The New Orleans daily Democrat. [volume] (New Orleans, La.) 1877-1880, 1880-02-26
THE SUPPORT OF PAUPERs.

The bill now before the State Legislature
requiring police iurles to make provision for
the support Of infrm. sick and disabled pau
pera residing In their respective parishes. Ia
one of more than ordinary Importance In
avery large community there Ia. Of necessity.
a dependent class. which must IN some way
he provided for. Their poverty and helpless
ness may proceed from the loss Of their pro-
teetOra. the husband or parents. at n time
when they were unable to provide for them
selves. from sickness. from mental or phys
ieal ineapaety for self support. from lack
of employment. or from iutempcranre and
vicious Indulgence. Whichever Of theae causes
may have induced this state of dependence. II
ID u recognized duty in all civilized communl-
tiea to dminish and. 90 far as possible pre-
vent extreme suffering on the part of those
thus helpless. The methods of accomplishing
this result are. of neeessity. various. All who
need at times pecunary aid are not paupera
and to treat them as such would not
only wound and Distress them ueed-
Iessly. but would In the end produce n demon
aii5ation and ndispoaltion to esertlon which
would throw an intelerable burden on the tax
paying Glass; who would be compelled to sup
port them. It was tho recognition of this
truth which led tn the distinction between tho
| outdoor poor and the pauper. which Ia com
monty established in our large towns. Tho
| methods of providing for the poor vary in
different sections of the country. LIN New
| Eng land. where the totrn was an older polit
| cal organization than the county. province or
State. the legal care OF the poor has always
devolved upon the first town officer or select
| man. as he is usually called, Those needing
only temporary aid receive small sums and
are encouraged to atrua9le on ut their homes /.
| those wholly dependent are provided for In
| TIN arnaller towns by contract with some Cit
! len. who for a stipulated sum agrees to pro-
vide them with food, clothing and shelter.
employing such OF them as are able to
perform some labor In such work
MS their health or want Of skill will permit.
In the larger towns this class are received
into almshouses, to which often farm Is
attached. much of tho lighter work OF which
Is performed by the paupcrs. In the middle
| and Western States the assistance to the poor
| and tho support of paupers Is county
charge, and Is under the control OF super
| yisors elected by tho voters Of the county.
Those entirely dependent arc usually quar-
tered In county almshouse, and whore
practicable, employed in light labor. In the
Southern States. with milder climate and
aparser population, there has been loss occa-
sion for definite preparation for tn O wants OF
pauper class. especially rs very consider
able portion Of those who would elsewhere
have been dependent upon the public
were cared for, when intlrm, sick or
disabled, by their masters. The war,
| however, which resulted In the eman-
| eipatton OF the colored people, has
changed all this, and hence 1t Is found neces-
sary, In what were formerly large slave hold
| Ing districts or parishes, to provide some ade-
quate method OF dealing with the question OF
pauperism. BY the provisions Of the bill now
pending before the Legislature the police
| juries OF parishes are authorized to purchase
or lease q farm or other home, and to make
such regulations for the government thereof
as will render the same wholly or In part
self-sustaining 1t Is further provided that
no debt shall be created against the parish be-
| yond the amount appropriated and collected
for the purpose with other current parish
taxes, and that no greater rate of taxation
| than that allowed by the constitution shall be
levied by any police jury to carry out the OBJ
| jeet Of the act, except for the purposes
and In the manner set forth in article
20s OF the constitution. In many of the
counties of the Western States and In
some OF the Southern States these poor-house