New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1884-08-03
TTRNED dDRIFT.

Our Newark news Of Friday contained the
following statement:
Michael sheridan. age ten. was found wandering IN
Oranec-st. scanuy dressed In ragged clothing ana
nearly starved lie ate rayonou.y Of some bread gwen
him. lie told the Police Justice that his home had been
I'm tl,o Italian quarter in Drift-t that his mother was
dead and his father 4t1nly drunk and an not
ufoyide for him. IIc had running sores on hi body
Attcnpt. were made to get him admitted 10 hospital or
some institution mt hc was refused becau'e OF IN" con
a.i1ris nature Of his Addiction. Yesterday the ioce
Justice was compelled to let the boy go adriit in the
streets
/, that the best the civilization Of Newark
could do under the circumstances Here was
an unfortunate child found on the street starry
ing and i'll, homeless. orphaned and helpless;
and even when his pitifu condition was made
known 10 the authorities every door remained
closed against him, and he was turned adrlt
again. 10 suffer TO famish and 10 die like n brute
IN The kennel. What kind of hospitals and IN
stitutions are those at NCwaJl, if this story De
true What kind Of authorities are those VINO
could think they had performed their duty IN
making attempts to obtain shelter and treat
mont Tor the wrrtchcd vaif. aud who could
plHcily turn him out into the streets when
their cf1orts milcd2 II would seem chat III
NcwafE the doctrine of the survival OF the
Gttc-t is carried 10 it, logical conclusion ANA
chat those who have not the capacity ~ sustain
Themselves are lcll tororah. For II mu'l be-
Inferred from the statement cited above thAt
,hc Police jan iicc Who TUNED the boy ad1lt
.,inpo.rd himself to have exhausted his powers
Of irlirl end stance,
The practical outcome is that IN u Christian
community co.r to the chcI city oi iIo N'.
rnllIr ,n nm age which tauula itl humanity und
p,nlr. irclr upon tn tcudcrucen oi heart
little child. br,ru,cd, abandoned, and afflicted
has been Turned like u dog out ol door, refused
nro,.riion and medical aid, aud la the most
deliberate manner cast oil 10y society through
i.. accredited AGENTS. surely thi, viii not bear
rliuLiu, of. For there is not hli-ciylItcd
lr.iu,n nation ON the globe where such cold
MouIcd inhumauity woylj be possible; there
i, not an absolute or dc,potc government
under which 50 cruel and shameless an aban-
Goumcnt could take place. But this case occur
red i'm democracy. where the people are Sovcr-
elm: where. in theory at least, the rights OF
thi. Newark waif before the law are equal to
those of the child of the Wca.thicst ana most
cmncn, citizen
f. ap,elrs that there are parahS among us;
that though we have all manner of hospitals
and refugees and aSylums and benevolent inStl-
tutions. there is at least one place where they
hold a certain class of uniortunates to be liter
ally outside the pale of humanity class
against whose misery, even when displayed IN
the form of a feeble little child, the gates OF
the hospitals shut tight, and the portals OF
phiianthropic establishments are barred In
that one place at least, it is still possible for
child to die of starvation in the streets, with
the full knowledge nay, by the special act, OF
the local authorities. The poor boy mad com
mitt,d the crime Of being born. lie suffered
from an inherited curse. He was too sick and
veal, to attract sympathy. The doctors were
fearful of his complaint. lhc.Polcc Justice
could only thrust him forth again to solve the
dark problem of existence for himself Only
ten wears old. and turned adrift to die Near
a whole city full, home he lad none And
well NAV it be SAID " on for the rarity of Chris
liam charity under the SUM-" when such hideouS
episodes a. this can occur and be coldly and
indincrcntly recorded as mere matters OF TACT,
destitute of significance.
But the rcproach must be wiped out 1t Is
not while the excursions of THE TRIBUNE
Ffesh-Air Fund are proving the depth and cX-
tent of charity and kndlincSs in the hearts OF
the American people that nci@hboung city can
afford to set an example of worse than barbaric
inhumanity If red tape and routine are
answerable they must be brushed aside. There
must be doors opened for the poor little Michael
Sheridan somewhere. Help and mlnistraton
ana comfort must be extended to him. The
pcopc Of Newark must show themselves wiser
and better than their representatives and
agents, and they must yndicatc the spirit OF
the age and the spirit of Christianity by I'M
doing the wrong that has been done to this
helpless little child.