The Newtown bee. (Newtown, Conn.) 1877-current, 1891-04-03
Our Social System Awry.


body and utterly friendless, gave up the
struggle and sought relief in fatal drug.
If she were the only one of the kind in
a city full of charitable institutions. if
this were the only known instance of
drowning, smothering, hopeless human
nature crying in vain for help, we might
pass her by with sigh. But we remem-
Der that there are thousands of wretched
creatures swimming with desperate en-
ergy in the maelstrom of poverty and
sure to be engulfed at last, their fate
unnoted by either church or charity. We
are therefore forced to the conclusion
that there is something radically wrong
in our social system and that the broth
crly love so eloquently defended by our
pulpits is the iridescent dream of Sunday
morning, which fades away with the tur-
mOil of Monday.
In other words, the Christianity of the
preacher and the pew is either Intellectual
or indifferent and the solemn, awful fact
glares at US with frenZied eyes that hun
dreds are so far exhausted by their pitt
full and ptiless environment that they go
down with Il sob beneath the cruel injus-
tice which has never given them fair
chance.
"Cassandra" writes to say that these
bondmen of fortune ought to follow the
Injunction Come unto Me"' intimates
that they are Hacking in common sense
and are devoid of religious knowledge or
principle"
Is it true, then, that if man who is
making heroic fight for the privilege of
hard work and small wages, who sees his
family slowly starving because the world
refuses his requests it true that if such
Il man applies to the church he will be
treated as Il brother, guarded, advised,
assisted and defended against the cruel
fate that encompasses him? In some in
stances, yes; in many more, no.
Religion is not yet administered on
that basis. 1t is strong in its theological
elements and hedges it's dogmas about
with barbed wire fence, but it is weak
in philanthropy. The people are divided
into classes. The fashionable and veal
thy build an edifice that is an architect
ural dream and listen to an orator who
subordnates his love of reform to the re-
quirements of the select club to which he
ministers. In such a church, the poor
man has no place. The sexton judges
worshippers either by their apparel or
their equipage. The footsore are sent to
back seats in the gallery, the millionaire
is ushered to the place of honor.
Then comes the mission church, which
is good enough for the wage earners. 1t
is the second table, where poverty feasts
on the meats which remain after the rich
mans appetite has been satisfied. AS an
Indication of the relation which exists be-
tween wealth and poverty in this 10Th
is simply concrete form of Rip Van
Wrinkles welcome. Give him cold po-
tato and let him go.
Take an instance by way of illustrat-
ion. A girl tries to get her living by
work-must get it or starve. She earns
slender pittance; lives in dingy quar-
tiers in an undesirable neighborhood; just
manages to keep soul and body together,
no more; walks in the rain to save car
fare; thinks it a god-send when a square
meal is offered her; has few pleasures,
no opportunities, sees nothing as far a.
the eye can reach except want and at the
end hospital and Potter's Field.
Who cares for her? Who gives her a
thought? Who knows whether she lives
or dies, has fuel for the stove Or goes to
bed cold and hungry? She is between two
millstones and is being slowly ground to
powders the desperate victim of des-
perate fate. There are many such close
at hand, but what of it? The din of bust
ness browns their cries and religion hears
their appeals ''with dull unwillingness.'
The world is against her; she pledges
her fair face and exquisite form in the
pawnshop of crime for something to eat
and something to keep out the pinching
cold. Remorse of conscience is dulled
by strong drink. She goes down from
one low level to another and Sin the af-
ternoon of her best days" is found in the
morgue, her life, her death a CHASTITY ar
raignment of society which bows its head
on Sunday morning and lisps, s'Lord,
have mercy upon US, miserable offend
ers.''
Ii this community really believed the
religion it processes, if the Golden Rule
were not merely part of the Book but
also a part of our lives, there would be
such public demonstration of horror
over an occurrence of that kind that its
repetition would be impossible. We get
excited over the Mckinley bill, we be-
come furious over the iniquities of a gag
rule and bayonet bill, we heatedly dis
cuss free silver coinage until we are red
in the face; but men and women may
suffer the pinching pangs of poverty and
we shrug shoulders in helpless conster-
nation; young girls driven by want may
sell themselves to lascivious pleasures
and neither church nor charity tries to
stay the career which terminates in 9
dose of laudanum.
All these wrongs may be righted By
and by, but in the meantime there Il
something tragic and pathetic in the CRY
for help which no one answers.-lNev
York Herald