Telegram-herald. ([Grand Rapids, Mich.) 18??-1892, 1891-11-09

withost neney and without tAe op-
Fo1nntts of earnlaS IL They do rot
ssk charity. II they aece,t ID il IL
Win hesitation ard pain. II IA work
that they want and any opening they
VII accept w1th ioy and tAaEk fslnass.
onis those no have pecUliar OPP
PorteRtties Tor observation ean know
gov numerous IL khls class. The ~of-
tiny 40 lot parade their wants before
the spnbiie- They turn brave face
70 The world even Though the heart
is almost IN despair. To many OF them
70 become pauper 10 eses worse
thaa 10 die. Now aud then ws are
shocked 10 hear OF one who has
thro~n his life away when he had 70
choose between begging and death.
We say 10 ourselves. Poor fool WY
oid be not come TO us and We wenlc
have helped himg" Thea we ga about
our business or our pleasure teediess
OF these Others who are stiil living
saeont us who want just such help
| ing hand or a k.Ra word.
What losS is that, not only so
the individual but 10 society ss well!
Sell reliance Is one OF the first elements
q ncb,e citizenship. When We have de-
graded them into paapers II Il no easy
matter 10 bring back sterling manii-
mesa One % our rgesT aeafr social
scienfists says of the tramp that in
a ms aiority az cases he is in the first
inss ance a man abe and willing 10
work. Finding no employment where
he lives he starts ont ia search of II.
Failing IN his search he Is driven 70
beg Or steal. Losing self-rsspect be
loses an ambition 70 become noble
man ana so becomes saeahond ana
an outcast, a shame 70 himself aud
a merane 10 society. That without
saoabt Is the naturai hiSfo many
a tramp an! o' many an inmate OF
our state prisons.
When one wants 10 be q man and
70 work his own way hon0rah,y
through the world. we ought "a every
sacrIsice 20 give him the opportunity
Why cou,d there not be in every
sommnrirv shon at wh'nh -ho sim
plest kind o' labor worc be offered
70 any one who eon'd not find
berfer employment While for such
work large remunprafion could not
be expected al least it wculd keep
men from the temptations OF hieness
and wonld enable them 10 ward off
starvation. This method of providing
for the unemployed IL NOT altogether
visionary. Attempts OF this kind have
been made IN several c0unrrirs ia the
old world ard with a far degree of
suocess. A. the TINA ~ the great fam
.ne IN India the British government
made extensive public Improvements
for the sole purpose OF giving the In
habitants an opportunity 10 earn
living II was simply a question n
the people were 10 starve or the gov
ernment supply tbem with food. When
the latter course was decided upon
it was good poslry 10 let them earn
it rather than 10 receive IL az a gift.
Why should we wait untf some such
terrible exigency arises before we real
tze our obligation 10 those who want
work AMI eunno; get ~.
We TOW provide employment for the
criminals in prisoa. II is better 10
have them work than 10 be idle both
a. a matter of policy aud as an act
OF kmdness. in our present civiliza-
sFon e a man Is convicted OF crime we
Immediately give him employment and
provide for his physical wants. Why
should we not deal at least az kindly
with honest and honorable men who
want a chance 10 help themselves?
Our methods put n premium upon
crime Many man Who did not
want TO steal has committed some
petty theft IN thu hope that he --osld
be sent 20 jail or prison where he
would ind shelter and food. Why
should we deal more kindly with the
criminal than with the law--atdding
citizen? II either must starve let the
law breaker perish. II IN fhis age oi
the world any nation should allow
it's convicts 10 die OF starvation what
a protest would go mp from our civil
ization? II. however. some worthy
man or woman dies Of hunger and
neglecr up fn a garret or down IN
cellar no one is responsible and FEW
care.
The heart of many a poor and hon
est woTkfngInan s. filled with envy
when he reads oi the turkey dinners
spread ont within prison walls about
thanksgiving time. Full wei he knows
that his only chance 70 get turkey on
the national holiday is 90 set fire 10
somebody's house, or TO knoe& down
an snnocent cstisen on the street.
We have no protest 70 msEe against
Kindness 70 criminals, but we have
every reason 20 urge that our civil
ization shall in ~sme wav arrange 20
take the temptation 20 crime ogt oi
the way of hundrefs ~ men who scek
IA vain for an honorable method ~
winning their way In the world. II
'or 70 other reason in s~f-prot~csion
society owes II 20 itsa.' 10 care for
them. man driven 70 the wall - 81
wavs dangerous characfe~. Hunger
has transformed many an honest man
into fiend.
While We are Questioning IN what
way national state or municipal gov
erDment shall solve THIS problem We
cannot far 20 see fhat Able phiien-
throphv has The sa.~+Fo tpnd.
What an opportunity il here Zoe soma
large hearted cstisens 20 do worthy
work Millions of money are expended
every wear 80 endow hospitals ana
astlams. None too mucb, has been
done for the feeble and helpless Would
n not hn ,ust as nobie 20 pake some
provision FOR thoss who are ready snd
willing 30 help themselves n ths op.
roftNnftr is afforded. Whlie no one
could masye a fortune ouf ~ sueh an
est fabfishsnent As we have Indicated
yet he coHid at least rnaA a sum -
voted nc beasvo1enee 80 mech further
than in any ofaer wav. With wfp<
mana Eenazlf such an Institution could