The Bozeman weekly chronicle. (Bozeman, Mont.) 1883-1889, 1886-05-12

not of sympathy, with the standing army of
enforced idlers, most of whom are so anxious
for any sort of remunerative occupation
that they count the eiver of it a bene-
factor. They might thea cease to consider
/ the applicant for labor in the light of
a transgressor, if not a criminal. Il
may he that such an applicant is suspected of
haste to grow rich, and excites prejudice ac-
cordingly. We are ever berating the class
that won't work, and when confronted by
any representative of the class that asks for
work we are prone to turn upon him as upon
an enemy of our peace and purse How in
fnitely are they to be pitied whose hard lot
conpels them to beg the privilege of TOLL
And wha a host of them there is in every
cityl
If those who want to work and those who
want work done could only be brought to-
gether, one of tha most difficult problem, in
political economy would lie solved There
are exchanges and associations of thi, kind
alread. and they are beneficial too; but
they are limited in character and partial in
their operations. What is needed is an insfi-
tuition of vile scope where every man.
woman and child, worthy and carable, can
find such employment as they are fitted for.
IN
beeet with difficulties AMI dqnger Every
enlightened nation has struggled with the
question: What shall we do with the poor?
Of these there will inevitably be large pro-
portion in every community How can they
be permanently helpsd? Benevolent ESSAYS,
whenever and wherever made have proved
that money given, but not earned, does not
benefit the receiver True charity demands
an equivalent in return. Without such re-
turn tie roo: degenerate into paupers and
paup ri IN. once fixad becomes incurahle
Indiscriminate giving produces evil rather
than good, because it defeats The very end
which charity seeks to attain But when a
man asks for work it is unfair to infer that
he is insincere. 1t is very easy to ascertain
whether he is or not and the presumption
should be in his favor In nineteen cases
out OF twenty at the least, he or She who
says he wants employment means exactly
what he says, and should he taken Mt his
word To be anxious for work and TO So
licit it in vain, day after day, week after
week. must have a demoralizing effect on
anybody. Is it strange thsts experience.
so very common, turns ministry ard integ-
rity into idienesS and depravity? Is it not
likely that many mendicants, vagabonds,
tramps and thieves are made in this way?
Nobody can be blamed for not employing
any one of the hundreds and thousands Of
the unemployed to be seen in every city. IT
is only now and then that employment can
be found But anybody and everybody
Who ph'51;si are 81 strnaggM s M u Ta lesntiSf
by any means whatever II we mould re-
member that the men women and children
who may annoy or bore us by an application
for work, o. a request TO buy something q
except, of course, those who offer trifes as
an excuse for begqary> are only trying to
live, and that the hard task imposed on them
is made much harder by ude expulsion, we
would he more careful of their feelings than
we often are We are APP to think they have
no feelings, or that they have no right
thereto 1t would be better for them if they
had not, and they are surely treated in way
to render them callous But pemlry, strug-
gle and SUFFERING do not destroy humanity as
wealth, easH and power do The kindness of
the poor to the poor, their readiness to assist
one another with the very little that they
can command, is touching, AMI might he
lesson to their superiors in circumstances, If
not in the hon'nIy virtues
Only trying o livet Most of us are SINH
larly engaged Comparatively few have
gained any surplus, or have reason to look
for pecuniary Independence Why should
we be impatient or angry with the many
who on n lower plane or in humber mem
ner, are actuated by the same motives as
ourselves' Book agents, peddlers, Insurance
agents and he like are r'diculed and DETAINED /
by cheap humorists and nut on a level with /
beggars and r!i'idlers They may he lnpleas-
ant, disturbing, importunate: hut IL we will
pause To think, before we denounee and in (
suit them. that they are merely trying to I
live, something akin to compassion NAV
check the phrases on our lips. TRYING to
live The words ara significantly sad, full 4
of dreamy, tragic suggestion. If all that .
they embrace were clearly understood they .
ought to move heart of stone / donbt, If .
their spiritual meaning was completely
realized. whether the harslnS+ or dullest .
nature would not be somewhat n,oved by it.
Trying to live! How, stern, savaga and des-
perate life always is, end always must he, to
those Obliged to do and suffer mercy TO keep
breath in their wretchefi bodies! l. f.. at its
best, .an scarcely he accounted a boon: life
at, or rear, its worst. is an immitigabla
curse. Livins secured, 50 far as money
goes, is not secure against constant dsap-
pointmenis, dire adverSities crushing sor-
rows. Living unsecured flna: ciallf added
70 the train of potential woes and actual mis-
haps, is a mockery of content
So many have tried to live, and tried long
before they have succeeded thai if might be
thought that their remembrance, of what
they hal endured would MAXI them sym
pathetic with those Still on trial But does
t2 Not often, strange to say Human nature
IS a puzzle 1t is sometimes so good, and
frequently so bad that one never knows
whether to eulogize or execrate it. Many
persons seem so hardened by protracted
struggle and the stings of misery as 10 lose
when these have passed all power and disp =
sition TO cOmmiserate in others what they
themselves have borne. They seem even to
AXE harlarous satisfaction in soeiug their
fellows in the tolls from which they have
scaped. But there are many othsrs, thanks
% nature, whose sensibiitias ara stirred when
heir perceptions act These by tho simple
hought that anybody who approaches them
S only trying olive, forget interruption and
in eIise 1T what is tlne to hi-
nanity more unfortunate than their own.
Trying TO live He who wifi impress these
words on his memory will be cruel. indeed,
they do not evoke soms generosity in his
leart. Life is so terrible resp1n ,ibiiity to
he bulk of us that the man who willingly
Increases it commits a crime against his
ace for which, il h were illuminated he
would find it hard to forziva him elf
JUSIUs HENRI BROWNE
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