The Portland daily press., 1880-06-03

''Some benevolent persons will always prefer
to give aims directly to the poor, rather than
to put their money into the hands of societies
or other persons to give to the poor. The AS
ISOLATED charities do not wish as a society," to
come dispensers of relief. But they desire
most earnestly to organize system by which
any persons, who prefer to be their own aims
givers, can be aided to find families in great
est need and most worthy of relief.
For this purpose visitors are requested to
make most thorough investigations and reports
as to any needy family which any private aims
giver may wish to aid, either with aims, or
better still, with any work which may replace
the need OF aims.
Visitors should also keep lists of very poor
persons who can best be helped by work: and
all our citizens are earnestly desired to know
the office and visitor in their ward and to
leave with him their name and address, and
what kind of work-even the smallest chores
they may be able to offer
Visitors will also always be able to give the
name of needy family with many mouths to
feed land where the gift of broken food from the
kitchen may be judicious form of relief
Many doubts and difficulties surround the
question, how far it is wise to put needy
family under the permanent care of any prf-
vate almsgver for regular relief Not that the
almsgiver may be unwilling to sgive enough
the danger with benevolent persons is that
they give too freely, and more than is wise.
The controlling consideration must be the
ptop OiiaIO vi tlo pOOf luODlSolVeS.S
The familiar danger of giving aims in excess
is that it saps the energy of the recipients and
leads them to rely on aims rather than on
themselves. This is the path to pauperism.
The saving grace of private aims is found in
the personal relations of sympathy and encour-
agement by which gentleman or lady can
really help the poor to rise in life, in self-re-
spect, in the care and education of their chill
dren; TO resolve to be skilful workmen, and
especially to shake off evil habits (often of in
fnxy nntJn ~. 81, a{A,
lation of private almsgiver to az needy and
dependent family, and especially to the chill
dren, can often be made the most powerful
vehicle of their elevation, if the influences
growing out of it are used with sympathy and
force.
Remember that aims are by no means the
whole or the best part of charity. While the
relief OF immediate and urgent suffering is an
essential part of a complete system, yet it is a
SAD TACT that surprising proportion of the
stories OF such suffering are made up. and the
artiul beggar, after exhausting one part of the
city, is found begging in another, No good
work can be done to such a family by friend
ly visitor, till their supplies from street beg
glng are wholly cut off, and the beggar is
forced to consent to 60 to work.
The relief of suffering claimed to be urgent
should therefore, as a rule, be left to the
trained agents OF societies, or at least not be
given till after investigation.
Other forms of help are often of far greater
set man or woman up in some small business
or cradle boy or girl to learn a trade: while
the amount of the loan, given in the form of
doles, might only teach them to beg. Or the
aged, the chronic sick, those who are linger-
ing for months on death-bed, or cripples, or
sufferers from some severe accident may be
relieved by some suitable pension from who
-can tell how much mental and physical dis
tress The pleasure of giving aims springs
from the certainty that what we give is really
needed by persons worthy of our help.
PrlVate almsgivers are desired to avail of the
services OF the visitors as frequently as they
have any occasion, so that relief may be al
ways aided by thorough and constant investi-
cation, and guided by wise Judgment based on
full knowledge of the facts to the end that
both almsgvers and visitors may keep always
III view the great end of our work among the
poor helping them to help themselves, and
making them self-supporting wherever this is
possible. In every variety of this work of
helping the poor, it is hoped that
our visitors will become experts; and they will
always be ready to lend their aid and counsel
to every private aImsgiver to the utmost Of
their power.
Directories may be had free on application
to Philip F. Turner, at the office of Prentiss
Loring, Exchange street, and should be care
fully preserved for reference.