New-York tribune., 1878-03-02
CHARITY'S METHODS.
LETTER FROM TIE REV. DK. JOHN HALL.

ferings OF the poor ad anxious Ia AID eln arc sore
lyl,ewildered and discouraged BY their experiences
observation and reading on the subject. Every now
and then they mortified to find that their sym
pathy has been abnscd, their money obtained by
fraud or arplied to the worst purposes. They hear
Of or they see the unpromisng outcomc of the
benefccnee Of Others and they are encountered,
when they think Of employing the great recognized
societie, as their alrnoners, by charges Of unfair
dealing excessive salaries to officers. and great
dsproIertiou between the money dispensed and the
cost Of DONG il.
Asto the inst and second of these discourage
ment, il has to he borne in mind that--whateVer
may be ALLEGED in rosc-tintcd rhap.Odcs. to the con
trary-wc are fallen race, "nonc ricliteoas, no not
one" These poor deceyers yield to temptation an
one side, ard are encouraged by comparative innu-
uty. We yield 20 il, other sides or not IL not
that a mockcry a silly afcctation of lOWllness III
which We indulge, when we SAY, Have mercy upon
Us miserable offenders ?" it only remains for lis
10 reduce the waste aud loss in this direction to a
minimum, but by means 10 drop :ar effort to re-
iicye misery, in despair. Even the most degraded
auG deceptive vagrut, one wonlG not Willingly see
saryc. Now and then every man must If not con-
tcntcdly, az least with resignation, cntcr into his
Journal Ike the English Clergyman, 10 an impoS-
tor, q shilling"
80 the managcincnt of socicties-wo musA Atiso dis
crimlaic. 1t would be very nice il the name q" So
cicty" were 4 guarantee for perfect fairness and
wisdom. Rut ala that is not 50. There are safe
conuauics." and unsafe good Bills and bad
useful socictrs and Useless. the organizations
that relieve distress may be divided into three
classes
|. Thcre an. The congregations that aid tlcir own
poor. with their own money, and by their own M
paid ofce~s. The presumption * that care, iaif-.
ness and Kindness characterize tins form of charity,
and the only thing t. b. guarded against is " re-
pratipg" on rhc par; OF recipients. little frank
communication among the organizations OF districts
(, thc I.ttuIl check oh this abuse
H. There are the various forms Of public aid, the
-ands for which ale collected by TAXATION. licenses.
etc., and distributed by public officers. Consider
iu;. how appointments Ia the offices made, 'hcre
has been. no doubt ample Justification for the cX-
istence and operations Of such bodies AZ Che
state Charities Aid hsSociatIoH,' of which
the late Theodore Roosevelt was 50 valuable
and uusclish n member Citizens, IS such,
are cEaLlc in the indiii, renee with which they re-
card the filling Of such Offices and the performance
OF such duties and, OF cOursr, are punished IA the
way of their sin in thc number of uurolicYed Who
haunt them, and of the drmoralized who. IN one
way or another. take unconscious revenge on The
community that Delegates the care OF them to un-
worthy haud-.
III. There are the voluntary societies, some of
them dcnomiuation1l, and some of them dar'glTd-
irg the drnolnua onql clement. These, again. may
De yario;.-ly distributed. ITst. Some unconbi' dlY
exist lOf private ends; /. -, secretary has chg'-
u,.r.d the thing obtained the ssucti on 0t good
Names works the machine under their apparent
guidance and keep, himself IN position and with
It.f s,.r .ffiI Df stt
coudcun .orrty: but u is enough 20 invite careful
scrutiny. 4 conscientious man would rot chno'"
,uch in agency through which ~ give his money, II
any better offered. Second. Diners are IN Il bona
fIc way mailaeed by ydislntcr-tc persons who reap
40 personal advantage, and with more "r less
wisdom dispense their own and others money
with pure and uuseltsh intent. The church
element WILL OF couise come INTO TINS Work, bnt h"t
necessarily mlschicyously. ProtestantS form un-
dDnouimatioaal" societies he, societies not con
tIoilcd by one section of pIotstant.Iu, bnt repre-
scn,Iug The ideas held hy AL the sections IN com
mon. They Will naturally employ the means III
their minds best adapted 10 elevate and purify. AMI
in the course of their work th'y collide with tie
sectional interests of Roman Catholics, who I"rth-
with. in sectional defence. ST up corresponding
agencies Their right to do 50 is undcniahc, ami
no orc can complain Dut, the contrary, al shonld
elevate their own endangered people.
In such cases. comparisons Of expense viii OF
course come INTO the discussion, and in Judging oi
The Statements il is to be borne III mind that the
Church of Rome has a body of unmarried men ana
somcn devoted hy VOWS 10 good works, and also
plcdg,l 10 personal poverty, for whom she mas
employment in charitable and educating agcncics
while Professionalism does not encourage cchbacy
and would perhaps allccc that the cheap labor the
opposite method secures is very costly III the end
Ii will probably he found that able and trust
worthy men can only be found at considerable eX-
pcnsc that the amount OF salary is not governing
consideration: that here. AZ elsewhere, we may en-
gage men whose nominally low salaries Will he the
justification of their efforts to pay themselves ace
ouatcIy. We advert 10 these things only to show
that allegations of general kind are not sufficient
70 shake our confidence III the fidelity of soceties
managed by citizens who can have no personal III
terest 10 serve. Taking them as whole, they will
COMPARE fqyorably with Joint-stock banks insurance
and railway companies. among which, also, men are
reaurcd 10 use discrimination.
In view Of all that has been stated, the following
tlinga seem obvious:
ITrs,-WhcreycT it is possible, humane persons
shnuld bc their own aln0ncrs. II IL best for givcr
and receiver 81 come together. The one feels intel
ligcui and has the reflex benefit Of giving. If his
sympathy loses IL elements OF romance, II gains III
reality. Generally, giSus - too dllusr. More g00d
would ba done Ivy concentration, a. II. gives SUD
scrlptions Ia an indefinite number of societies.
charities" of most of which he can know little
and were the same amount oi money used for Inc
benefit OF persons known 10 him, and over whom
he has s0me personal influence, would effect more
good. Charity Is orpdWzcd away ont OF the hands
of individuals. Gycr and receiver do not feel ether
than alb tract pity one hand, and rratitnd" on
the other. IL is ouc thing Tor c. d. to say on Blended
knee " Cod bless A. B., who has helped me through
and another 10 invoke a blessing on the " Gcn"rai