Omaha daily bee., 1888-11-18

starved and nearly naked people swarm
out OF h narrow streets and back
oourts on a fine day. Hero are multi
tudes of children whose eyes first opened
on these bare brick walls, dreary courts,
dark alloys, and dirty streets. Here
these poor creatures who we're intended
to be in the image OF God, are living in
entire Ignorance of wholesome food,
warm clothing sunny skies, kind words,
and happy homes. What has reduced
the people to this condition? or, What
makes the slums of these cities? Even
their condition Of servitude would not
reduce these pepole to such straits.
There are two principal causes.
OyERCROWDING.
There are too many people in many
OF these old countries, especially in the
cities; the supply of workmen is double
the demand, wages are very low, and in
this state of things the survival of the
fittest becomes the rule. The more COM
petent and industrious find employment,
and the incompetent and indolent go
down, and with them many worthy peo-
who have become the victims of untor-
tunate circumstances.
Drink. This is the raost copious
feeder of the slums. Thousands Of
people who could live above want upon
~ ~ - - u IoiiSe ny M .
And what is worse han all, the women
are, in many cases, W. harder drink
erS thar the men. Little children are
sent out upon the cold streets, often in
rain and snow, to sell klndling wood or
to beg, and are frequently beaten by
their drunken and brutal parents il
they do not return with a given sum of
money. l have seen children from five
to ten years old on the streets late at
..-lA
crying for money that they might re-
turn to some supremely miserable place
that they call ''home." Every day
men, women and children go ~''singlngh
through the streets for bread and
money; and in some parts of the city
you will walk few PAGES Or turn few COR
ners without confronting some of these
poor mendicants. Many of them are in
the greatest need, and many more are
simply trying to obtain the means to
buy drink.
What is being done to remedy this
unhappy state of things? There are
mauy agencies at work; l can not men,
ton them all, but a few will indicate to
you thai England is trying TO care for
her Door: Hb
1. The city governments do all in
their power, tirst,oby furnishing work
Ala manning IOdto, AcichnllS SJTcetS, ebc.,
for all who are wiling to do such work.
This extra work comes very heavy upon
the taxpayers, but they discharge these
obligations without much complaint. If
some of our American people who grum-
BILE at high taxes could but live awhile
in the old world, they would return to
their homes poorer, but wiser and bet
ter contented. Secondly, by providing
for as many as possible in the aims
houses. These are filed mostly by peo-
pie unable to work,
2. The churches do much for the re-
lief OF the poor, and in this the Estab-
lished church eXcels all others; and
what wonder? for she has plenty of
money to spend in that way. And this
very thing gives her a strong hold upon
the poor, as well as to reti in her power
and influence upon the rich. But all
the churches do we'll in this direction,
and only the last judgment will reveal
the sorrows soothed and the sufferings
assuaged by religious people in Eng
land.
3. The various benevolent socie-
ties are doing much to miti-
gate the sufferings of the
poor, strangers Rests, =" ''Sheltering
Hcmes," ETC., are numerous, ana are
doing o grand work for the needy.
Sl,eltering homes are places where
frieda!ess orplans are taken and fed