The Middleburgh post. [volume] (Middleburgh, Snyder Co., Pa.) 1883-1916, 1894-01-11
THE CAUSES or POVERTY.
DIR. rALMAoE's VIEWS ON THEM
Says they Are Tariff Changes, Vice. I'm.
providence and Sicknsss-


you."-Matthew xvi, II.
Who said that? The Christ who never
owned anything during His earthly STAY. His
cradle and His grave were borrowed. Every
hs He ate was from some one else's tree.
Every drop OF water He drank was from
some one else's well. To pay His personal
tax. which was very small, only 3fL cents.
He had TO perform a miracle and make n
ash pay Il. All the heights and depths and
lengths and breadths OF poverty Christ meas
ured In His earthly experience. and when
He comes 20 speak OF destitution He always |
speaks sympathetical,y. and what He said
then is as true now-''Ye have the poor al
ways with you"
For 6OO0 years the bread question has been |
the active and absorbing question. Witness |
the people crowding up TO Joseph's store |
house in Egypt. Witness the famine in Sa- |
maria and Jerusalem. Witness the 1000 hun |
cry people for whom Christ multiplied the |
loaves. Witness the uncounted millions OF
people now living, who, i believe: have
never yet had one full meal OF heathful and
nutritious food In all their lives. Think OF
the 354 great famines in England. Think OF
the $4,000. 600 people under the hoot OF
hunger year before last In Russia. The fall
ure of the Nile TO overflow for seven years
in the eleventh century left those regions
dcpopuated Plague OF insects IN England
Plague OF rats In Madras Presidency. Plague
OF mice in Essex Plague OF locusts in China.
Plague OF grasshoppers in America. Devas-
ratlOn wrought DN ny utluGf, ny
frost. by war. by hurricane, by earthquake,
by comets flying too near the earth, by change
in the management OF National finances,
by baleful causes innumerablc. pro-
coed TO give you three or four reasons why
my text IL markedly and graphically true In
this year 1894.
The first reason we have always the poor
with US Is because OF the perpetual overhaul
ing OF the tariff question. or, rs / shall call
It, the tnriffic controversy. There Il need
HA. a.. sgrI and ealn Ct-
bility OF manufacturing II. There are millions
OF people who are expecting that the present
Congress OF the United States will do some
thing one way or the other TO end this dis
cussion. hut IL will never end. When
was nve years OF age, / remem-
ber hearing my father and hfs neigh
bors in vehement discussion OF this very
question. II was high tarir or low tarifl or
no tariff at ALL When your great -grandchild
dies at ninety years OF age. IL will probably
be from over-exertion in discussing the
tariff. On the day the world is destroyed
there will be three men standing on the post
Office steps-one high tariff man.
another low tariff man, and the othor a
free trade man.-each one red in the face
from excited argument on this sub
ject. Other questions may get quieted, the
Mormon question the silver question. the
pension question, the civil service question.
All questions OF annexation may come TO
peaceful settlement by the annexation OF ISL
ands two weeks voyage away and the heat
OF their volcanoes conveyed through pipes
under the sea made useful In warming our
continent, or annexation OF the moon. de-
throning the queen OF night, who is said to
be dissolute, and bringing the lunar popula-
tions under the influence OF our free institu-
tions yea, all other questions, National and
International, may be settled, but this traffic
question never. II will not only never be
settled. but II can never be moderately quiet
for more than three years at a time, each
party getting into power taking one of the
four years to fix 1t up, and then the next
party will Ak II down, Our finances canno,
set well because or too many doctors. II Is
with sick Nations as with sick individuals.
body doctor is called in, and he admin
isters febrifuge, spoonful every hour.
BUT recovery Is postponed, and the anxious
friends call In another doctor, and he saws
"What this patient needs is blood letting
now roll up your sleeve ~ and the lancet
flashes But still recovery is postponed, and
Homeopathic doctor is called in. and he
administers some small pellets and saws
"All the patient wants is rest
Recovery still postponed, the family say
that such small pellets cannot amount TO
much anyhow, and an allopathc doctor is
called in, and he says, "What this patient
wants is calomel and jalap." Recovery still
postponed, hydropathic doctor Is called in
and he says What this patient wants Is
hot and cold baths, and he must have them
right away. Turn on the faucet and get
ready tor tho shower baths. Recovery is
still postponed, an electric doctor ia called
In, and he brings all the schools 10 bear
upon the poor sufferer, and the patient, after
brave struggle for life, expires What
killed him? Too many doctors. And that
swhat Is killing our National flnances NY
personal friends, Cleveland and Harrison
and Carlisle and Mckinley and sherman. as
talented and lovely and splendid men as
walk the earth, all good doctors, but their
treatment OF our languishing finances is so
uiherent that neither treatment has full op-
portunity, and under the constant changes IL
e simply wonderful that the Nation still
lives. The tarin question will never be SET
tied because OF the fact.-which have never
heard any ono recognize, but nevertheless
the fact-that high tariff is best for some
people ana Tree trade is best for others This
tarifiic controversy keeps business struck
through with uncertainty, and that uncer-
tainty results IN poverty and wretchedness
Tor n vast multitude OF people. II the eternal
CAB on this question could have been fash
Toned into loaves OF bread, there would not
De hungry man or woman or child ON ali
the planet To the end OF time, the words
OF the text will be kept true by the tariffie
controversy-"Ye have the poor always with
you"
Another cause OF perpetual poverty IA ,ha
cause alcoholic The victim does not last
long. He soon crouches into the drunkarTs
grave. But what about mis- wife and chil.
drenF She takes In washing when she can
ger IL, or goes out working on small wages
because sorrow and priyation have left her
lncapacitated TO do strong woman's work.
The children are thin bloodei and gaunt
ana pale and weak, standing around In cold
rooms, or pitching pennies on the street cor
ner, and munching a slice OF unbuttered
bread when they can get IT, sworn at by pass
ersby because they do not get out OF the
way, kicked onward toward manhood or
womnnhood, for which they have nc prem
aaraIt'on, aIaI except deprayed appetite and
irali constitution, candidates for aim |
house and penltentiary. Whatever
other cause OF poverty may fail, the saloon |
may be depended on TO furnish an ever in |
g cseasing 1nrong ot paupers. oh, ye srog-
shops OF Brooklyn and New York and Of all |
the cities; ye mouths OF he'll, when will We
cease to craunch and devour? There Is no |
danger OF the liquor business failing. All
other styles OF business at times fail. Dry
goods stores 20 under. Hardware stores 90