Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1895-12-16

Total amount received under
stand, during the existence of this
charity from the public treasury $4,000
Total number of inmates on July l. 1894,
200: total number of il mates on July l,
1895. 1877
1t will be observed that the item of
$12o0 for beer and liquor is separate from
the item for medical supplies. 1t will also
be observed that it is 5000 larger than the
grocery bill, the coal bill, and 500 larger
than the butchers bill, and is 81 per year
for rum for each inmate. In addition to
the appropriation of public money for this
institution, large money is solicited. as
they admit in their report. from the char
liable people of this city, weekly and
monthly, for this charity.
Strong drink is the fruitful source of pau
perism, crime and want. Undoubtedly,
many of the inmates of this, as of other
charitable institutions, are brought there
by strong drink. and it should be the oflic.
of these institutions to reform their I'M
fortunate inmates who are addicted to
drink, instead of perpetuating the ape
tite and sending them out the same, or
worse, than when they entered. OF course,
there may be some mistake or some eXpla-
nation, though 1t is difficult 20 see what it
can be; and l submit that such an eXpla-
nation, if one is possible, CT this item for
drink is due from this Institution to Con-
gress and the charitable people of this Dis
trct.
ELIJAH A. MORSE
NJ c., Twelfth Dist of Massachusetts.
What the Mother Superior Says.
When Mr.. Morse's queries and requests
for an explanation We're brought to the at
tention of the mother superior by a Star
reporter at the home of the Little Sisters
of the Poor this afternoon, she was at
first inclined to be somewhat indignant at
the criticism of the Representative from
massachusetts, upon the management of
the Institution.
What business is it of this Mr.. Morse?
We neither ask nor receive assistance from
Congress for the daily expenses of the
home and therefore l do not see just what
right he has to criticlse our system of eX-
penditureS.
Coming down to the matter of an ex-
PLANTATION, however, the mother superior,
who is a bright clever little woman, said:
1T is true that we use beer and also a
little liquor in this institution. Why not?
We have POO inmates, all old people, all
more than sixty years of age and many of
them weak and with very little recupera-
tive power We give each daily
glass of beer, measured out by ourselves,
however, and no more. They get it with
their dinner and We find that it is very
good thing for them 1t is both nourish-
ing and stimulating. What harm can a
glass of beer do a poor old man? Mr..
Morse says we send them out worse than
when they came. How foolish; for very
few ever leave here until they are dead.
1t is too late to develop drinking habits
among them, and if they wanted strong
drink they could not get it.
Our beer bill is bigger than our coal and
grocery bill. Certainly, and if Mr.. Morse
knew as much about Washington insttu
lions as our own people do he would know
that the home Is kept up almost entirely
by what the Little Sisters receive from
their begging expeditions around town. The
grocers, butchers and coal dealers give us
so much that it does not take very much
money to supply the deficiency. If it were
not that the brewers give us something
not so much as the others, perhaps our
beer bill would be bigger than it is now. 1t
takes good deal to supply even one glass
of beer a day to 200 people.
Not Government Money.
But the money that We spend for this
item does not come wholly or in part from
the government. 1t is given to us by vol
untary contributions from our benefactors.
They are often here and know that we
give beer to the old people. If they did
not approve of 1t they would not be long
in refusing their support The fact that
they give us money for that particular OBJ
ject seems to me proof positive that they
think it Is all right to do what we do. We
have, too Some need for liquor mostly in
the form of whisky, but that item is very
small one.
ION national holidays, Christmas day,
Benefactors' day ard the like, some of the
poor old people are cheered up with glass
of spirits, but very small glass, and not
sufficient to harm them in the least. Mr..
Morse, suppose, is a very smart man, but
I do not think he has had as much eXpe-
rience in running charitable home for the