The record-union., 1896-11-30
HOW TO HELP THE WORTHY POOR.

The Santa Ana Blade asks What
shall we do with the tramp" It pro-
ceeds to consider the gravity Of the
question to every community during
the wet and cold season especially. The
answer is brief and it is the only one
put the tramp to work.
But how shall work be furnished?
That is more serious question. Let
it be understood once for all, that it is
settled by all experience that fndfs-
crirninate charity is baneful and cul-
tivates great deal of bad giving. How
to distribute aims wisely has been the
question that has stirred men from
early times In these days it is con-
ceded that the best way is to give un-
der system controlled by organization.
Organization that does not labor in
the direction of helping the worthy poor
to help themselves Is misdirected.
Save to the sick and helpless we lay
it down as a safe proposition that no
aims should be given at all, not cent.
Every man in need should have his in
dependence preserved by being made
his own almoner. Let him give to
himself. But labor provided to that
end for the unemployed poor must be
of a character that will not tempt the
recipient of aid to adhere to 1t, and
the payment should be so small as to
induce him to abandon it and seek full
reward.
The help that keeps a man dependent
Is an influence that pauperiZes. The
English found that to be true under the
poor rates. system. There grew up
there an aristocracy Of poverty that
England has not yet entirely broken
down. Labor that is manly, not largely
remunerative, but that is productivity
useful, Is the very best known means
to employ to ascertain who is the real
tramp, the tramper from choice and
not from necessity.
The labor for the tramp class and for
all others asking aims should be pro-
ductive. The man who gives dole TO
another for carrying a brick, for in
stance, from one spot to another and
back again for an hour to entitle the
aided to a meal, grlnds down the recip-
tents independence, degrades, humili-
ates and disgraces him, and tends to
destroy ambition to get up out Of want
and misfortune to the level of inde-
pendsnce.
In every community there is product
i've useful work to do that can be done
for the betterment of the community
that is not done. Even the hamlet
needs cleaning up, its paths bettered
and its sanitary conditions corrected,
or work done, the product Of which can
be stored for future use. To such labor
the honest unfortunate can well be
turned.
AS to raising means to these ends,
those most Immediately benefited
should be the largest contributors.
Rarely indeed, can municipalities create
work for the unemployed and receive
benefit. That in which to employ them
should be work that needs TO be done
and in which home independent labor
has not and does not need to be en-
ployed.
The wise course always is to encour-
age the unemployed to become useful
and independent, and always and with
out exception the aided must feel that
what he does for the dole is productive.
The man who sees them or knows that
there will be fruits of his labor. works
hest. most intelligently and willingly.
Simple straight out giving to create
n fund for employment Of those out of
labor and means. and suffering for
want Of them, is wisely to be conserved
TO gather necessary capital to set in
motion industrial employment and to
keen It in motion. But the means to
be employed to that end are not of SO
much consequence as to character. 1t
1. "A. the disbursement that the wisdom