New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1881-06-01
THE clSE or LHzY AlROySrN


TYR TrrnvSE heretofore has impartially
given TO its reader. the arguments for and
AGAINST Organized charity in our great cities.
The matter is serious and urgent. Here ON
one hand, is an immense mass of paupcrisn Ia
bc sustained and. on the other, the outlay oi
lnrpc sums by the richer classes to sustain IT,
The advocates of organized charity urge that
these sums slall 90. not directly from the indi-
vidual giycr to the individual pluI"r' bat to
fine maintenance of corps of clerks, suprrin-
trudrnts, etc, who shall "rcprcSs mrHdl-
canrv": that il, their work shall he, not To feed
or clothc the hungry and naked but to
Grd whether they do or do not need
food or clothes. The. City of Phila-
drlphia has given this system Of organized
charity thorough trial. Offices. supcrnicnd-
cnt,, clerks. etc, are maintained III all the
wards, and citizens are vrhcmcntly urged 10
give all their aims only through urNc officials.
\ report last week from one Office shows the
general contributions to have amounted to
So 10; of this, salaries, oilcc-rent and PRINT
inc consumed S2,2lG %, while SOB % was
c-iyrn TO the poor. II the mass of the poor are
cheats and impn-tars and > 1913 30 Was Suili-
ci,.nt to relieve those who needed aid, the clii-
zcns need not bcgrulgc the comparatively cnor-
mons sum paid To the officials who keep them
from ANNOYANCE. lut if officials draw the
peoples money to keep themselves comfort
able. while the poor 20 ,;aryc, the case Is al
tered; it il the onirial who is both the imposior
and the mcndcant
What is the truth Here is a case which was
tried in Philadelphia last week. which may
throw some light on the subject. \ young
woman Liz1y Aaron>cn by name, was brought
before Judge Allison charged with the murder
of her newly born babe. II was proved that her
husband deserted her when she daily expected
the birth of her child. \ woman almost MS
poor as she met her at night, in rags AMI with
out Il penny to buy bread. She saw she was
strnngcr took her 10 her own miserable home
gave her something 10 eat, gave her under
clothing and dress. and kept her Tor two or
three days She bought some muslin, and nj
night they both made clothes for the child.
This woman took her to Il wealthy lylng-ln
charity. and told them the time of her trouble
WAS at hand. that she had neither friends, home
nor money, but they refused to take her IN UNI
less she could show marriage certificate ana
nay 50 a week. Although married she had no
certificate. She took her to another hospital
and was told to take her to the Almshouse.
The Almshousc would not receive her because
she was married She tried one great hospital
and charity after another, but the doors of all
were closed because their rules did not permit
them to take women in that condition."
Home Mission refused TO give her a ticket tO
follow her husband to this city, because their.
rules required the payment of one dollar
Three times the wrctchcd creature fell in the
street from weakness that winters day while
going from thc barred door of one organized
charity to another. At last, craged by despair,
She left the poor woman who had cared Tor her
and wandered through the streets. Another
woman saw her and gave her fifty cents for
nights lodging. ut was showing this girl
testifics, @and very cold. The sOles were OF OF
Iizzy's shoes, and she had no stockings" On
the night the child was born she mot Lizzy
again in the street she was very i'll she babe
her wait until she would try and get some
smoney for her; but when she came back she
was gomez Why, it may be asked, in the great
city full of wealthy Christian people, was this
woman left TO the charity of women ~ wretched
rs hcrself2 Because wealthy Christians are
taught to turn from street beggars and to give
their aims only through organized societies for
REFRESHING mendicancy." She took shelter in
garnet. There her child was born, and in tho
morning was found on the roof of n shed, where
she had thrown II, God knows with what mad
rage of soul against the world into which she