Clarksville weekly chronicle. (Clarksville, Tenn.) 1873-1890, 1881-01-22

for the bed, their legs We're cut off
If too short, they were stretched Of
sufficient length totitthe bed. When
Il beggar entered the place, every
man gave him penny, but the law
laid severe penalty upon the man
or woman who gave or sold the beg
gar food. Neither was he permitted
to leave the town. When the beg
gar starved to death every man
took back his penny. ] have not
taken this as a text to preach a SER
mon against charity, for "eharity
covereth multitude of SINS when
conducted in "dccency and IN or
der" In any other form it is
''putfed up" and is calculated to do
more harm than good. / firmly be.
lieye there is no place on the habi-
table globe where the people are
more charitably inclined than they
are in GAINESVILLE, and for this rea-
son they are more easily imposed
upon. OvertwO years ago the board
OF mayor and aldermen undertook
to look after the poor Of GAINESVILLE
through the members of the board
and the police. Mayor Ligon4aith
fully looked after the needy, and all
who were worthy were supplied
with fuel and provisions. Messrs..
f. p. Gracey 4 Bro, as they have
for the past ten or twelve years,
contributed supply of coal for this
purpose. The city in the year 1883
contributed $3.50 to the poor. At
the beginning of the present adj
ministratiOn, | am informed, $500
was appropriated to the charity
fund, and the Graceys contributed
several hundred bushels of coal for
charitable purposes. Our worthy
Mayor Crusman, assisted by the po-
lice, has been wide awake, as he
always is where the generous inn
pulses of the man are called into
action, and the poor of GAINESVILLE
have in nowise been neglected. Ev-
cry month of the year bills for pro-
visions, fuel, medicine and, in some
cases, clothing, have been audited
by the board and warrants issued
for their payment. But with some
people there is nothing so entertain
ing as getting up an excitement.
That there are poor outside of
GAINESVILLE who are needing food
and raiment, | have no doubt |
expect the county is full. The pro-
viding for this class should be taken
in charge by the county court. The
people of GAINESVILLE pay tax to the
county for such purposes. 1t was
very commendable in the citizens OF
GAINESVILLE, therefore, to raise by
subscription $400 to supply the poor
outside Of the city. The error, II
there is any, was in the manner in
which the distribution was made.
| do not wish to find fault, but
merely write this communication to
guard against mistakes in the fu-
ture. Helping the poor should be
systematized. Either society
should be formed, with it's commit
tees to hunt out the poor and supply
them with what they need, or a
standing committee on charity
should be appointed by the mayor
for this purpose. If a society is
formed, it should raise a small cap
ital by donations from the citizens,
give respectable concerts, lectures,
scientific exhibitions, or something
of the sort, instructing and elevat-
| ing in their tendency-what the
community sadly needs. Season
tickets should be issued for a course
of lectures and concerts, each bust
ness firm or citizen of means sub
scribing for number of tickets.
Let the committee look after the
poor and investigate each case,
keeping to themselves asa secret
the names Of those they help. There
are many white families In the sub
urbs of GAINESVILLE who would not
take advantage of the scramble and
scuffie around the groceries last
Monday to procure food, because
they do not consider themselves
beggars or paupers. This is no way
to dc charity. The sufferers should
be sought out in their own houses,
and there and then provided for.
The manner of distribution last
Monday was a feast for lazy men
and women and chronic beggars.
FOur-fifths of those who were sup
piled from the charity fund were
unworthy objects. Not long since,
black woman, cooking for one of
our best families, quit work because
her wages were not increased from
50 to $l2 per month. When the
rush began, this high-priced aristo-
cratic cook was the first TO demand
assistance. Some demanded that
the committee send their provisions
home to them. This reminds me of
the fellow who would not take the
corn unless it was shelled. Some
would not take their coffee without
sugar they "took sugar in theIn."
One boy grumbled terribly because
''they sent his mar brown sugar.
Humph ! she never used anything
but white sugar in her coffee" One
wanted dressed turkeys, others
sugar-cured ham, and some would
take no flour unless it WAS the best
brand. Negroes came IN from five
miles around the city, with their
baskets, TO be supplied. One man
of color rented out his farm and
moved into a rented house in the
suburbs, in order to come under
this liberal dispensation of Christian
charity. One negro woman held a
note from a member of the COM
mittee stating that she was worthy
woman, when she had been arrested