Martinsburg herald. [volume] (Martinsburg, W. Va.) 1881-1920, 1886-04-10
For THE HERALD.
h e Truth Has No Terrors for the
Just.

~--D
Just.
Editors Herald Will you please
allow me through your columns to
answer an article in the Statesman of
April 1st, under the head of a Plea
for Truth. The writer seems to have
allowed his temper for the moment
to have overcome his reason. IF he
will please read the article referred to
he will see that there was no whole
sale charge of immortality against
the good people of Berkeley. He
will find that the locality in which
these charges were made was almost
plainly mapped out. / certainly
would be the last one to suppose that
such a state of morals as have de-
picted would be allowed to exist for
one moment in your city of churches,
schools and society. No charge made
by me had any reference to any one
out of the locality described, and in its
limit there are many of as good and
pure people as can be found any
where. Now I will overlook the fact
that the writer charges me with al
most wholesale lying, and if he is in
earnest after his search for Truth l
will overlook his haste and make him
this proposition, that the Editors of
THE HERALD will direct him to my
home and that he will make person
al visit to the homes of these people,
if he is satisfied that ] have exagger-
ated in the slightest particular / will
over my own name, apologize to the
people of the county. l ask nothing
from him but the Truth; if the States
man will publish this much of my re-
ply will be under obligations. One
word more, as to the mention of the
Alms-house in my last article: While
I was one of the signers to the Petit
ton to the County Court asking for a
change in the management of that
institution, nothing in that article was
intended to cast the slightest personal
reflection. The steward has the law
to go by and must receive all whom
the Overseers of the Poor see fit to
send there, no matter what their con-
dition, and as one of the petitioners ]
was more interested in the new sys-
tenn proposed than in the manager.
AS to the County Court, l recognize
the fact that we have the right to pc
tition; they the right to accept or
reject, and that we as good citizens
must accept all of their decisions in
good faith. / would not have men,
toned the Honorable Court but that ]
honestly and sincerely believe that
except in very rare cases, every dol
lar granted as outside help to paupers
helps to pauperize whole communities
and encourages the vice of which j
wrote. In last years statement OF
county finances find that while the
county is charged with $4,000, not
counting the products Of the Aims
house Farm for the support of the
Alms-house, the county is charged
$4,000 for outside support to paupers.
In my humble judgment it would be
better to spend the whole of it at the
Alms-house. My only object in bring.
ing this matter to public notice is to
see if nothing can be done to help re.
claim at least some of these unfortu-
mates. Go among them and see the
influences by which they are sur
rounded and shudder for those who
are left to their care. Surely no one
can blame a physician for telling a
patient of some insidious disease
which is eating into his system; nei-
ther do think that any paper ought
to be blamed for telling the truth, nc
matter by whom it is told. In your
fair city you can chose whom you will
have to serve in your household, and
none but the virtuous are admitted to
your kitchens for help; but the over.
worked wives of the farmers in the
country, when the busy
seasons come have to take such help
as they can get, no matter what their
character is; and in so doing they
have to bring their children into di.
rect contact with the vicious. There
is an old saying about handling pitch
and can we bring this class into on.
homes and watch over and protect
our children from their influences.
hope that some way can be shown by
which at least the young can be re-
| claimed and those who are grown
hard in vice may be restrained
Thanking you, Messrs. Editors, for
your courtesy, l shall wait with due
patience the result of Truths defen.
der accepting my proposition,