Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1879-09-20
The Contributions for Memphi..

1t is greatly to be regretted that for want
OF sufficient voluntary contributions to meet
the wants OF the sick and destitute at Memphis,
representatives from that city find 1t necessary
to visit and personally canvass the northern
states for pecuniary aid to that end. All the
more Is this be deplored because from the
Indicate efren out from time to time, 1t seems
that - fever is still rather on the increase
than declining. Yet there are number of pal
pable and substantial reasons for this apparent
indifference, and the people Of Memphis, or we
might say the people OF the whole section
devastated last year, have only themselves to
blame for the state of feeling now existing with
the charitaby 11clined of the north. They have
also the power to remove 1t, If they have an
earnest disposition to do Soft not In time to
meet the pressing emergencies of this year,
1T least in season to provide for any like con-
Engency which may arise In the future.
Whether well founded or not, there Is no
denying the fact that wide spread and firmly
Liked impression prevails among those VINO
contributed so generously that there has not
been sufficiently full and straightforward
business like accounting for the enormous sums
OF money and the vast quantity of supplies OF
various kinds sent south last year, nor yet rea-
Eonabiy satisfactory evidence furnished that
as general rule their benefactions reached
those who most needed or deserved them. 1t
very many cases such vouchers and testimony
as would meet the exacting demands of all
Self-coIstituted critics and fault-finders, nor
ought such minute precision be expected under
the circumstances; but 1t Is held by many Just
aid liberal persons that proper efforts or even
willing disposition In that direction has not
been generally shown. They maintain that
while 1t is duty to give In such cases, freely
and cheerrully, it Is equally duty, as 1T should
be pleasure, on the other side not only to &C.
knowledge but also to promptly and properly
Accout for what Is received. Then, again, the
conviction Is quite generally entertained that
the people Of the places AFFLICTED last year did
not profit by their terrible experience and take
advantage of the opportunity afforded by the
winter season to provide against a recurrence
of the disease another summer In an epidemic
form, but, instead, sat supinely down. so that
They were little or no better prepared this year
Than they were last to resist its attacks on san
1tary and precautionary grounds The boun-
ttful g1vers Of last year stand ready to give
again, and as freely as before, in all cases of
unforeseen and unavoidable Distress and are
willing always to help those who help them
selyes; but, they say, In action at least that
those who do not do so, or who do not earn
estly take advantage OF every opportunity to
that end, have no right to ask for aid.
Coupled with these two principal causes for
The seeming apathy which exists among the
DenevOlently inclined, are two minor obstacles,
which cannot and should not be overlooked
One Is that the rich people Of the infected places
and their immediate neighborhoOdS have not
contributed OF their own abundant means az
literally as those Intimately connected with
them by the ties OF friendship, neighborhood
ana business interests had a right to expect. 1t
Is notorious fact, II the papers published In
some OF the stricken cities are to be believed,
that many OF their own citizens Of great wealth
nave given little or nothing to relieve the dis
tress OF those Immediately around them,-some
Of them leaving even their own flesh and blood
10 suffer. Another difficulty Is the want of pre-
Csc and reliable Information both as to what
necessity there Is for outside contributions at
the present time and as to the hands through
which they can be wisely and faithfully dis
Dursed when sent. To have an appeal for
money come one day, and next day read de-
nunciation Of the appeal as a fraud and its
a1gners as unauthorized and unworthy persons
Is at once confusing and dlscouraging to those
who under other circumstances would give
without being asked.
These facts may be unpalatable, but the ne
cessity for stating them seems to be none the
less imperative just now. II the people OF the
Infected localities or those likely to be visited
BY the yellow fever and other like epidemics do
not understand them, the sooner they compre-
bend them the better all around. They have
the power II they have the viii to do away with
position Of affairs that On its face does tnjus-
fice to both sections Of the country, and that Is
as little reliShed by the one as 1t must be hu-
initiating to the other.