The advocate and Topeka tribune., 1892-12-28

richer and the poor desperately poorer.
"Whst becomes of these peOple?" DR..
McGlynn asks that question, and answers
it thus: where do all the pins 90?
They are broken up, ground down, lost
in the general mass. The poor take in
many of them, the asylums and institu-
tions care for others" All, yes, good
doctor, but how many continue to drift
around on life's breakers? how many
give up the struggle against hope and
fate? how many become thieves and
criminals? how many take to the pave
ments and the bagnlos? The answer
may be found in the police returns FOR
the year ended. There were SO, 152 arrests,
of which "a, $50 were females. Lodgings
we're furnished q total of 126380 times,
the homeless dodgers being 68,854 males
and b, ,426 females. Four hundred and
ninety-two "unknowns were buried in
potter's field during the year, of whom
ninety-three were picked up in the rivers,
thirty-nine sought death by poison, the
pistol was used BY sixty -one, the rope
was chosen by thirty, gas asphyxiation
killed nineteen, chloroform was selected
by one unfortunate, four jumped from
buildings, and twenty stabbed or hacked
themselves to death. These figures tell
where some Of the weary evicted ones
have gone. The rest are taeming in the
stale-beer dives. in the slums, in the
workhOuses, in the penitentlaries, and
the lunatic Rsylums.
Justice Goldfogle does not assume the
parrot cry of the skeptical He does not
say, "Drink did it." He ought to know,
for the worst of these cases pass through
his court. What, then, is it? It is the
struggle OF the pitchfork against old
ocean repeated, with the odds intensified
in favor Of the ocean. It is 80 with the
hapless ones Of Gotham. The odds are
too much in favor of the landlords, who
can fix their rents to suit themselves.
The toilers must live somewhere, even IL
one half of their lives is devoted to the
effort to pay their rent. The courts
must see that the rent is paid or that the
tenant goes into the street. What be-
comes Of the tenant afterward is nobody,s
business, unless the police have occasion
to look after him or the morgue-keeper
fixes him in deal box for interment il
the home of the desolate on Hsrt's Island
-potter's field.
New York, with all it's noble charities,
has not one to take in hand the cases OF
deserving people who are yearly turned
adrift from their homes. The depart
ment of charities Snd correction spends
about 81, 100000 year on charity, while
the city pays over $5,O000OO to its
psmpered police force. It is thus in
proportion with other departments.
Generous salaries are paid to every en-
ploye Of the city government, 80 that
this year we have a budget calling:for
$33, ,725, ,555.84, and of this vast sum only
$2,170,O0O has been allotted to the double
purpose Of charity and correction. In
the face Of this state Of things. Justice
Goldfogle suggests very practical idea.
The charities Of the city might combine,
he thinks, and establish a fund for the
relief OF such cases as arise in the civil
courts where deserving people are liable
to be evicted who owe very small amounts.
A responsible man should be placed in
each court; and when the justice meets
with case in which he sees direct evil
dence OF deserving want, it might be re-
ferred to the representative of the chari-
ties. who would investigate and report
back to the justice. He then might give
a recommendation to the charities to pay
the amount required to keep the person
investigated in home. or give the land
lord his decree il the circumstances
called for such course. It would be
little step in the direction of relief before
the real reform comes. It would save
thousands of the lucklees victims Of
poverty from being cast INTO the streets
in the biting colds Of winters SHOWS. It
would prevent the recurrence of repug-
nant spectRcles like that displayed by