The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1879-03-06
BENEVOLENT SOCIETIES MEET
ING.


| At the February meeting Of the Portland
Provident Society a committee was appointed
| TO call meeting of the various benevolent
| societies Of the city to see if some united
| action could be taken to prevent imposition,
and to ascertain the need and location of the
| deserving poor. In pursuance with this APP
| pointment the meeting was called at the
Mayors office last evening al z. 80 O'Clock.
Mayor Butler called the meeting to order
and was elected Chairman, and Mr.. Hayes
secretary.
Mr.. j. p. Baxter said he had received notes
from many members of the other Societies,
who could not be present, fully endorsing the
plan be had drawn up in behalf Of the COM
miitee, and further stated that it seemed to
meet the views of all who had seen it, He
said:
At various times within the past ten years
Efforts have been mads TO bring about a co-op
Grafton of the various benevolent societies of
The CITY, but such efforts have failed because
10 all the plans proposed, an idea of cousolda a.
ton has been contsmp ated. the necessity for
some plan, however, has seemed TO become
more evident yearly and the question has been
discussed by some OF our societies. notably by
he PrOvident Association, which probably
reaches greater number of the poor than any
other organization. At a late meeting pro-
oosed plan to the board of managers which
met with unanimous approval, and led to the
appointment OF a committee, of which | was
Chairman, TO confer with members Of the vari-
GUS charitable organizations of the city, the
churches and public authorities. Hence this
meeting was called, after consultation With the
mayor
fhe question of pauperism, its causes and
cure, has become one of grave moment. The
%pirt of charity is rife in our midst. Benevo.
eDtly disposed people have formed societies to
relieve poverty-one society selec ing one phase,
and another some other phase, or they privately
dispense their charity to needy applicants who
seem TO increase in numbers as fast as means
for their support are multiplied A large Dor.
ZION of these applicants for charity are found
TO be unworthy; hence it has been argued with
much force, that charitable organ ATOMS aud
The liberal giving by individuals m AZ tend to
increase pauperisn Pauperism has its we'll
defined causes, whatever sentimentalists may
say to the &C trary, aud, in most cases, may
doubtless be referred to moral and mental
weakness. Paupers, as class, are "The de-
generate offspring of degenerate sires, with
brains married." as Emerson says; either
morally depraved, or lacking the mental force
requisite TO enable them to concentrate their
DOOR abilities upon such industries as would
bring them independence. So long as such
persons are fed aud clothed sufic emily to en-
able them to exist without labor so long they
will multiply and increase. The question is
how to prevent this As prelimin ary meas.
ure, some plan which will bring about the CO.
peratiou of charitable societies and indvidu-
ais 10 the work OF sscertaining the real condi-
ton and needs of applicants for charity, must
Oe of great benefit Too much charity is dis
pensed without al Intelligent understanding of
the real status or needs of the applicant, and
in many cases an injury is done where benefit
Is intended. Ii one goes to a physician with
any bodily ailment, if the physician is an in
teligent one he will make diagnosis of the
mans condition before prescribing for him:
but many people think when beegar comes to
them that bestowal OF money, food or cloth
iDg sufficient to afford momentary relief,
satisfies their obligation to him. If he is uuwor-
thy Of these things; that is, if he was profess
slonal beggar, unwilling to labor for support,
ready to spend the money or pawn the
clothes given him for drink or throw tine food
awaP as is 0ften done, no real good has been
accom- plished The mans case has not been
reached, and can only be reached by compeli-
ing him TO labor for his own support and not
allowing him to live by rObbing othe,s of their
means by compelling them to share the fruits
OF their labor with him, for it M axes but little
difference whether compel man through his
sympathes or his fears to deliver to me part
Of his worldly wealth, providing ia the first
case l use false token which prevents the &C.
ton OF his judgment There are many Cases.
