Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1886-10-30
NATIONAL CALAMITIES AND INDI.
vIDUAL EFFORTS.

NATIONAL CALAMITIES AND INDI
VIDUAL EFFORTS.
Interesting Address of Miss Clara Bar.
ton Before the Charity Organization
Society.
HER EXPERIENCES WITH THE BEaGARs M
wASHfNGToN-wHO MADE THEM BEGG sRs-
THE PROBLEM OF NATIONAL CALAMIrIEs-
THE SIEGE OF sTRAsBURG-woRK VS. AIMS.
Miss Clara Barton, president of the National
Red Cross Society of America delivered an ad
dress at the recent third annual meeting of the
D. T. Charity Organization society," which at
tracted so much attention and is of such i'm
portance as TO justify its reproduction here In
full:
Gentlemen and Ladies':
hho" you VIII be sorry when tell you that
am aggrieved and have a comp plant to make,
ana you VIII be shocked when I further tell
you that 1t 10 against our dear Mrs. Spencer.
The fact Is she has a way of introducing or
Persuadlng me into conferences and meetings
Composed not only OF the most learned persons
VINO can be found, but persons with minds and
interests all concentrated upon some one sub
yect, which they understand rs the engineer
unoerstands has engine-an entire conference
oi experts, and of which subject the first letter
- oianA 10 me; and once there she arranges
Ior me To talk to- those people upon their subject,
concerning which the smallest among them
could teach me-
This is what she did at ST. Paul; this is what
ehe has done tonight. and yet she is herself so
earnest in all she undertakes, and undertakes
so much, and works so hard and so beautifully.
so well, and is withal glorious, and SO
precious TO me, that can never find it in my
heart to deny her anything she asks. Hence
this unfitness OF things at this moment; hence
am here.
/ have never met with your organization,
and felt myself stranger to them, until upon
closer examination 1 begin TO conclude that for
two-thirds OF my life have beef. endeavOring
TO be a charity organization all by myself, and to
he Of
and system.
1t Is over twenty-fiv years since came from
among the thrifty, industrious, wel-kept peo-
pie of central Massachusetts to this city.
THE BkGGARS OF WASHINGTON AND WHO
MADE THEM.
In all my previous life had seen few actual
beggars. The Outstretched palms were new to
me. Little children here followed and crossed
me in the streets, and crossed themselves, and
mumbled about bread and sick mothers and
little sisters. Strong men sat on the street cor
ners and begged "a few pennies, lady, in the
name of heaven never iDtimating why Gin
the name OF heaven" they didn't do something
To earn them. one day helped an old crippled
woman crutches into an omnibus (our ele-
giant streets had not then been muliated by
ear tracks, The good shepherd had not yet
been sent to Us. i gave her some money and
went afterwards To see her long way Oft.
found the same crippled old woman deslitu-
tioL, squaior, two or three young grown daugh-
tiers, out of work, of course, and out of every
thing else but piIiiul stories of want and trou-
BILE. 1 helped and visited them, tried TO advise:
they were as old as in years, in many respects
much older.
looked into their ways of living and doing.
The extravaganza and mismanagement prac-
uced by them. exercised in the proper
tlon To means, would have begSared the richest
family in town.
i tried finding work, giving work, to learn
trades, always giving food and money and in
one way or another 1 had this family on my
hands Tor years such work is accumul;ttive.
L had many other families and individuals in
Charge. Even through the years tried to
carry them on in the little intervals OF time be-
tween battles when 1 could be at home "A few
DAYS. But as grew Older / began to reflect
and TO question my own course. what came OF
II? What was doing for ali these people?
ter, but something worse. / WIS puzzled con.
founded. seened To be creating the very con-
dition of things L was striving so nard to put
away. i began TO doubt well as to question.
Still the old teachings lowered up all ABOUT me.
Faith, hope and charity, and the greatest OF
these Is charity, anu supposed was doing IL.
SO i held To the last virtue with the grip OF {,
martyr; had lost the other two; being smaller
they had slipped out of my hands in spite OF
myself. L frequently followed my proteges to
the lall they wouldn't go 10 the aimshouse and
my course kept them from the necessity OF the
studied my perplexed subject alone I pon-
dered il in the night. 1 unused while tine fire
burned. Others studied and questioned alone
as did. No one had heard OF conferences and
organizations OF CHARITY. These dreaded bodies
OF experts mad not yet formed. Little by little
II dawDed upon me that the giving of money
and OF individual charity such, in civilized
communities, where the ordinary ayocalions
OF Lille were pursued and labor attainable, was
not only needless, tut a wrong and a sin; and not
only moral but Il political SIN; not Only an in
dividual but u national stu, requiring To be re-
pressed and iorbldden by law, III need be- like
any other harmful indulgence.
1t was difficult TO mud some one to do an
honest aid acceptable days work, if you
CHANGED 10 need one; and II was dangerous to
leave your home unmatched while You went to
search TOT heip, ior the proving beggars who
hung ABOUT.
VINO mad created this state of things? Our
selves How nad We done it? By alms-giy-
Ing; and dear knows have done my share
realized that this course of procedure must
come To an end, and IT came to an end in nv
case with the prompt speed OF an enlightened
conscience.
THE PROBLEM OF NATIONAL. cALAMIFIEs.
Blu: there sui remained problem to be
solved. had not covered the entire ground
even in the giving OF material aid. I believed
that in ordinary intelligent and indisturbed
communities there could be ways provided for
all persons physically, mentally and morally
capacitated TO earn their own living, and that
they would DO So If there We're no otuer ways OF
getting IT, For the physically incapaciieu We
had Anus houses and even hospitals: meniauy
aSylums and retreats; morally reiormatories
peniIentissries ana TAILS. And in cases Oh small
disturbances. accidents, local troubles and
losses, resulting in TEMPORARY sutfe. ing, tempo
rary action on Inc part .. the Community won d
DC OF Tue cndSTn tlIi ORDER
ana industry were restored, and no habituai
begsary or vagrancy grow out OF it, and nO
ains-gIving, as sucn, tase place.
But suitable method o. meeting the neces.
sites oil the greater disturbances, the vast and
shocking accIUenls amounting national q is
asterS, for which TO Que Was responsible and mo-
one prepared, quite beyond the means OF focal
AID, It's victims Iuli OF neIplessness and suffer.
Ing, and this perhaps in thousands.
Work and encouragement, anu ways of earn.
ing living, were OF no avail here. The blow
had been sudden and terrible. The relief re.
Quired 10 be as sudden ana perhaps enormous
and honest hearts were required lo administer
IL.
saw the people try TO meet their necessities
as they arose by Raising money in fairs and
asking aims OF every one, weehs and even
months alter the shock nad PASSED away the
famlsneu had starved, the injured died ar re.
covered And OF those " no reIlistited. the means
sent late, uDsustrdeu aud reckIessIy by and 10
any who would take them charge. We're iusi
In the line oi making Migrants OF one portion OF
this already afflicted people, and, possibly dis
honest administrators ol another. And Vet the
pubic and prlVate conscience was apIeased
They had given oI their store, worked nar,i and
faithfully and answered the calls of cIariry and
mercy. Who but themselves were really tine
better for it,
THE SIEGE OF STRASBURG,
carried this problem to Europe with me in
%, 10 that continent which, your circular Sc
aptly quotes, 'an agile person may easily walk
over on oulstretched palms." You may well
believe my problem did not diminish In the
Ranks Of the International Red Cross entered
the city of StrasUury AT it, surrendar How