The Cecil Whig., 1881-09-03
OUR ALMS-HOUSES.

Look at them il any light We may, Il
large proportion of the aims-nouScs -.
the country arc the ghastlic5 failures.
The best honses do uot win the pcUr from
pauperism; the worst do ,ioi irfghten
them away. The idle and Vicious paw
per makes shift to indulge his vices, set
his liquor and tobacco and avoid WORK
in the worst alms-houses. The worthy
poor starve quietly rather than enter
them. The large body of paupers, not
altogether depraved, although idle amt
thriftless, have every lingering impuiSe
Of manliness e1tinguished In the aims
house atmosphere. The insane 2ro ,or-
tured in the majority Of alms-houscs and
children are hopelessly corrupted il every
alms-house which keeps them, the best
as well as the worst. Under these cit
cumstances, can we say that our present
system of caring for the indoor paupeI
helps more than it harms the poor: We
spend every year millions of money 10
support system which persecutes the
most worthy class of paupers-a system
which the poor themselves abhor. We
educate the poor man to believc that the
shelter of the aims-bouse is his right,
THE world owes every man llVin%
is the appropriate motto for au ahn.-
house door. The generality OF peorh
will grant that any belief in rights Wh'r''
carry no duties with them is frauglt witt
ruinous consequences in the state; Nt'
this is the belief our system Of charity
directly teaches. And at !he same tIme
that we thus by our laws. from pnlpits,
in our daily journals, persuade the poof
man that the aims we give belong 10 mn
bv right we madden him by the harsh
ness of our giving, What can he done
to helm matters, and who are +" blame
for the present state Of things
In the first place, it is evident that an
aims. house is no place for childrcn1 for
the insane, for epiientics, for idiots. OF
for able-bodied paupers. What shall be
done with these classes excepting tht
last) is the question? 1t will naturally
sugpest itself TO most people that h\
building cottages instead OF palaces i"i
the insane the State may be aoic 10 care
for a greater number. By using the Ia
bor of the insane it may care Tor them ~
less expense. As for the able-podlcd pau
ners there is no reason why they ahouFt
be supported in idlcncss. Ihe~ sPne''
is in the work-house not the aims-hon'r.
In the second place, thorough Sy>-
tenn of classification Of inmates IS de-
maudcd. The need for this has already
been made plain. The inmates Shout"
be classified, not only with regard to sex
and age. but with regard 10 behavior.
In the third place, disciple can he moIe
effectually maintained by the deprivation
of privileges than by the intiiction OF pen
alties: it is better. for instance. 10 tie
priye worn-out old creatures oi Their 10
bacco than 10 heat them or lock them "i'
in the dark.
In the fourth place. the labor OF the
paupers should be used. Although no
able bodied inmates are supposed 10 he
allowed in the reformed alms-house, ii
by no means follows that the inmates
shall not work; on the contrary, light
occupation is good for their minds AMI
their health BY giving them small
proportion of their earnings their cn-''T%-
ration could readily be secured.
In the fifth place, buildings should h
erected or repaired for these ends. and
keepers should be chosen because OF their
fitness for the position, moi TO gIathN
political henchmen or to save few hun
dred dollars salary.
And in the sixth place, local govern
ment. unmolested, having proved most
disastrous failure there should be Yigor-
Gus inspection of alms-houses by some
central authority: and the entire manage
ment of charity should he taken ont o1
politics. At present, III our large cities
| the offices in aims houses are part Of the
spoils of victorious party. The sam"
abominable system prevails in the c"un-
| ties.
These suggestions make no claims T."
originality; they have come to most e.N-
perienced alms-house keepers and direct
ors, and their substance may he found i'll
almost any report es the VARIOUS Boards
af Charities.