Omaha daily bee., 1893-10-08
lNDfscRlMrNArE CHARITY.

The approach OF winter and the proba-
bility that the number OF people who
will have to subsist by charity will be
considerably larger than usual suggests
that in order TO secure the best results
from charitable giving those who seek
assistance should be left to the care of
the organized Societies for providing
relief. A number Of these societies in
New York City have issued an appeal TO
the public in which they earnestly
deprecate all indiscriminate relief,
whether in the shape of money, food,
coal or other gifts. They say that such
aims, however we'll and kindly meant,
inevitably tend to pauperize the recip-
tents, and they recommend the charit-
ably disposed not TO give money or
other gifts without knowledge or in
yostigation, such relief only tending TO
encourage bcggary and increase pauper-
ism. They will accomplish far more
real good, says tho appeal, and also cs-
cape frequent imposturc by sen, ny
their gifts to the regular charity and
benevolent societies, where each case
will be intclligently Investigated and
regularly and promptly cared for.
This advice is applicable to every city
where there is organized charity. There
is a duty growing out of our common
humanity to help our destitute fellow
creatures who are worthy of it, but it is
also Il duty which every one owes to
society not to do anything to encourage
the ip1Ilnnt aud tbn npthpiEty 'rIn
hope of such is in indiscriminate aims
giving. In every considerable commu-
nifty there are people of this class who
depend upon the good nature and the
generosity OF those who are able to give,
and the only way by which such people
may be cured is to turn them over to an
organization tina will ascertain whether
they are worthy of. assistance. AS the
person to whom application is made for
help cannot know whether the appli-
can is worthy or unworthy, and so the
latter class, from much practice or
innate vtciousness, generally makes the
o urgent and plausible appeal, the
only safe rule is to treat all alike and
leave them to The care of the organized
charities. 1t is q mistaken idea, at
any rate in communities where the
means of relief are sufficient for those
who deserve relief. that rather
than send away empty-handed one
worthy person it we're better that
a number of impostors should
succeed. In so far as indiscriminate Civ
ing encourages beggary, and there can
be no question hat it does this, it works
an injury to the deserving INDECENT.
Many charitably-inclined people satisfy
their sense of duty when they give to
the beggar, though knowing nothing of
the merits OF the case, and in seven
cases out of ten being imposed on, while
II they were to contribute to organized
charity what they feel they could spare
the worthy poor would be much better
cared for and the resources of these
societies would rarely be exhausted.
From every point of view, indiscriminate
charity is to be discouraged.
1t is pertinent in this connection to
suggest to those who contemplate con-
%trlbuting to the organized charities of
Omaha that it is not too early to carry
their purpose into effect. The present de-
mand on these charities is not e~xtraor-
dinarly heavy, but nobody can say
how long the pleasant weather will con-
tinue, and with the first blasts of winter
the calls for charitable assistance will
be largely increased. Preparation
should be made for this demand, and on
so liberal a scale as to insure prompt re-
Lief to all worthy applicants. Omaha
has not Jared so badly as many other
cities in the number of people who have
been unable to get sufficient employment
during the spring and summer to allow
them to lay by something for the winter,
but there is reason to %apprehend that
the number of INDECENT who must be pro-
vided for between now and neXt spring
will be much larger than usual. Gener-
Gus giving by those who are able to give
will therefore be necessary, and, as
already suggested, it is none too early
to begin carrying out this humanitarian
duty.