The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1893-12-18
DISTRESS nv mrs PARISH.
A Priest U.es Strong words About
Class OF M-n He Thinks Responsible.

| A Priest Uses strong words About the
| Class OF Mrn lie Thinks Responsible.
Tho Rev. Father Mahoney. pastor OF tho
| Church OF Our Lady OF Good Counsel. In Put
nam avenue. near Ralph avenue. Brooklyn.
aided by his assistants. during the past week
| madea house-to-house canvass OF his parish
to safety himself regarding reports Of dis
tress. Tho results OF his inquiries were made
known TO his congregation yesterday. At
every mass he graphically pictured cases Of
hunger and dcstltution.
Never In ali my experience" he said. has
Brooklyn been In such n condition as at
present. Right here among US hundreds
Of families are starving. and unless re-
Lief comes. aud that speedily. the re-
suits will DO even appalling to con-
template. have seen strong men, steady and
industrious, actually begging for bread to
feed their starving children. For months they
have been out Of employment. There is no
work Tor them, nor are there any Indications
that the situation will improve Tor two or three
Il have invariably held that actual want and
poverty are caused hy the PEOPLE Themselves;
that they are shiitloss srendthri'ts. or drunk
ards. This time 1t is different. Good. honest
families are IN distress. The little they man
and as result in many homes to-day there
is.not ns much rs a Loaf OF broad.
. Woe to tho men who have brought this
thing about. A blight seems to have fallen
upon tho country. and Tor no apparent reason.
none. There Is ~ disease among us. The
prospccts OF good crops next year were never
iatrer. Everything points to much bsttcr
spring than we have had in twenty years.
Now. however we are. and for ut least two
months more we Will be. face to face with
actual starvation. Money Is not In circulation.
The building trades here are Mt a stanIstiii,
and men who have tho money bags tied up will
not loosen the strings.
What has caused this condition. The
tricks ~ bloodhuunds who call themselves
men,. In order to crush the unfortunate toll
ers they have closed up factories and mills.
Industries have been crushed. production eur
tailed, 80 that prices may be- forced up. No
one feels this more thnn the workinEman. He
is mado to feel 1t so that next year lie will he
glad TO WORK for whatever wages the blood
hounds are willing TO offcr him.
Every dollar we had" continued Father
Mahoney. every cent We collected day after
day during the past week has been spent TO
relieve tho actual wants OF the moment. The
ladies attached to the church. the Sewing So
have done all that they could, but the tide OF
poverty is more than they can stem. Neither
do the Charity Com M ssioners seem able to
deal with the distress.
| want you to give every cent you can" he
said, to prevent hundreds OF fellow mon
dying OF starvation. / do not appeal to tho
rich. am afraid IL would he useless. i want
II from those who need all they have for them
selves. but who aso know what it IL to want.
Spare little then. and show tho world how
the poor can help the poor in the hour of ad-
For the love OF God. help us Our children
are starving | have only to repeat. give
what you can willingly. and give 1t quickly. or
IL may be too late