Butler citizen. [volume] (Butler, Pa.) 1877-1922, 1881-02-09
Correspondence of BUTLER CITIZEN.
THE AIMS HOUSE QUESTION


Correspondence of BUTLER CITIZEN.
THE AIMS HOUSE QUESTION
MEssRs. EDITORS AS for further
reasons why l am in favor of a county
aims house, would say:
A. The maintenance of the poor
should have respect to the proprieties
and decencies OF civilized society.
That person has become indigent
is no reason why he or she should be
subject to contemptuous or indecent
treatment. The tendency of society
though it is not creditabe-is to look
down upon the poor at any rate, and
when one has become dependently poor
that tendency is increased. There is
not pauper in any district in this
county, nor is this county an exception
that is treated with the same cour-
tesy and consideration that he received
before he became a pauper, no matter
''what the cause that made him poor
Or why he help demands"
The very fact that he is ''on the town.
ship" or borough stamps him, in the
estimation of many with kind of in
fanny nor is the case modified if the
pauper is female. Does any one
know the taunts and insults they re-
ceive if they go abroad alone even on
the public highway?
Some of them have places where
they are respected and protected
many others live where they receive
no regard and where they are often SUBJ
ject to insult and even violence and if
they are reckoned as week minded.
which is often the fact, their case is
more pitiable and intolerable.
A properly conducted aims house is
a refuge for them and its precincts give
them latitude enough for exercise and
recreation with all the security and pro-
lection they, need.
5. The maintenance of the INDECENT
poor should not be without some pru-
dent regard to their spiritual welfare.
l will venture the assertion, that in
securing places for the poor, as it now
is, no respect at all is had to their
spiritual interests. The matter is to
find them places as cheaply as possible
and that is about the only matter. l
will not say that an absolutely bad
family would be preferred simply be-
cause it made the lowest bid but do
say and insist that the price of the
keeping is the principal thing, and if
. l- Co. s1xr hn 1nxrynCt hid Ic
notoriously irreligious the lowest price
settles the place.
Even if the family is religious there
are, in many instances, many reasons
in their estimation, why it is not suita-
BILE for their charge to attend church,
or ifit is some distance to church it is
easy to frame reason why it is not
convenient to convey their charge thith-
er and then in many cases such poor,
knowing that they are paupers, become
SO diffident that they will not attend a
place of public worship atall. Iwould
not force religion upon them and yet
they must be cared for spiritually and
should have such opportunities as are
suited to their circumstances and con-
dition.
In an aims house properly regulated
there is not only suitable provision
made for the bodies but also for the
souls of the inmates That religion
at whose instance they are cared for
is commen ded as worthy of their at
tention, and that Christ who came to
preach the gospel to the poor, is COM
mended as their best friend, which is
certainly not only appropriate, but also
right.
6. The maintenance of the INDECENT
poor should have respect to their hu-
name treatment in case of sickness. and
to their decent interment in the event
of death.
l will not allege anything against
the present system on this count; not,
however, because | cannot; but L
will say that only in well regulated
aims house can the poverty stricken,
suffering, dying and dead ones have
that attention, treatment and care that
they should have under the peculiar
circumstances that surround them.
| speak of a well regulated, well
conducted aims house, of course. We
do not advocate any other; and this
reminds me, Mr.. Editor, that in an
editorial note in your paper of the 10Th
ult, you say: whether or not a
county poor house or farm would be a
benefit TO the poor and saving to the
county, would depend entirely upon
how it is established and how it is
managed"
The two principal things involved
in this question you state correctly to
be : l. The benefit to the poor, and 2,
the saving to the county. The former,
/ think | have established 1t certain
ly would be benefit to the poor, and
such a benefit too as in all charity,
humanity and justice the poor should
have. The matter of the saving to
the county, | have not especially
argued and until | can procure suffi-
cient data | cannot argue it as | wish !;
but that the benefit to the poor and
the saving to the county depend upon
how it is established and managed, is
matter that is self evident; though
l cannot see why Butler county can
not find Commissioners who can es-
tablish and manage an aims house in
such a way as to make it, in both
these respects, a complete success.
The saving to the county, with your
leave. | NAV consider at another time
HUMANITAs. .
THE SENSE OF SPACE.-At recent
meeting of the French Society of Bio