The Universalist., 1895-08-17
Observation-Disclosures

The tramp raises a question of
police, and the police force might
well find part of their employment
in humane effort to prevent an evil,
and not confine itself to the arrest
and punishment of an evildoer.
There are left those whom we may
call local paupers. They are the
stationary dependents who make
themselves charges upon the gener-
osity of the public or upon the tax
rate. Perhaps the most remarkable
and promising change coming over
thoughtful minds is the new light in
which such paupers are now widely
regarded. So long as poverty is
deemed purely condition it cannot
be treated efficiently or rightly.
Pauperism is not to be regarded az
an external state, but as living,
generative thing; an energy with its
laws. Thus regarded it divides into
two parts; one part being a life and
the other part a life inwardly inn
peded. These classes are constantly
overlapping and one often gives rise
to the other.
The class of dependents on public
sympathy that is outwardly impeded
is recruited from orphans, widows
and such as have lost their natural
protectors; from the defective, as the
lame, the blind, the deaf, the imbe-
cile, the insane; from the sick and the
aged; from those overtaken by re-
verses. For these there have grown
up the most imposing institutions
that the generosity Of man has ever
created, and in their service there are
engaged the highest skill and refine
ment. Human nature has produced
no nobler or abler spirits than such
men as the Gallaudets, the Seguins,
the Howes, the Braces and hosts of
kindred minds. And what they have
founded has secure support in the
hearts of the humane.
Pauperism and Education.
There is, however, one phase of in
stitutions that cannot be too highly
commended, and that is their educa-
tional work. With tits view accords
the judgment of Edward Denison,
one of the best practically informed
men of England on poor relief, for
he feared that all other charity than
that of education was worse than
thrown away. Just as public school
secures to child, or even a universi-
ty to an undergraduate, trained
skill in teaching, the benefits of gen
erations of experience, appliances for
study, and results that very few pri-
vate purses could buy on any terms,
so institutions for the blind, the deaf
and the feeble minded in more OBJ
vious degree do for their wards.
Their work is that of specific experts
and requires a peculiar apparatus
that no individual can command. In
the same line the philanthropist,
abreast of the best thought of the
times, rejoice heartily in kindergar-
tens, manual training, schools of de-
sign and such noble foundations as
the Pratt and Drexel institutions.
The thought to be presented is
perhaps sufficiently indicated. In
stitutions that educate command
the warmest appreciation of the
philanthropist; institutions for tenn
porary succor or for irrem ediable
helplessness are necessity of the
times; but for other dependents
every effort should be made to open
those natural resources of society
which open to the needy the in
Auences of family life. Though we
have not here the space to show
how this can be done, a word may be
said to illustrate the abundance OF
those natural resources and the ease
of opening them. A woman was en-
gagged in very considerable Con
necticut city to see if homes could
be found in families for the depen
dent children of the town. la les:
than year the tables were turned
and she was seeking for children
to place with the families that ap
piled for them.
Natural Incapacity.
Turn now to those whose impedi
ments of self maintenance are in
ward. Every normal person proba
bly, has capacity enough to sust air
himself in decent, even though il
be lowly way, in social and indus
trial relations. Multitudes, however
are born or grow up with that ca
pacity greatly impaired, or even des-
troyed. Very striking is the phrase
found SO often in official reports as tc
seem almost stereotyped, concerning