Arizona silver belt., 1883-03-24
THE LlME-klLN CLUB.
DessAer GarAner's Dissertation Q,
 Charity.

Deosher GarAner's Dissertatlon on
 Charity.
 From the Detroit Free Press.
 "Las' fall," said Brother Gardner as he gazsd down upon Elder Toots in 9 paralyxing way, "I made some remarks upon de subjick of charity. It seems dat my posishun was misunderstood, an dis svenin' I hope to make it plain.
 "Ds Good Book speaks of charity a thousand times, an big sheer of de people believe dat de word as used in de Bible means dat we mus open our purses to the poo! In de fust place, Iairnestly believe dat de charity of de Bible means lookin' lightly upon de faults of our feller-men. It means dat we must oberlook, excuse an forgive. Charity coversth a multitude of sins! Does dat mean . loaf of bread passed outer de Kitchen doah to a bsggar, or does it mean dat he who oberlooks de faults of others shall have some of his own condoned? I hold to de latter.
 "But let us admit dat de charity of dc Bible means aidin' de poo. If l airn ten shillings day an work in cold an heat an rain--if my wife economies an I am keerful-if we go slow an dress widin our means an manage to lay up few dollars, what man or woman on airth has de right to tell me dat mus pass any part of my savin's out to people who am poo frew their own faultp Whar' I have worked they have loafed. Whar' I have pinched dey have squandered. Whar' I have denied myself dey have cut loose wid free hand.
 "Dar' am not an able bodied man in America who can't airn sufficient to board, clothe and school family of six and send his wife to church on Sundays. Oar am not widder in dis kentry who can't airn at least dollar day at some occupashun. Dar' am not an brian who has de shadow of a right to ask any man fur nickel.
 "Our public charities am so many frauds upon taxpayers. De $25,000 raised by tax in Detroit falls into de hands of people whe have no bizness wid one shillin' of it. It goes to drunkards an pretenders, who make it duty to live upon chaIity from one y'ar to anoder. I defy de most ardent philsnthropist in dis kentry to show me one case whar' a city poo fund dealt out to paupers has lifted anybody , abow asin agin. Dc city which raises de noas' money has de moas' paupers. Figgers prove it, an yet philanthropists won't admit dat it proves anything.
 "Let me start out tomorrow an han s each to 100 solicitors of chari- ty an how many would have dollar left by night At least half would spend portion for beer, whisky or tobacco, and not twenty of de lot would buy wood, flour or clothing.
 
 "He who gives to tramp encour- ages loaferism, theiving an a dozen crimes"
 He who gives to a man or woman able to walk de streets am supporter of vice an idleness."
 Oats whar' I stan on on de one side of de quoshun of charity, an each passin' day turns up somethin' to con vince me dat l am correct. But now whom do I feel fur, an to whom kin give? If assist an able-bodied man to airn his own bread dat am charity. If I kin prevail upon father who am wsstin his money Tn drink or at cards to put it into his family, dat am char ity. Ifmy poo naybur loses his horse have a s bill fur him. If he loses a child l have ton. If he breaks a leg or an arm I'll sheer my meat an taters an wood wid him until he can work agin. If a father falls sick an has muffin ahead my kind O charity chips in fur shake-purse to pull him frew. fla stranger comes among us an am ill let us mako him we'll. If fire or flood devastates a section, let us send relief. If a:widder am left helpless let us Rll hercoal- bin ami flour bar'l.
 '"In'twsaty years America has raised up Ulass numberin tens of thousands who shirk work. who make saloons pay, who have doubled the number of police and jails an prisons-who steal, rob and ravish-who infest street cor ners an prowl frsw alleys-who add nothing exceptto illiteracy an vice, an she has raised 'em up by her sys- tenn of mistaken charity. Philanthro- pists may squirm an women make wry faces, but de preachins of de one an do sympathies of de odder have made de word charity synonymous wid v;ce and wickedness Let uS pow as-