Omaha daily bee., 1889-03-17
ORG AIMED CHARITY.

is organized cnarlty lallures FER
haps not wholly, but that it accom-
plishcs us much as it might do, or as it
is generally supposed to do, in reliev-
ing the destitute and suffering is un-
questionably not the case, There has
recently been furnished in Chicago
striking evidence OF this, and doubtless
it could be supplemented in every con-
siderable city of the country. Some
time ago the Herald of Chicago insti-
tuted an Investigation in the quarters
of that city where poverty most abounds
and its discoveries were appalling.
Hundreds of families were found in
utter destitution. Fireless novels were
crowded with shoeless and hungry chill
dren, with the sick without medicine,
or food, or care, with helpless invalids,
and with those who, while able to WORK,
could find no work to do. 1t was a
shocking, pitiful and pathetic condition
OF affairs to be found in great an
wealthy city, and it proved how little
organized charity was doing there for
the thousands of unfortunates who must
be helped or perish.
The efforts of the newspaper whose
enterprise disclosed this unfortu-
nate condition Of affairs proved
another thing, namely, that the
great heart of Chicago is ac-
cessible to the cry of want and suffer-
ing. When the story of poverty aud
wretchedness was told there was a
magnanimous response to the appeal
for help that did honor to the people of
Chicago. 1t was not their fault that
fellow creatures at their very doors
were freezing and starving and dying.
They had supposed that the regular
machinery of charity was in full oper-
alton and doing all that it was designed
to do, and that this was sufficient.
They will not be again misled by any
such blind faith. Hereafter, we may
be sure, Chicago will find means addi-
tional to organized charity for taking
care of the helpless poor.
The lesson is that great deal of suf-
fering is inevitable in every large city
if dependence for charitable relief is
placed wholly on the organized meth
ods of giving it. These are necessary
indispensable, but they do only limited
work, They provide, not over-gener-
ously as n rule, for only those who come
to them, some of which are not the
most deserving. Organized charity
works under rules and regulations, and
it is no part of these that il
shall go forth in search of dis
tress. But there is great deal
of misery and suffering that car
only be found by hunting for it, and il
is the duty of every community tt
guard itself against the shame of allow.
ing its helpless poor to suffer and starve
when the means to relieve are at hani
| in abundance.
Here in our own city the winter ha.
passed with comparatively little suffer,
ing, but it would perhaps have been far
| different had the winter been of the
usual severity. AS it is organized char
| ity has been sufficient to provide the
| relief called for. But it can be de-
pended upon to do this only under such
| favorable conditions as have pre-
vailed during the past winter.
needs to be supplemented in every large
community by independent effort tina
will not wait to be called on, but viii
seek out for itself opportunities of ben
e6cence. How this may be most wisely
and usefully accomplished it is for the
philanthropists to determine.