San Antonio daily light. [volume] (San Antonio, Tex.) 1886-1907, 1889-01-22
LONDON'S OUTCASTS.
BORN IN CELLARS, SUCkLED ON GIN
AND GRABBED IN THE GUTTER.

Pictures OF the Saddest Side Of Human
Existence - Proposed establishments Of
Houses of Refuge-Good Intentions Of
the Philanthropists-
When we introduced 1.-The Bitter Cry Of
Outcast London" to the attention of the
great public five years ago, we suggested one
thought which Is never absent from our
minds when confronted with the realities Of
life In the "Sunken Sixth of London
"The grim Florentine might have added to
the horror of his vision of hell by a sojourn
in London slum. For in his Inferno the
damned at least did not breed With us they
do. Every year sees an addition to the long
roll of the new born list Born in the fetid
atmosphere Of a crowded cellar sucked on
gin, and Graded in the gutter, they never
have a chance"
The passage reverts to our memory as we
read DR.. Barnardos appeal in The Times for
the establishment of casual wards for chill
dren at the east end. The fate Of the chill
dren is the climax of horror. The existence
of hundreds and of thousands of children
with no other parentage than women like
Elizabeth Stride and Annie Chapman and
Mary Ann Nichols, with no other home than
the DOSING ken and no other playground
than the gutter, that is the abiding and ap.
palling tragedy of the situation, beside which
all other horrors pale and disappear.
DR. BARNARDo's SCHEME.
Dr. Bernardo, in his letter to The Times,
describing the lives of the children, brought
up in the common lodging houses, says quite
truly that it is impossible to describe the
state in which myriads of children live in
these human sewers, breathing from their
birth an atmosphere fatal to all goodness.
They are saturated from their birth in vice
and all uncleanness, and DR. Barnardo in his
zeal would forbid all lodging houses by law to
shelter any children under l6. Therein he
goes too far. Amy Of US may some day be
driven by poverty to seek the shelter Of a
dosing ken; and, even in our direst extrem-
ity, we would not care to be separated from
our children
But great deal may be done short of legis-
lative prohibition The first thing obviously
is to establish lodging houses for boys and
girls, If, as DR.. Bernardo says, they can be
made self supporting, or nearly So" We
confess that we have doubts as to the posi-
bility of making these places self supporting.
Still DR.. Bernardo is an authority second to
none, and we hope he will explain how it can
be done. If he can get out practical plan
by which all the homeless lads and lasses Of
London can be lodged decently in places
where they would not be contaminated by
che constant converse Of prostitutes and
thieves, we do not think he will lack for
funds, supposing that the first cost Of the
building is raised by public subscription,
and the coppers of the children pay the work.
ing expenses
One poor woman who may have been Eli
Eabeth Stride herself, for she was in the cir
Gle that listened to DR. Barnardo's exposition
of the advantages of his scheme, is said to
have exclaimed "We're all up to no good,
and no one cares what becomes of. us. Per-
haps some of us will be killed next If any
body had helped the like of US long ago we
would never have come to this" 1.-THE likes
of US" are indeed "up to no good" although
the bishop of Bedford does well to appeal for
a laundry to help them earn a living, if they
wish to do SO decently. But it is the chill
dren who offer theb ec+ field for philanthropic
activity, and in default of anything better
DR.. Barnardo's scheme might well be tried.
RESPONSIBILITY OF PARENTAGE.
Nothing will do any great good that is
based on the principle of taking children
from their parents. If man and a woman
are not fit to be trusted with the upbringing
of their offspring, they ought not to be o.
lowed to have any children. Mr. Arnold
White pleads for the sterilization of the un-
Gt,' but the plain Engi-<s of it is JnaU TIE
human pair who hrIuE = Cz,sn EEgU rue worId
To - CoalsHGSIi