St. Paul daily globe. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn.) 1884-1896, 1890-03-16
orr OF WORK.

The New York papers of last Wednes-
day recorded two suicides in that city,
occurring the day before under pecul-
iarly sad circumstances; and, although
they were persons occupying entirely
different positions in life, both OF them
suicided from the same cause. One
was young man of high social posi-
ton and excellent family in Pitts
burg, who had gone to New York,
and, entering the Episcopal church
of the Heavenly Rest, died with his
hand touching the sacred desk. The
other was middle-aged man, a day
laborer, who sat in the midst of his fam
lily at the eventide, when, suddenly ris-
ing and kissing his wife, he said: Good
bye, Jennie; l must leave you to do the
best you can with the children" As
he spoke he placed pistol to his head
he fired, and fell at her feet, the blood
aud brains scattering the carpet.
The young man who sought the sane
tuary for his death-bed left statement
that he could not find employment and
preferred death to beggary.
The husband who died with love on
his lips for his wife and babies was
driven to the desperate deed because
he was out of employment and could
not find work.
The world will say that both men
were cowardly, and the world Judges
right, yet the poor fellows were hardly
responsible for their lack of courage.
There can be no more deplorable con-
ditiOn for a person to be in than to be
able to work and willing to work and
yet not find work to do. 1t requires all
immense deal of moral courage for
man to exist in world which will not
provide him with the means of support,
nor have sympathy for him when he is
starving without any fault of his own.
For man of pride, conscious of his
ability to earn living. but without the
opportunity to do so, it is humiliation
that amounts to torture TO be driven
into the streets to beg for charity.
When reduced to the alternative of
begging or Suiciding person of spirit
is apt to choose the latter.
Isn't it, then, sad commentary on
our system of public and private char
tiles that q human being in this land OF
plenty and progress can be forced TO
such desperate straits. The two sui
cides in New York last Tuesday are not
isolated cases. There may have been a
dozen or more in the same city on the
same day that the newspapers didn't
get hold of. Certain it is, there are one
or more precisely similar cases Of sui
eide in every city of this country almost
every day of the year. You can scarcely
pick up newspaper but you will read
the same sad story of suicide, and the
same sad cause-''out of work."
When person is sick Or crippled and
out of employment there are provisions
made for his or her maintenance at
public expense. But the law makes no
provision for able-bodied indigentS, and
properly so. Nor do these able-bOdied
persons who have the disposition to
work ask for charity. They simply beg
the opportunity to make their own liv-
ing-a condition that fate has denied to
them.
The GLOBE has heretofore suggested
the establishment in every city of free
employment agency, as one of the most
effective charitable institutions that
could be established. There are men
and women in this city to-day-hOW
many we do not undertake to say, but
we are confident they can be counted by
the scoreS-who are out of work; not be-
cause they are lndisposed to work. but
because they are unable to find some
thing to do. Life is a weary burden to
these people. Some Of them have fam
lilies dependent OH them, and what
heartaches they endure as they look for.
ward to the morrow and wonder if it is
to be another day of enforced idleneSs
What a blessed charity it would be if
some kind friend would come to them
and tell them that they had found job
for them. What load would be LITE q
from the weary heart, and how
much more life would seem worth liy
ing. 1t is more practical charity to
give the deserving ones work than it is
to give aims. The law makes provision
for those who are unable to help them
selves, but there is neither charity MOI
sympathy for the able-bodied INDECENT.
There is work enough in this world for
everybody to earn living if it could
only be distributed properly. But it
is the inequality of distribution
that causes the hardship. Therefore il
is proper that it should be made the
duty of some one in each community to
see that willing hands find something.
1t is duty we owe to society, and most
certainly a charity that we owe to un
fortunate humanity. We are too prone
to act upon the principle of every fel
low for himself and the devil take the
hindmost one: and as result those who
fall behind in the race for sustenance
prefer to risk the uncertainties of fut-
ure existence than to tarry longer in q
| world where selfishness is supreme.