The Donaldsonville chief. [volume] (Donaldsonville, La.) 1871-current, 1882-01-28

Philanthropy Run Mad-The Rich Looked
After and the Poor Forsaken-Little Cor
rinne and the Dougherties-Cs Oscar Wilde
and the Creme de la Creme-A Worthy
Minister'S Good Luck-WaH Street, Etc.
NEW YORK, January 81, 1882.
EDITOR CHIEF: ...
1t is only few years ago since society
was formed in New York for the preven-
ton Of cruelty to children. We had long
been blest with Il society for the preven-
tion Of cruelty to animals, thanks to the
bravo and humane heart of Henry Bergh
and the liberal gift Of Louis Bonard,
whose beautiful tomb i'll Greenwood will
bear the memory Of his merciful deed
down to tho remotest ages. But, as l
said, incited by this noble example, it
occurred to few humane citizens that
possibly a human creature, having an
immortal soul, was worth as much con-
sideration as horse or pig and, after
time, Society for the Prevention Of
Cruelty to Children was formed. The
idea was noble one; all over this city
were children whose lives for years were
one long and bitter curse. Abused by
drunken parents from the hour of their
births, they were cast out among the hu-
man driftwood of the streets to sink or
swins as the case might be, OF perish,
uerchance, for men forsook them and
they never heard Of God; they were the
Ishmaels of society, their hand was
against every man and every mans hand
was against them. 1t was this particu-
lar class that the society was formed to
protect-the friendless, the forsaken. and
the outcasts; the children of drunken
depraved and criminal parents, who were
likely to como to an evil end. There
| were little Italian slaves imported by
cruel padrones whose lives were passed
| in the lowest depths of human misery.
The different asylums and charitable in
stitutions contained an army of 10000 of
| these miserable waits. A single police
| Judge had committed during his term
| over 1890 and another considerably more
than 1000. In a number Of cases whole
| families Of children had been thrown
| upon the charge Of the city, while both
| parents were serving their terms i'll pris-
on for drunkenness. By some means
which has never been fully understood,
the society got its charter so enlarged
that it was really made the supervisor
Of every mans family, and without its
! consent father or mother, no matter
J what their moral character might be,
would have no voice i'll the disposition
Of their children. The position Of the
society was brought into bold relief by a
circumstance which occurred in this city
| last week. A wretched Irish family was
discovered in the vilest part of the city
known as Helrs Half acre. they We're
! in 8 state of the most frightful destitu-
tion; the father lay in one corner dying
/ of consumption on a wretched pile OF
| straw, and near him lay his wife in a
beastly state Of intoxication, she having
parted with the last article of furniture
for drink. Five miserable children-one
Of them an infant at the breast-were
starving and freezing in the shocking
den when discovered by the police. The
woman was arrested and placed in cell
with a lot Of female tramps. When the
cell door was opened in the morning she
lay dead upon the floor. They vent te
inform the husband who, when i'll health
was 4 worthy and industrious man, o
the fate of his wife, but they found hin
dead. and tie next day they were inferred
in Potter's Field. The Society for thu
Prevention of Cruelty 10 Children neve
heard of the case till the mischief wa