The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1893-12-26
SEATTLE. russDAr. DEc. &c


The Posr-IxTELLtsEscxR OF yesterday
eoatasnea so excellent article from the
Sew York Sun arguing TIA. indiserfmin-
ate giving OF aims does harm. Indiscrim-
mate aImsgiving everywhsre seems
chiefly 10 maintain In welcome idieness
those who are the least deserving. leaving
the far more numerous class OF respectable
poor who suffer silence a. destitute as
ever The tree soup houses established in
New York city after the panic Of 1873 only
served to attract horde OF Migrants, and
this same experience has been repeated in
New York city this wear; the free meals
have for the most part fed persons who
were either voluntary oilers or could
afford to pay for their support. London.
Chicago. Boston. Philadelphia and Seattle
have the same experience and have found
out that regular. indiscriminate giving Of
aims in any state does harm.
In Seattle we have recently had two
striking object lessons of the folly of in
discriminate aimsgivinR. A police officer
of entire responsibility and intelligence
fair wages enter largo saloon where
there were n number of men who
have protested that they were Idle
because they could find no work
and we're therefore compelled to live
employer left the city without his men.
accept the work and wages offered. and the
Not man of these voluntary idiers would
by appeals to private and public charity.
These very men who refuse work at 81 a
day sleep nightly at the City Mission.
which Is supported by the contributions
of charitably disposed business men.
Every. man of these men who proved him
self a voluntary idler by refusing work at
decent wages ought TO have been ar
rested by tho police on the evidence We
have given, and ought to have been sent TO
Jail a. vagrant. A more recent instance
Is that where Mr.. Bush secured forty men
who pretended TO be out of work and com
PEELED to live on charity. When these
forty men came TO the railroad station
after accepting the offer of g. day oil but
sesea repudiated the agreement, insisting
that they must have $50 day. A man
has right to refuse s. and demand $3.50.
but he has no business. after he has done
this. to solicit and accept support In state
OF voluntary idlsness from charitably dis
posed individuals and organized public
charities. Such man is a worthless
tramp and parasite. and ought TO be in
stantly arrested and punished as q va
grant.
These things could not take place If all
the organized charities in this city CO
operated and pulled together this winter.
The Salvation Army. the City Mission.
the Bureau of Associated Charities should
act together; lists OF men desiring work
should be kept at each headquarters and
should be exchanged. aud the police
should maze il their duty rs good citizens
TO send employers seeking labor to ali
three places and should instantly send the
names of men pretending TO want work
and yet refusing work To the headquarters
of all Of these organizations, so that thew
may hereafter be denied food or shelter
except such food and shelter a. the iail
affords man arrested snd convicted as =
vagrsnt
We are all perfectly willing and able "a
take care of the honest poor man; the in.
voluntary idler; but the voluntary idler
who lives at the soup kitchens and sleens
in the rooms of the Salvation Army and
the City Mission. ought 70 be arrested and
punished 20 make way for honest. respec.
table poor men willing to work. A Joint
business committee composed from all OF
these organizations could compare notes.
search out the antecedeuts Of those
seeking relief and soon weed out the.,
professional Migrants and send them "a
tail, where they belong. or pu,
them 90 flight Systematic visitation
committees arc abe 20 seek cut In
each neishborhooi the respectable POOR
who are always the last ~ ask for relief
and quietly tide them over the hard time,
and the public charities turn their back.
on those professional hersars Who are n.
pest Of every community.
There viii 10 plenty % eenuln. di.srs.,
this winter among worthy PEOPLE wishon,
wasting dollar of charitable confirm
ilohs On tasty. able bodied sesgars. whs
conteu'ptUously refuse s. dav. strike fal
~ cents advance, snd when thsv CANNOT
set IL prefer 10 i've At the rablic sou,
Kitchens. sleen A. the rooms az n. saliva
tlon Army and C.sy Mission. or beg none,
st the corner Of tho street, OF ch.rit.h},
disposed persons.
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