The clarion. [volume] (Jackson, Miss.) 1883-1888, 1884-05-21
Justice and Generosity.

Ii is one OF the strange INCONSISTENCIES
of human nature that men prefer
to do good through the medium OF ben
evidence rather than through that of jas
tice. 1t is not uncommon to find the
seller exeTtiHg every energy to get mo e
than 4 fair price for his goods, and the
buyer putting forth equal efforts to OBJ
tain them for less than their true value,
and vet both subsequently uniting to
found some charitable institution, to
uphold a church, to promote reform,
TO relieve distress. There are men who
will grind the faces of the poor in the
morning in their business, and subscribe
4 good round sum to provide them with
food and shelter in the afternoon There
are women, both wealthy and of mOder-
ate means, who will drive a sharp and
hard bargain, and will only give the
smallest possible sum to those whom
they employ to work for them; yet who
will willingly give far more than they
thus save, when a tale of distress arOuses
their sympathies and excites their pity.
Extended schemes of philanthropy will
readily gain the ear, and secure the aid
of those who can never be prevailed
upon to exercise plain principles of JUS
day affairs of life.
Doubtless it is more attractive to as
sumo the role of benefactor than that of
the simply just man; it is pleasanter to
do faYors than to pay debts, to act out
side ones obligations than to fulfil right
full claims. Then, again, there Is q sort
of tacit assumption that he who does
more than can be required of him must
of course do all that is required, and it
is not hard for one who is in the frequent
habit of benevolent action to persuade
himself that it must involve what he
regards as the lesser duty of simple
Justice.
Whatever be the reasons for such a
course, however, there never was more
mistaken and injurious one. Generosity
is privilege that one has no right to
indulge in as long as he refuses to per-
form a single well deserved act of JUS
ticc. Indeed, we may safely assert not.
only that all men and women should be
lust before they are generous, but that |
they, cannot be really generous before
they are Just. Should we call that man
generous who took the bread that one
100 man had earned for his children
and gave it to another family because
they were hungry? Yet what else does
he do who withholds a Just debt or
takes advantage of mans poverty or
ignorance to obtain from him labor or
goods at less than fair price, and then
bestow such ill-gotten gains upon any
so-ealled benevolent object, public or
private? 1t is not his to bestow, it belongs
to those he has oppressed, and he has no
more right to give it away than he would
have to give away the contents of his
neighbors purse. Without casting the |
slightest shade upon generous impulses /
and charitable enterprises, which indeed |
form a large part of the beauty and ten
derness of life, we still believe that they I
are valuable, only as they coincide with |
and supplement strict integrity, never
when they usurp its place. No amount
of almns-giying can atone for single /
unjust or oppressive act; no hberality |
in one direction can make up for mean /
ness in another, no effort to diminish the |
burdens of life in leisure hours can
absolye man from adding to them in |
his hours of business.
Could the calculation be made as to
what proportion of the charity now re-
q lired and given by community would |
be needless and unealled for if fair and /
Just dealings were observed by all, it |
would reveal some interesting iuforma-
ton. Yet, though this is impossible to
discover in an any given case, it is very
certain that the ratio of the ohe would /
diminish as the other increased very /
much of the distress and poverty that
appeals for aid is caused by various
kinds of injustice, and whoever truly
desires to lessen l. cannot act more
efficiently than in throwing his whole /
energies into the work of securing to
every one his just rights. There is no
help afforded so valuable as that which
promotes self-respeet and Independence
in the one who is assisted, while the
habit of being cheated and receiving
bounty alternately paves the way to
pauperism with all its evils. Surely if I
generosity is anything more than weak
sentimentalism it viii choose rather to
set men on their feet than to keep them
kneeling and suing for aid, and 1t will
rejoice when, by wise and timely effort,
it has rendered any further service I'M
necessary ssfs rsFas
It is not only dealing out justice to
the poor for which We contend. The
whole fabric of society is so thoroughly
interviewer together that whatever
affects any part affects the whole. SIM
pie integrity, simple fairness, simple
justice to poor and rich alike, giving to
each one his rightful dues, striving
neither to oversell nor to underbuy goods E
or labor; mourning no debts that admit
of q possible doubt of being promptly
met, and Turing no one else to do so: in
short carrying out into the daily life the
principle for honesty and fairness is the
very best and most efficient means of
benetiting the community, and the only
foundation ON which to build beneyo.
lence worthy of the name.