The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1878-05-14
Our New York Letter.
Anniversary week-The state Charities
Aid Society and its Ob,tructIve Work
Pauperisrn in New York.
New YORK. May 13, 1873.

Last week was Anniversary week. Once upon
time the early days of May were reckoned
upon by great many New Yorkers as among
the most interesting Of the year. The religious
and humanitarian societies held their annual
meetings and made them attractive by sum-
moning their best orators to beguile the ears
OF the people with flights Of captivating rhetor-
ic. In the old days of chivalry, slavery and
democracy, the abolitionists used to carry off
the palm for fiery eloquence and magnificent
invective. This was the stage on which Wen
dell Phillips and Theodore Parker achieved
their greatest triumphs This city was the
place of all others in which the cringing, SER
vile spirit of subserviency to the lords Of the
lash was displayed in the worst possible light.
1t cast its revolving shadow over literature,
commerce and social life, and even made time
servers and apologists for crime out of eminent
and orthodox Doctors Of Divinity. The anti
slavery orators were merciless in their attacks
upon the sin and the sinners, and their philip
pics scintillated with such superb flashes of wit
and sarcasm that they always drew crowds and
produced a profound impression.
In the absence of any great issues now ap-
pealipg to the conscience and the manhood OF
the nation, it is natural that the May gather
ings should be tame affairs as compared with
those that have gone before. The Temperance
Society perhaps had the liveliest meeting
They are dealing with practical and impor-
tant problem New York is the place of all
others where missionary effort in behalf of So
briefly is most needed. The city swarms with
run sellers and rum drinkers. We hear q
great deal about the dullness of business, but
there is never such degree of inactivity but
that the liquor saloons as whole are driving
lucrative traffic The poor fellows who are
wearing out body and soul in supporting them
may be obliged to 60 ragged and hungry
but they will contrvs somehow to get
strong drink. They seem as impervious to
reason as the men who deal destruc-
ton to them are insensible to pity
They not merely accept their vassalage willing
ly, but are actually loyal to their task masters.
1t certainly does look like hopeless undertake
] ing to SOW good seed in such an unfruitful soil.
| And yet there are Indications that the cause Of
| temperance is making progress. The liquor
dealers have not controlled the legislature this
year as they generally do. There is chance
that the Excise law at least, may be enforced.
That would be some help. If the wretched pur.
suit which is filing up our penal and charitable
institutions must be endured the city ought to
derive sufficient revenue from it to maintain
the criminals and paupers 1t produces. The
parties who have these matters in hand at
present are evidently in earnest; they are dis
interested and energetic; 1t is one of the possi-
bilities in this age of wonders, that they may
succeed by perseverance, in shaking this COM
munity out of stupor that has for generations
| and al ifa h
stance.
The organization that does the largest busi-
ness in the anniversary line in proportion to
its capital is the estate Charities Aid Society"
This is an association composed Of consider
able number of masculine females aud few
feminine males, who have imposed upon them
selves the task of managing the elsemosynary
institutions of the city. You know what an
old maid can do in country village when she
leaves hope-of matrimony behind, and sets
herself to work in dead earnest to avenge her
sights by making everybody miserable who
falls within reach of her tongue. 1t is aston
ishing what capacity for mischief she shows.
She can set half the population by the ears be-
fore they find out what she is up to, and even
after il is made manifest that she is an uncon-
ing Just a little mixture of fact with her art
full concoction OF falsehood to make an uncom.
fortabls impression on the minds of great
many of her neighbors
Now then, fancy forty old maids forming
themselves into squads and travelling about
with the fell purpose and intent Of making
noise and SC andal enough to reverbsrate over q
great city. Imagine them meeting at frequent
| intervals to compare notes in respect to the
budgets of news they have severally collected
together. Those who bring in the most startling
and sensational reports are regarded with
the highest favor; if there happens to be now
| and then one amoHg them whose sense OF just
= ice or lack of inventive geni7s leads her "a
speak approvingly of any thing ishe saw, she
is so sharply rebuked for her indiscretion that
she never ventures to repeat the offence. Theii
sole and exclusive business Is to find fault, and
, | if there is nothing that they can reasonably
take exception to, their femininity rises superb
| or to any trifing obstacle of that kind, and
they fall back upon their Imaginative facul
ties. These never fail them. Consequently
their supply of blood-curdling narratives 1
, simply inexhaustible.
The ostensible purpose of these self-consti
= tuted missionaries of charity is to effect
J reformation in the administration of publi
! alms-giving But by an inconsistency which
is not at all singular, since 1t is the most marked
characteristic of yoar modern reformer. the!
, abstain wholly from making their complaints
of defects known in quarters where, If thert
was any foundation for them, remedy nigh
be applied; they rush into print and ply the
t newspapers with their heart-rending state
} | ments. This method has its advantages to b,
) sure. 1t relieves them Of the necessity OF sub
: | stantiating their allegations which as genera
, | thing they would find to be an absolutely i'm
possible achievement But their most gush
ing effusions are the annual reports they print
;. These are remarkable specimens Of exaggera
ton. They are not pleasant reading, certainly
'' because If any one believed them he would
,f forced to conclude that barbarism, driven b
"a the light OF civilization from every other plac
a of refuge had sought and found shelter in th
a hospitals and asylums of the metropolis OF th
new world. But the citizen who wants to hay
hisframe set to quivertng and his flesh to creeI
ing, and isn't particular whether the emotion
/ produced by real or artificial methods, can hav
y the thing done out of hand by simply perusin
one of these stunning periodical brochures
If he prefers to take the stimulant in smalle
d doses, but without any abatement of Its strengt
1T he has only to keep an eye to the head lines i
huge capitals of certain journals, and bide b
time The story will soon appear in elabora
form, and when it is brought forth 1t wi
prove as stirring as "The Report of the Con
| mittee of the Brick Lane Branch Of the Unite
Grand Junction Ebsnezsr Temperance Asso
"a ciation."
h Perhaps it is hardly worth while to CONNER
; seriously on the morbid feeling which prompt
a these splenetic diatribss. There was goo
70 deal of sense in the excuse the Vermont farm,
. gave for bearing the seedlings of his wife wit
w serene patience, that sit amused her and didn
n hurt him." dare say these Jealous femsl
derive certain sort of enjoyment from the
10 gratuitous exertions in the volunteer detect
or service to which they devote themselves
- assduously. Few of them have anything ell
| 10 do nd NO khos. xpould ha vai