Union County courier. [volume] (Elk Point, Union County, D.T. [S.D.]) 187?-1913, 1883-06-20
Brother Gardner on Charity.


DE Good Book snecks 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
purses to de poo! In dc tust place. |
1irnestly believe dat de charity of DO
Bible means lookin' lightly upon de
faults of our feler-men. 1t means dat
we mast .oberlook, excuse an forgive
Charity covereth multitude of sins.
DOES dat mean a loaf OF bread passed
outer de kitchen 'ioah TO beggar, or
does it mean dat lie who oberlooks de
faults of others shall have some of his
own condoned? ] hold to de latter.
''But let us adm. dat de charity Of
de Bible means adm dc poo. If
airn ten shilliugs day an work in cold
an heat an rain--if my wife economic
es an l am keerful-if we go slow an
dress widin our means an manage to
lay up few dollars, what man or We
man on airih has de right to tell me dat
| mus pass any part of my sayin's out
10 people who am poo fres their own
fault? Whar' | have worked they have
ioafed. Whar' / have pinched day
have squandered. Whar have denied
myself dey have eut loose via free
hand.
Oar am not an able bodied man in
America who cant arm sufficient TO
board, clothe and school family of six
and send his wife to church on SUNDAYS.
Oar am not wider in dis kentry who
can't arm at least dollar day at
some occupasnun. Oar am not an or
fan who has de shadow Of right to
ask any man fur nickel.
''Our public charities am so many
frauds upon taxpayers. De $4,000
raised by tax in Detroit falls into de
hands OF people who have no bizness
wild one shillin' Of it, Il goes to drunk
ards an oilers an pretenders, who
make it duty to live upon charity from
one y ar to anoder. Idefy de most ard
ent philantlfopist in dis kentry to show
me one case whar' city poo fund dealt
out to paupers has lifted anybody above
akin agin. De city which raises de
moas' money has dc moas' paupers.
Figgers prove it, an yet phlanthropists
won't admit dat it proves anything.
Let me start out tomorrow an haI
s. each to 100 solicitors of charity an
how many would have dollar left by
nightp At least half would spend u
portion for beer. whisky or tobacco,
and not twenty of de lot would buy
wood, flour or clothing.
'He who gives to tramp encourages
loaferism, theving an Il dozen crimes.
'Hc who gives to il4aE or woman
able to walk dc streets am supporter
of vice an idleness.
Oats whar stan on de one side of
de queshun of charity. an each passin'
day turns up somethin' to convince me
dat l am casrect But now whom do l
feel fur, an to whom kin ] giye9 Ii
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 it
into his family, dat am charity. Ii my
poo naybur loses his horse l have a So
| bill fur him. If he loses child have
| ten. il he breaks leg or an arm I'll
sheer my meat an taters an wood wid
him until he kin work agn. Ii father
! falls sick an has muffin ahead my kind
o. charity chips in fur shake purse to
pull him frew. If stranger comes
among us an am i'll let us make him
| well. Ii fire or flood dcvastates a sec
ton, let us sera relief Ii q wilder am
lett helpless let us fiji her eoal bin an
tiodr bari.
"in twenty years America has raised
up class numberin' tens Of thousands
Who sliirk 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 ew stsleys--who add nothing ex-
cept tt illiteracy an vice, an she has
raised 'em up by her system OF mistaken
charity. Pnilanthropists may squirm
an women make wry faces. but de
preachips of de one an ,ae sympathies
| of dc odder have made de word charity
synonymous wild Vice and Mickedness.
Let US now assault de usual program
| my. Detroit Free Press.