremendous social evils.
But again, an expert OF charitable relief
in this city recently took some Of our edi-
torial staff, through the infamous streets
OF the fourth ward. One expression on his
lips, again and again, was These peo-
pie are able-bOdIed, strong fellows, we'll
able to work" This was spontaneous e1-
preston, and came without knowing what
the opinion OF his companions might be.
Moreover, his words were apparent
" verified, for the denizens OF those
streets were hale in appearance and
fully capable OF usefulness. Yet scores
of them are beggars, piteously whining for
work when they want a quarter. The same
expert visitor said that these petty thieves
and beggars gain three or four dollars a
day, and that they find the rewards of
vagrancy greater than those of industry.
Hundreds of thousands of dollars, given
TOR the relief of suffering, find their way
into Alaska, ST. Mary's, and Baker streets.
There are professional beggars there who
own real estate and keep bank accounts,
although the most of them are too dissipat-
ed TO save anything. A good share of the
obvious want of the city is simulated.
Heaven fo.bid that we should make the
relief OF the needy difficult, or dry up the
fountains of charitable sympathy. But we
do wish the benefcent intents OF the gener-
Gus to work good and not harm, and it il a
fair matter OF congra.ulation that our sys-
TEN of industry is not crushing thousands
into penury and want.