The Corvallis gazette. [volume] (Corvallis, Or.) 1862-1899, 1880-02-06
Misery in Paris.


Misery, in the abject form of abso-
lutte houseless pauperism, is, as yon
know, not recognized by the French
law. 1t sets it's face steadily against
it, and will have nothing to do with
1T. If it comes across a shivering
wretch under lonely arch, 1t sim
ply puts him into prison, to teach
him that he has no business to be
wretched. 1t is, on system, as hard
hearted and callous as the Alderman
in "The Chimes" who never missed
a chance of quitting poverty down."
and who was as convinced that
there ought not to be any starvation
as that he, the Alderman, was a
model of acuteness and logical COM
mon sense. The Government, so
needlessly meddlesome and paternal
in most matters, obstinateIy shirks
the great question of pauperism, re-
fuses to believe in it, ignores it on
principle, scouts it, fiouts it, and
locks up the audacious individual
who thrusts the Objectionable reality
under it's nose. The plan keeps
misery out of sight-not small
boon to society (the richer part Of
it)-and it largely diminishes the
public taxation. And yet opponents
of the system might urge, with a
fair show of reason, that misery is
not abolished by being hidden in
darksome corners; and that Difficult
- CO ,,oo1 orI oo e., <.cIJ
and disease are better faced than
evaded. Thanks to the Revolution,
property has long been more equita-
bly, distributed amongst French peo
pie than it is, perhaps, in any other
country in Europe. Great fortunes
are rare. Great poverty is rare, too,
though it is commoner since the war
of 1870. There are no Vanderbilts
or A. Il. Stewards in France, and
there are no quarters in Paris COM
parable to the back slums of New
York, or the noisome lanes Of the
New Cut and Seven DiaIs in London.
Socially they come nearer to equal
ity here than you do, probably, in
the free States Of America; and no
doubt they owe this, in some meas
ure, to the absence Of regular refu-
gees and homes for the poor. But
there are moments when system,
logic, rule and measure are insults to
reason; when want, gaunt and
hollow eyed, will break from its
covert, and cry aloud upon the
house tops for pitiful sympathy.
Such has been the case this last
week in Paris. It has showed, with
hardly days interruption, all the
week. The roads are choked up, and
rendered hardly safe for man or
beast, by foot and n half of frozen
snow. The cutters are SO many
murderous traps tor careless travel
ers. The night air is laden with
consumption and death. One hour
in the streets soaks your feet and
chiIls your body. It looks SO fair
and pure, this white sheet spread
over the whole face of the great
city; and it is as cruel as the grave.
Heaven help the poor of Paris in
such weather! The French have
little idea of comfort at all times.
In their home arrangements they are
criminaIly unthoughtful. To look
at the stone floors, the draughty
windows, the fireiess rooms, the
filthy drainage arrangements, in
separable from the dwellings of the
French poor, you would think that
the landlords here were heartless,
and worse than heartless. Nor
would you be far wrong. 1t is we'll
enough-or bearable enough-in the
summer, and even in an average
winter, when people can get out and
about; but seasons like that Of 1870,
and this of 1879, upset all calcula-
tions. You must have warmth, or
you cannot work. You must work,
or you have no money, and you
starve, or fall an easy prey to fever
and consumption. Private charity
can do, and does, wonders; but it is
powerless against such general mis-
cry as that with which Paris is filed
at present. Fancy this: One hundred
and forty nine thousand people,
roughly speaking, are at present
registered on the books of the Bu-
reaux de Bienfaisance, or Relief
Offices. Seven thousand five hun
dred applicants are praying for ad-
mission to the city hospitals, which
are crowded and overcrowded al
readyl Think, too, of all those whose
pride and sensitiveness will not let
them make their wretchedness
known; of those who prefer to fight
on alone, to suffer stoically and to
die, rather than be beholden for
their salvation to public charity
Paris Corr. Chicago Tribune.
An old Scotch lady was told that her
minister used notes, but would not be-
lieve it. Said one, Gang into the gal
lery and see." She did SO, and saw the
written sermon. After the 1uckless
mreacher had concluded his reading on
last page, he said But I will not
r. lofty position, Ye3canna, ya
gour papers give out