The Ouachita telegraph. [volume] (Monroe, La.) 1865-1889, 1889-03-09
MONROE, LOUISIANA, SATURDAY. MARCH 8, 1885,
CHARITY THAT C0RRUPTs.

CHARITY THAT C0RRUPTS.
How II Breads pauperism and Lessons
Self.Pliae. ,-- -taS1 Z
IN. Y. Suu.l s ~, y
Tue vast extent to which the work
Of charity 10 carried In modern times
10 indicated very striki0viy BY the
statistics presented Ia the report OF the
State Board of Charities for last ysar.
The value Of the property devoled
Ia this State to charitable, correctional,
and reformatory purposes now exceeds
"a, 600 900, and Of this cum moro than
$S6. .600, 900 10 held by iucorporated
benevolent aesoclattons. The recetpts
for such purposes during the year ag-
gregated nearly $lA, GOO, 600 and the
expenditures moro than 3lS, ,3l6, 900.
The whole number OF bsnenciaries In
the care Of the institutions on the flrst
Of last October was 81, ,S22; aud besldes
these, SS5, ,622 outdoor patients received
medical aud surgical relief during the
year from the various hovpitsls and
dispeusartes, and 4S, $50 outdoor poor
were aided by towns aud counties at
an expense of hard on $500, 900. That
10, nearly 500, 900 people, or about one.
twelfth of the population of the State,
obtained assistance from these sources.
A email part OF the receipts of the
tustltutt0ns, or only Ave per cent of
the whole, came from the pay Of prI-
vate patients 10 the hospitAls but, on
the other hand. many thousands of
outdoor patients were faruished with
food, medicines, surgical appliances,
and gratu1tous nursing and care, bs.
siliee medical treatment.
7 Yet Ia ali this 10 account is taken Of
the enormous sums yearly expended
10 private charity aud Ia aims to beg
gars upon the streets. The poor them.
selves are the first TO render relief 10
their suffering nelShbors. There 10
scarcely Q church which does not have
its corps OF volunteer charitable vlsi.
tori; societies that are not Incorporated
are Jealous in the work private fami-
lies with money to give In charity
usually have men aud women who are
more or less dependent on their bonn
~, aud people of wealth are pursued
with importunilies for pecuuiary as
distance. Meantime new forms Of be-
nevoiencs are constantly devised aud
charitable agencies multiplied, aud ev-
cry year philanthropists are going "a
the legislature with fresh schemes fol
giving away the public money tol
private benefit. The more the activity
In charitable work the greater, too, Ia
the demand for 1t, since free giving 0i
course breeds pauperism by discourag-
Ing habits Of seli-depend snce. 40 In
creasing number Of the population
would rather beg than work, especially
as begging can be made more proilta-
BILE In an age so distinguished for char
ity as this. Formerly an American
wonld have disdained to receive q
gratuity for simply doing properly
what he was hired to do, but Of recent
years the tipping system has become
almost as prevalent here as 1t ID In
an Increase In the bribery al elections
it is probably due to the importation
Of taking perquisites. Men demand to
be paid for voting as they expect to be
paid for the civil performances Of other
duties In o gratuity beyond the siipu.
lated price. We are told that even
farmers, supposedly self-respecting cit.
izens, sometimes count upon the price
Of their votes As a regular perquisite
They may not vote against their polit'
ical convictions, but, all tho same they
require the tip.
This fashion OF taking gratutties, o
relying on other people for assistance
and of appealing 10 charity. has gone
to very dangerous extent. 1t Is cor
rupting and enervating tho commu.
nifty, and Its progress is accelerated by
the professional philanthropists WHIT
can only magnify their Office by In
creasing pauperlsm. Their own sup
port as individuals who make busi
ness of collecting and dispensing
money for charity eats up very con
siderable part Of the whole sum con
tributed. The salaries aud wages o
the charitable, correctional and reform
atory institutions Of the State last yea
amounted to more than 81 800, 900 ou
the $l8, ,3l5 900 expended as . whole!
The extravaganza OF charity Is ap
palIing, and 1t is steadily increasing.
INQUIRIES ABOUT LOUISIANA.
Population, Debt and Taxation.