The Bolivar bulletin. [volume] (Bolivar, Hardeman County, Tenn.) 1865-1888, 1883-04-05
Brother Gardner's idea of Charity.

alas faH," said Brother Gardner, as
he gazed down upon Elder Toots in
paralyzing way, 6 made some remarks
upon the subiick of charity. 1t seems
dat my posishun was misunderstood, an
dis evenin' hope TO make it plain.
"De Good Book speaks OF charity
thousand times, am big sheer of de
people believe dat de word as used in
de Bible means dat we mus open our
purses to de pool In de fust place,
airnestly believe dat de charity of de
Bible means loOkin' lightly upon de
faults of our feler-men. 1t means dat
we must obeTlOok, excuse an forgive.
Charity cOvereth a multitude Of sins!
Does dat mean a loaf of bread passed
outer de kitchen doah to a beggar, or
does it mean dat ne 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 lie
Bible means adm de poo. If l arm
ten shiIlings day an work in cold an
heat an rain-if my wife economies
an l am keerful-if we 90 slow an
dress widin our means an manage to
lay up a few dollars, what man or wO-
man on airth has de right to tell US dat
/ mus pass any part of my savin's out
TO people who am poo frew their own
fault? Whar' / have worked they have
lOafed. Whar' | have pinched dey have
squandeTed. Wharf / have denied my
self dey have cut loose wild free hand.
"Dar' am not an able bodied man in
America who can't airn sufficient to
board, clOthe and school a family of six
and send his wife to church on Sundays.
OAR am not a wilder in dis kentry who
can arm at least a dollar a day at some
Occupashun. Dar' am not an Orfan who
has de shadow of right to ask any
man fur nickel
sour public charities am so many
frauds upon taxpayers. l defy de most
ardent philanJhrOpist in dis kentry to
show me one case whar' a city poo
fund dealt out to paupers has lifted any
body above akin agin. De city which
raises de moas' money has de mOas'
paupers. Figgers prove it, an yet
philanthrOpiSts won't admit dat it
proves anything.
''Let me start out to morrow an han
FIVE dollars each to one hundred solicit
ors of charity an how many would have
a dollar left by night. At least half
would spend a portion for beer, whisky
or tobacco, and not twenty of de lot
would buy wood, flour or clothing.
''He who gives to a tramp encoUr-
ages loaferism, thieving an a dozen
crimes"
''He who gives to man or woman able
to walk de streets am a supporter Of
vice an idleness."
"Dat's whar' | STAN on de one
side of de queshun of charity, an each
passin' day turns up sOmethin' to con
vince me dat | am correct. But now
whom do feel fur, an to whom kin l
give? If [ assist an able-bOdied man to
arm his own bread, dat am charity. If
l kin prevail upon a father who am
wastin' his money in drink or at cards
to put it into his family, dat am charity.
If my poo naybur loses his horse l have
a five-doIlar bill fur him. If he loses a
child | have ten. If he breaks a leg or
an arm I'll sheer my meat an taters
an wood wild him until he kin work
agin. If a father falls sick an has
muffin ahead my kind o charity chips in
fur a shake-purse to pull him frew. If
stranger comes among us an am i'll
let us make him well. If fire or flood
devastate n section, let US send relief. If
a wilder am left helpless let US fill her
coal bin an flour-bar'l.
''In twenty wears America has raised
up a class 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 corners
an prowl frew alleys-whO add moth
ing except to illiteracy an vice, an she
has raised 'em up by her system of mis-
taken charity. PhilanthrOpists may
squirm an women make wry faces, but
de preachins of de one an dc sympa-
thies of dc Odder have made de word
charity synonymous wild Vice and Wick
edness. Let us now assault de usual
programmY. ''-DctrOit Free Press.