Wessington Springs herald. (Wessington Springs, Aurora County, Dakota [S.D.]) 1883-1891, 1884-11-07
THE TRUE RELIEF.

temple gate: II will do better by you
than giving you money. I will heal
your lameness and then you will not.
need to beg The doctrine underly-
ing the narrative is that what man
needs is not an Improvements in his en-
ternal circumstances, but a change in
himself. "Ye must be bonn again" is
the New Testament teaching. The
trouble is in yourselves. Become new
creatures in Christ Jesus. become such
men as you should be, and then all will
be well.
1t is worth noticing that the current
Charity Organization movement is
based on the same general idea. 1t
aims not 10 carry along, O. beggar
as q beggar, bu, to secure such a
change OF conditions that the man
will not need to beg. A philosophical
treatment of the subject of pauperism
is based OH a recognition of the fact
that the great thing needed is q change
in the man himself, so that instead of
being a lazy man, he shall be an indus
trious man.: instead of a spendthrift. a
prudent man. The science OF charity
is based on the idea of the necessity of
a new creation. the need of a.thoroueh
change in the man himself. IT is but
another instance in which practical
worldly wisdom has found itself obliged
to come into the path of Christian phi
losophy. in which the results OF later
study have been anticipated i'm the ut
t%erance of the Scriptures.
The great evils that aftlict the COM
munlty spring from faults in personal
character. Ii all men were. what they
should be, industrious instead CT indo-
tent, temperate instead of dissipated,
v.rtuons instead of vicious, the burdens
OF society would be reduced, to, q mini
mum. A moral community win thrive
under the most Instantaneous cir
cunlstances, while a vicious society will
DC borne down by a weight of evils, no
matter how favorable are its Surround.
ings. From Il winters settlement on Il
rocky coast may spring mighty States,
while colonies planted in palm groves
may remain squalid and weak. The
problem as to the alienation OF the ills
OF society is a moral problem. True
relief Gun come only through q change
II men themselves. The welfare of the
community depends On tha. personal
Many attempts ct wit are made at
giving a starving man, not a loaf of
Dread, but Il tract. Now, in nine cases
out OF ten it is. the tsact-that is. a
moral lntluence--which, the. man most
needs. In most'cases the msn is in suf-
1er!ng because OF deficiencies i'm some
form in himself. Ho,lacks industry. or
lacks prudence,. o lacks some other
personal clement. While this lack re-
mains the man's~case.m ulss continue a
bad one. Help him to-day and he
must be helped a"gainto-u,orrow. Tenn
porary relic may wisely be given while
Il permanent ameliuration is sou~ht,
tor; but, in order that a tT,1a
benefit be done che, man, something
Csc than material relief is needed.
The question whether a boy is going
to succeed in the world is not the oues2
ton whether his, father can 'sset him
up, Oh whether Ne. has influential rela-
yves: 1t IS the question whether the
noy himself is what he should b.. II
he ls-an industrious boy, Il faithful bow.
an aouest boE,. u G~od-fearinp hsy. he
w1lhmake bis w:Hy 10 the world .houoh
ms father can give him nothing but the
paernal Blessing; while, if the. bow is.
de!iclent IN. moral character. he is.
doomed to failure, no matter how much,
he may be. boassered up. \ parents.
''nAle'y regarding a boy should be, not
70 scrape together some mon ~ TO leava.
INN, bua 10 sce that the bows nersC,,aI
cnaracleristlcs are what they should be,
II the seet &nva ankle bones Of his r,,ral
nature ;Ie such that he can starI M
llrih AM s'Feng, the boy will O neesl
an ""'ilt OF silver and gsld.n He, w,N
'aks'eare Oh that matter himself.
And this exalts the work Of rho
preacher of the Gosnsl, of ,he a.ve
scfool teacher, and OF all Others W.,
l'oor; not Tor the malerial, but for the
morai interests of society. The tru,.
relief OF suffering III the commnnitv j.
70 DC attained, not by the distribution
OF sacks OF Pour and loads Of cosl
DDMt BY changes of personal cbaracter
I'D" copper tossed to perjury will be
spent Tor The mea~er supper or ,be
wratchcd bed, and then the sulio,;n"
VIII be the same as before, A hauLfIi
o. So!d VIA give no permanent aid
But when, in the name OF Jesus r, S,u
OF Na9areth, the inward na,,,.n -
changed. there is relief nrrfort "r,, y
anh plOrinnS n y l, SA"Nta