The Stark County Democrat. [volume] (Canton, Ohio) 1833-1912, 1883-05-05
BROTHER GARDNER ON CHARITY


"De good book speaks of charity
thousand times, an big sheer of de
people believe dat de word as used in de
Bible means dat we mus open our puT-
ses to de pool In de fust place | arm
estly believe dat de charity of de Bible
means lOOkin' lightly upon de faults of
our fellOwmen. Ii means dat we must
OberlOOk, excuse an forgive. Charity
cOvereth multitude of SINS! Does dat
mean a loaf of bread passed outer de
kitchen dOah to beg gar; or does it mean
dat he who OberlOOks de faults of others
shall have some of his own condOned? l
hold to de latter.
But let us admit dat de charity of de
Bible means aidin' de poo. IL | aiTn
ten shillings a day an work in cold an
heat an rain; if my wife economies an
/ am keeTful; IL we go slow an dress
widin my means an manage to lay up
few dollars, what man or woman on
airth has de right to tell me L mus pass
any part of my sayin's out 10 people Who
am poo frew their own fault? Whar' |
have worked they have lOafed. Whar'
have pinched dey have squandered.
Whar' have denied myself dey have cut
loose wild free hand.
"Dar am not an able bodied man in
America who can't airn enough to board
clOthe and school family of six and
DaT' am not a Widder III dis kentry VINO
can't arm dollar a day at some Occupa-
ton. Dar' am not an Orfan who has de
shadow of a right to ask any mau fur
nickel.
Our public charities am so many
frauds upon taxpayers. DE S25,UOU
raised by tax in Detroit falls into de
hands of people who have no business
wild one shiIlin' of it. 1t goes to drunk
TOM "A H..
make il a duty to live upon charity from
one var to anOder. defy dc most ard
ent philanthrOpist in dis kentTy to show
me one case whar' a city poo fund dealt
out to paupeTs has lifted anybody above
akin agln. De city which raises de-
mOas' money has de mOas' paupeTs.
FiggeTs prove it, an yet philanthrOpists
won't admit dat 1t proves anything.
LET me start out tomorrow an han
So each to 100 solicitors of charity an
how many would have dollar left by
night? At least half would spend pOr-
tiOn for beer, whisky or tobacco, and
not twenty of de lot would buy wood,
flour or clothing.
"He who gives to tramp encourages
IOaferism, thieYing an a dozen crimes
He who gives to mar or woman able
to walk de streets am supporter of vice
an idlenesS.
L
de queshun of charity, an each passin'
day turns up sOmethln' to convince mt
da' L am correct. But now whom do
feel fur an to whom kin l glvep If l
assist an able. bodied man to arm his
own bread dat am charity. If l kin
prevail upon father who am wastin'
his money in drink or at cards to put IL
into his family, dat am charity. Ii my
poo naybur loses his horse L have So
Dill fur him. If he loses child L have
ten. If he breaks leg or an arm I'll
sheer my meat an tateTs and wood wild
him until he kin work agin. If a father
falls sick an has muffin ahead my klnd
o. charity chips in fur shake purse to
pull him frew. If a stranger comes
among us an, am ill let us make him
well. If fire or flood deVastates a section,
let us send relief. If widder am lefl
helpless let us fill her coal bin an flour
bari.
''In twenty years America has raised
I'D a class numberin' tens of thousands
who shirk work, who make saloons pay,
who have dubbed the number of police
and jails an prisOns-who steal, rob
and Tavish-whO intest street corners
an prowl frew alleys-whO add nothing
except to illiteracy an vice, an she hae
raised 'em up by her system of mistaken
charity. PhilanthrOpistS may squlrm
an women make wry faces, but de
preachins of de one an de sympathies
of de Odder have made de word charity
synonymous wild Vice and Wickedness.
Let us now assault de usual program
my."-DetrOit Free Press.