The representative. [volume] (St. Paul, Minn.) 1893-1901, 1894-01-10
WOE TO THE BLOODHOUNDS.

"A brooklyn frle6C scores 1nOS0 VINO Are
Responsible For the Hard Times.
The Rev. Father Mahoney, pastor Of
the Church of Our Lady of Good Coun.
sci, in Putnam avenue, near Ralph av-
enue, Brooklyn, aided by his assistants,
made house to house canvass of his
parish to satisfy himself regarding re-
ports of distress. The results Of his in
quiries were made known to his congre-
cation. At every mass he graphically
pictured cases of hunger and restitution
''Never in all my experience" he said,
"has Brooklyn been in such condition
as at present. Right here among us
hundreds of families are starving, and
unless relief comes, and that speedily,
the results will be even appalling to con-
template. l have seen strong men,
steady and industrious, actually begging
for bread to feed their starving children.
For months they have been out of en-
ployment. There is no work for them,
nor are there any indications that the
situation will improve for two or three
months at least.
Il have invariably held that actual
want and poverty are caused by tho
people themselves, that they are shiftless.
spendthrifts or drunkards. This time
it is different. Good, honest families
are in distress. The little they managed
to save in times past has disappeared,
and as a result in many homes today
there is not as much as loaf of bread.
"Woe to the men who have brought
this thing about. A blight seems to have
fallen upon the country, and for no ap-
parent reason. There is no panic-at
least there should be none. There is no
disease among us. The prospects of good
crops next year were never fairer Every
thing points to a much better spring than
we have had in 20 years. Now, however,
we are, and for at least two months
more we will be, face to face with actual
starvation. Money is not in circulation.
The building trades here are at a stand
still, and men who have the money bags
tied up will not loosen the strings.
"What has caused this condition? The
tricks of bloodhounds who call them
selves men. In order to crush the I'M
fortunate toilers they have closed up fac
tories and mills. Industries have been
crushed, production curtailed, so that
prices may be forced up. No one feels
this more than the workingman. He is
made to feel it, so that next year he will
be glad to work for whatever wages the
bloodhounds are willing to offer him.
every dollar we had," continued Fa-
ther Mahoney, "every cent we collected
day after day during the past week has
been spent to relieve the actual wants of
the moment. The ladies attached to the
church, the Sewing society and st. Vim
cent de Paul society members have done
all that they could, but the tide of pow
erty is more than they can stem. Neither
do the charity commissioners seem able
to deal with the distress.
81 want you to give every cent you
can" he said, ''to prevent hundreds of
fellow men dying of starvation. I do
not appeal to the rich. am afraid it
would be useless. I want it from those
who need all they have for themselves,
but who also know what it is to want.
Spare little, then, and show the world
how the poor can help the poor in the
hour of adversely. I use the words they
used to me: For the love of God, help
US! Our children are starving I have
only to repeat, give what you can will
ingly, and give it quickly, or it may be
too late"