The Universalist. [volume] (Chicago [Ill.]) 1884-1897, 1895-11-23


shall not give aims, but be a friend
is one of the great agencies of the
new charity for discovering and re.
moving the causes of poverty. Very
little of this sort of thing is being
done in Chicago at present. We
seem to be quite satisfied if the starv-
ing family is fed or the freezing
family warmed for the time being.
The same family comes up freezing
or starving the next winter, and the
next, ad infnitum, and SO it goes.
But more important still in the eyes
of the new charity is the prevention
OF pauperism. The rescuing of peo-
pie before they have become public
and professional paupers. Our pres
ent system aids the first applicant for
aims precisely as it aids the old time
repeater. 1t takes but few months
to destroy self-respect, and your first
applicant joins the great army of re-
peaters and another pauper is created.
The new charity seeks, therefore,
just as fast and faras possible, to
create such sources of help as shall
preserve self-respect, while at the
same time aiding immediate distress.
First, the new charity would estab-
lish wood yards or laundries, where
the man or woman willing to work
could get work enough to at least
preserve their self-respect. So far as
l know there are but two such oppor-
tunities among all the charities of
Chicago where there should be such
opportunity in every ward.
Second, loan bureau where the
poor man in need of little money to
tide him over hard places could get
it at current rates. Now the poor
man pays from five to ten times cur
rent rates. The installment sharks and
the pawnbrokers have the poor man at
their mercy, and they are not always
merciful. A fund of $4,000 would
answer for starter. Milwaukee has
outreached us in this wise form of
helpfulness, and has such loan fund
under way or already establishedI
Third. a penny saving system, such
as has proved success in New York
and Boston. A very simple system
of encouraging small savings among
the poor in an attractive way. A
prime cause of poverty among the
poor is their improvidence. They do
not know how to save. A really
helpful charity will devise means by
which they may be induced to save.
The penny saving system has proved
one of the most efficient means in
this direction.
Fourth, public cooking and sewing
schools, either in connection with the
public schools or as night schools, or
as ventures of private philanthropy.
A fruitful cause of poverty is the in
ability of the lower classes to make
the best use of what they have. They
do not know how to buy or cook food
economically. No form of help would
do more for the poor of Chicago than
to teach them through systematic and
persistent effort what food to buy and
to prepare it after it is bought.
Thousands of them do not know how
to care for their clothing, how to
properly sew or mend. The waste
at these points is simply enormous.
These are some of the more import
ant things Chicago must have if her
pauperism is to be properly and eco-
nomically dealt with. Thorough CO.
operation, careful investigation, reg
istration, friendly visiting and above
all else, every possible means of self
help. Any charity that does not in
the long run help the poor to help
themselves is worse than no help,
and can only result in breeding pau
pers.
ENGLEwooD. ILL.