The Worthington advance. [volume] (Worthington, Minn.) 1874-1908, 1883-08-30
OLIVER ~ iST.
Charles Dickens's Success In ImproV
ing the low Jewish Quarters OF

Charles Oickens'e Success In ImprOv
ing the low Jewish Quarters OF
London.
When "Oliver Twist" was published,
tho leading Jews were 40 MORALLY
ashamed of the picture drawn by the
popular novelist Of Fagin and the low
Jewish quarters in London that they
formed themselves at once into an or.
ganization to remedy 80 disgraceful a
state Of things. A writer in the Con.
temporary Review says: The numbers
to be dealt with amounted to those of a
popnlous town, with the additional diff
ticulty afforded by immigrant Jews ar.
irving in large numbers from the con.
tinent in a state ofgreat destitutjon The
ing relief was undertaken by volunteer
workers., assisted by skilled officers.
and was not in the steam pig.kilhng
style, but patient and exhaustive, With
true human brotherhood; in deserving
cases the relief given was sufficient to
make guardians hair stand on end,
but was given with view of helping the
man to means ofslivelihood. Especial
ly this wise iberallty was shown in the
treatment of their widows. While Mr..
Peek had no better suggestion to offer
than that the widows children should
be removed to the pauper l)arrack
schools, to herd with the lowest chill
dren Of casuals, q system which Mr..
Peek himself strongly condemns, the
Jews recognized that the mother, II
well-conducted. was the proper person
to have the care of them, and that her
place was at ho g. They therefore, either
provided these widows with indoor work,
or, when that was impossible, relieved
item on sufficient scale to enable them
to look after their children at home; the
consequence being that instead of feed
ing the outcast class, as the neglected
children of our widows to o often do they
grow up productive and we'll conducted
members ofthe community. II however,
lief was steadily refused until they con-
sentel to live a human life, assistance
bel ng given to move to larger tene-
ment. By these wise and thoughtful
methods in the course Of single gener
alton the Jews haye worked up the pe0-
pie from a considerable lower level to
one decidedly above our own. To be
sure, the Jew does not drink. Give the
most destitute Jew S. down and at the
end of the year you shall End him .
small capitalize, having considerably de-
spoiled the Egyptians meanwhile. But
the intempersnce of our people is large
ly caused by oveicrowding, and by their
amusements and recreation-rooms being
in the hands Of those who make their
profit not by the entertainment but BY
the drink traffic, and indefinite improve
ment may be brought about by wiser
regulations that have the good of the
people, and not the fattenin9 OF public
ans and brewers, at heart. surely the
success of the Jewish and Elberfield Of.
forts proves that the problem OF the re.
'iuction of pauperism and the inducing
of healthy hai'its Of thrift and self.
helping in the people is soluble, and
with that army of devoted christian
workers in our midst to whose untirino
efforts we owe it that social disaster has
not already overtaken US, it must be
possible for US to carry on the same i'm
provement, If Birmingham Or ono Of our
public spirited towns would lead the
way. <--er-z-e~