however, of honest but perhaps inefficient pso-
pie who come to want, aud who from year to
year are relieved by our charitable societies and
private persons, but about whom not enough is
known to enable the charitaoly disposed to
render them the real aid they require and so they
are kept along in state of SO mi-Dauparism for
years, when perhaps a better knowledge of
their condition would prevent this. That our
Oauper system as at present organized Is very
imperfect cannot be gai1said Poverty is not a
cr me, but as sometimes treated by those who
have our poorhOuses in charge it seems to be
so regarded and this causes undoubtedly, the
terror many of the poor have of tue poorhouse,
where all classes, old and young, the virtuous
and vicious are crowded toge her, and where
all sorts of shifts are resOeted TO ia order to get
rid of them-one town vyiog with another in
theteffort. ] was told few days ago, of a poor
cripple who was pla ed on a sled on a cold day
drawn over the line separsting one town from
another, and there left until the authorities of
the town in which be was placed turDed out
and pushed him bacs. This operation was
peatei several times, until Is' WAS d. ded
where the man belonged Macy similar sto-
RES might be- relstsd. IfI were called upon
for opinion respecting toe proper work
which should engage our charitable orgauiza-
ions, should be obliged to say that
believe that their entire efforts should
ne directed towards impr1vng the meota
and moral condition of the poor aud OH
-rwse aiding those who are struggling
20 gain batter position wh'ch wonld . ford
field broad enough for all their activities while
All cases of bodily want should be attended 20
oy the public authorities. If asked for a plan
= fficiently work | should say that first,
t6e poor house should not bs a.
lowed to be the thing of terror It now s to
the more sensitive poor proper sys en might
involve several establishments, one with
healthy and pleasant Surroundings, where the
wives and children of tie iotemperate AID VIC
ious, who cannot sn pport h mselVes should be
placed-ihe women being required to perform
such ureful work al might b. furuisbed them,
aud the childreo being properly cared flr,
nhu cyan lp foil and Ito ~ x,is
could be found where they could support
themselves, that being the object ever
kept 10 view, As an attainment to DE- desired
Another bone shoula be set apart for aged and
feeble women, aud another for the same class
of men, where they could pass their few re-
NAMING DAYS, ia quiet, surrounded by such
slmpe comforts AS would seem desirable, This
IN light seem to offer too great facilities for pau
perlsm, but this might bs avoided more effrc-
taslIP than now, by law compelling relatives
within a certain range of consequently to fur.
nish the means of support for INDECENT rela-
tives.
From these bones the vicious should be ex-
cuded, reformstory being furnished them,
and labor required. la addition to these homes,
a work house wOnld be necessary, where able
bodied paupers should b. mpeled 10 labor
for the support of the paper communty-la-
BORING on public works, as agriculture and 9th
er Industries which might b. prohtably en-
gagged in. Every man found begging, Or caus-
ing his family to beg, should be at once placed
in this establishment and compelled to labor for
the support of himself and the community, at
the same time beng free to go whenever be
could satisfy the authorities that he could and
would support himself. Hundreds of weak
women and children are depeudent upon shift
less, vicious aud intem perste men, who cause
hem unfold suffering through poverty aud
abuse, yet whom no lax reaches The woman
go to miserable graves b fore heir time, and
such of the children as survive grow up in
Ignorance to psrDetuate the evil example of
their brutal fathers.
These women aud children should be re-
NOV ID from the cootrol of such men, who
should be compelled to labor for their support.
All this, however, canuot be brought about at
once Man is a most improvident animal afser
all, and will go on for generations pr Acticng a
psrsimony, which ia its results may bs waste
tnl extravagauce, when more generous course
would result in the economy so .much desired.
The money spent 10 public and private CHARITY,
for relieving bodily waats, s, doubtless, more
than Sufficient to sustain broader scheme of
charity than the one which has been but par.
italy sketched, aud relieve the community of a
great and growing evil Indeed, such scheme
could probably b4, aud should be if possible,
made self-sustsIniug. The able bodied might
ha cd IN nrna 10 THAR lahn ff; ,iant 10