The Mankato free press. [volume] (Mankato, Blue Earth County, Minn.) 1879-1924, 1893-04-14
POVERTY AND ITS CAUSES.
The Social Science Club Discusses
the r1atter at Length and the
Remedy Therefor.

Under the head of 1.-THE Treatment
of the Poor" the Social ScieDce Club
at its meeting Tuesday considered
the causes of poverty and the treat
ment of the victims thereof. The
subject was ably treated in a paper by
Rev. Father Prior He briefly point
ed out the more important features Of
the question and took the position
tina the best treatment of the poor
was to prevent, if possible, the causes
which reduced them to that cOndi-
ton. If these causes were the fault
of society and our industrial orginiZa-
tion, he would have a reorganization
of the same. He was not so OptimiSt-
ic as to believe that all poverty could
be removed from this world, but he
believed that its worst features could
be removed ana suffering reduced. He
divided the poor into two class, those
who would work if they could get
work to do, and those who would not
though it might be offered them. The
latter deserved no sympathy from
society, while the former should be
given such aid as will by their own
efforts help them TO better their cir
cumStanceS. He who could produce
an effective remedy for the reduction
of poverty to the minimum in the fu-
ture would be the worlds greatest
statesman. He believed that orphans
homes and those institutions which
are taking the deserving poor and
those bound down by vice in our large
cities, and putting Them in the way
of a better life, are doing more for
humanity than jails'and work houses.
To be successful in the eradicaUi zion Of
poverty, there must be more brother
ly love among men, and greater
spirit of Christ in the heart. All So
ciaI relations which deprive all classes
of their rights, should be changed and
thorough equality among men es-
tabliShed, and the best way TO secure
this equality is to teach men TO love
and respect one another. This in
brief is the substance of some of the
points of his paper.
President Soaring, Of the Normal
school, opened the discussion with
some very practical remarks. He
thought the paper pointed out the
path along which the better condi-
tion of mankind must be secured. He
believed that an important and prac
tical step in the the treatment OF the
poor was to give them better homes
and that this meant an improvement
Of the teneme It quarters of our large
cities. He believed also that our ed
vocational system could do much
toward eliminating poverty by being
made still more practical, and by
teaching thrift through system of
school savings banks. He referred to
the fact that vice was one of the
chief causes of poverty, especially
the drink habit, DIS we'll as
poverty being a cause for
drinking. Ii the saloon pre-
sents more attractive place for many
than their home does, it was the duty
OF society to furnish still more at
tractive as well as intellectual enter
tainment for the masses, and he be-
lieved that theatrical performances
of wholesome plays, furnished by the
cities at a small expense to the people,
after the manner of ancient Athens
and Rome would have a most benefi-
clal effect. Other practical methods
were touched upon which would ele-
uate the moral atmosphere and place
the victims OF unlimited poverty in
better shape to make their way in the
world.
The discussion which followed was
OF an interesting character and
brought out quite a number of sug-
gestlons bearing upon the matter A
strong objection was made to chasing
those who travel around the country
in search Of work, and will work if it'll
is offered them, as tramps, in COM
mon with that class who will not
work, but depend for their subsist-
ence upon the good nature of the
public, orwhat they can steal.