Sacramento daily record-union. [volume] (Sacramento [Calif.]) 1875-1891, 1888-02-13
POVERTY VERSUS PROGRESS.
Senator Stanford's Views as to its Cause
and the Remedy.

Senator Stanford's Views as to its Cause
and the Remedy.
The Washington correspondent of the
San Francisco Examiner reports an inter-
view with Senator Stanford in which he
asked the Senator:
How would you abolish beggary?"
There is only one way" ne said, DRY
up the source-abolish the conditions that
make beggars. To try to cure poverty by
street charity is like trying to stop a hole
in your roof by hopping up the puddles
that gather On your floor"
l asked him if he would specify the con-
ditions.
Eyes" he said, 81 can vaguely indicate
them. Let me say, in the first place, that
it is net millionaires that cause poverty. by
a good deal. Nobody is worse off because
the Vanderbilts are worth S20O,000,000. If
they had not the wealth it would not exist
at all. 1t is only in this community where
millionaires are possible that the average
citizen has enough to eat. Now, what
c,uses poverty?
"First-1gnorance of how to save money
| found beggars in California in 1850 when
any man could go out with tin pan and
earn S. before breakfast When, by work
ing three hours day a man could make
his board and clothes, there were always
shiftless creatures around whom the rest
had to support. 1t is the same way now.
The soil is wonderfully fruitful there,
Merely 10000 men produce all the wheat of
the State and export a million tons OF it
every year, and yet there are beggars. We
can cut, thrash and sack wheat at an ex-
pense of II cents hundred pounds, pota-
toes cost only half cent pound and flour
is only 81 barrel, and yet there is want.
An important cause is untbrift People do
not understand economy or practice it, as
almost every rich man has had to at some
| time in his life. really believe that there
would be beggars in the world before night
! if $50 gold pieces were to be sown broad
cast every morning, and so distributed that
every man, woman and child were certain
| to get some.
| 0NSOhb hO oo'S anu use VI liQuOI. AS
long as there are ten times as many saloons
in this country as there are of both
churches and schools, and they are mainly
supported by the very poor, the sources of
misery are pretty obvious
'Third-A lack of manual training. This
/ last need is most serious. If so many pee
| pie could be taught trades that the entire
product of this country were doubled
next year, the wages would be doubled,
either in increase of money received or in
the smaller cost of the necessities of life to
be bought. More capable skilled hands
| that is one of our greatest needs. Ny great
hope is in my university, which 1 wish to
| build so tall and deep and broad that the
rudiments of every useful trade and occu-
patton may be taught When everybody
| knows how TO do some difficult and useful
thing, poverty will rapidly diminish
The Woodland Mail says Ed. Leake. OF
| the Dixon Tribune, is "a frank, honest
! hearted Democrat. He was in Woodland
| yesterday, and called at the Nail office. Ed.
| is proud of his Democracy, and can look a
man square in the eye, even when advocat-
! ing the principles of that party Such
Democrats frequently call on u.s. In re-
gard to a triune Democrat. Mr.. Lsake said ::
l can't understand how man csn belong
TO the church, be a temperance man. and
at the same time claim 10 be Democrat.
/ We tried 10 answer the conundrum, but
| were compelled to give it up"
The citrus fair at Riverside is attracting
large crowds of visitors