The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1886-05-03
CAUSES AND CURE OF PAUPERIsM.
An Inheritance from the Distant Past-The
Elberfeld System of Public Charity.

Special to the Indiana boiis journal.
BROOKLYN, May REV Dr. Behrends de-
livered the seventh in his series of discourses on
christianity and Modern Socialism in the Gen.
trail Congregational Church, this evening The
e6ifce was completely filled, end the address
was listened to with the closest attention. The
topic of discussion was "The Historical Causes
of Pauperism, and its Cure" DR.. Behrends said:
The pauperism of our time is the Inheritance
OF a distant past Thousands of years have been
busy IN producing it. 1t must therefore, De
studied in its historical as we'll as its personal
and social causes There are four of them The
pagan degradation of labor, the medieval canon
lzation OF poverty, the frequent and destructive
wars OF modern Europe and the mischievous,
though weil-meaning public policy of England
In dealing with the poor. Classical antiquity
was pervaded by profound and universal con-
tempt for labor Thousands OF omen were
the hangers-on of political aspirants, and
were maintained at their expense. 1t
is estimated that in Ccero's time II per cent of
the population of Rome was supported at public
expense and this nrnnortion increased nearly
threefold by 20 B. c. Caesar is reported to have
found 800 900 names the public rolls emitting
each one to fifty pounds of bread per month.
This was the burden of distress to whose relief
the church was summoned The care of the
poor became her great practical task. Nobly
and generously was the call met But the policy
was mistaken one. Poverty was canonized.
The beggar was looked upon as saint, and the
monasteries became the almshouses of the Mid
die Ages. Almsgiving became indiscriminate
and was declared to possess the power of expiat-
ing sin. 1t was preached from a thousand pull
pits that no man had right to more than what
sufhced for his necessary wants, that the super
auous was the birthrght of the needy. that the
only use of wealth was to give it away. that the
poor man begs for his own, that poverty was the
| higher moral condition. that Christians should
labor by gifts and grants and aims to restore and
| make permanent the original equality. The
charity was heroic in its temper and unmeasured
| in its gifts, but it increased and made more
chronic the disease it sought to cure, and still
suffer from the effects of the mistaken policy.
When at last a brighter day dawned and Europe
| entered upon the new era of political and eco
nomlc reconstruction, breaking the chains or me-
dieval servtude the dogs of war were let loose
| upon the struggling nations. The Thirty Years
War sealed Germany's doom, leaving it an in
dustrial waste, and Bismarck affirms that she is
| three hundred years behind in the race. The
campaigns of Frederick the Great and of Napo
| leon ravaged the continent from the sea to the
mountains. England alone, by her comparative
isolation, was saved from the general fate of Eu
rope. and the scepter of industrial supremacy
| easily passed into her hands. But England had
her curse of mendicancy, and when she came to
graphic with it the alternate cruelty and laxity
of her policy brought her to the brink of ruin.
The poor law has been called Englands plague
spot, ana ner pauperlSm mas Deen Lne despair
of her statesmen for nearly three hundred years.
Up to 1901 the beggar was treated a criminal
hung upon conviction for the third offense. Then
came the famous poor law of Elizabeth, which
compelled the able bodied pauper to work or to
to starve. The work-houSe test was abolished
in 1885, and the nation fully committed itself to
the policy of outdoor relief This was followed
by legislation, fixing the minimum of wages to
which laborer should be entitled,
and providing that the deficiency should
hn do A1t nf fhn fao
Employers took advantage of this to
force down wages. Pauperism became a re-
mumerative employment. The honest worker
was laughed at as fool. The rates went up
from So 600 900 in 100 to nearly SAC, 600 600 in
1917. The country was on the verge of bank
ruptcy. The recipients grew more clamorous
each year. The rates amounted to a confsca-
ton OF the soil, which threatened in few years
to consume Its entire market value. Finally, the
reform act of 1884 restored the law of Elizabeth;
checking the further growth of the evil and paw
ing the way to its wiser treatment The princi-
pie of the new law is that the condition of the
pauper ought to be, on the whole, less eligible
than that of the independent laborer Neither
money nor goods were to be given. to be spent or
consumed by tine poor in their own homes. 1t
was to be the almshouse, the Jail, or nothing.
But the measure was altogether too drastic.
The surgery seems barbarous. and the policy of
compromise continues. The law remains, Civ
ing everyone over sixty years of age claim to
public support and authorizing out door relief in
case of accident or sickness. These impose an
annual tax of $40, 900. 900. England's experience
emphasizes ths necessity of abandoning the
policy of outdoor relief. Where this has been
tried suffering has resulted. No coal should
be given, no rents be paid, no food provided,
out of funds levied by general taxation. No
man has claim upon state help. Let the state
care for the n-door dependent poor, in aims
houses and asylums, and relegate all the rest to
organized private charity. But the charity
must be organized. 1t must cease to be inds-
criminate and impersonal Relief must
be prompt, adequate, and Withdrawn as
speedily as possible. That will require
persistent visitation. Elberfeld, in Germany,
may be said to have led the way lin the new de-
parture The recipient of aims is closely ques-
toned as to his family, what property be mas, the
work he has done and can do He loses his civic
rights. He may not keep dog nor attend
place of public entertainments He must take
the work that is offered him. He is visited ev-
cry two weeks, and his allowance brought to
him, when he is gently and firmly advised I'm
der this system pauperism was reduced 67 per
cent. in twenty years. The charities organ
iZations, the associated charities of England
and OF our country, introduced here in the year
1877, proceed upon this policy. The system aims
at registry personal visitation, the search for
relatives who disposed to evade their obliga-
tions, relief with view to work, and constant
supervision-in word, to make every township
and ward at Eberfeld, where intelligent men
and women shall become personally acquainted
with the suffering poor whom they seek to help.
Society must touch the leper he is to be healed
---EB>-
Baseball
LOUISVILLE, May 1.-THE Cincinnati club
hit Ramsey hard to-day. and, aided by the loose
fielding of the Lousvllles. easily won. Umpire