The Universalist. [volume] (Chicago [Ill.]) 1884-1897, 1896-01-18
Charity Problems.
SPECIAL ARTICLE.


i misunderstood VIRTUE.


of self support, and indirectly only to the
mass of the workers. who thereby have
a larger number of idlers to support.
while their own numbers are also di-
minished by desertions to the ranks Of
the idlers.
Relief that is Not Relief.
On the other hand, the charities
which do not tempt to idleness often do
not do much harm, and sometimes even
do good, to the persons they undertake
to help, while they do a great deal of in
jury to large bodies of workers. This
harm is done by giving "relief in aid of
wages" as it is technically called; that
is. by giving small sums to persons who,
in consequence, are enabled to work for
less wages than they otherwise could
live on, SO that they, competing for
work, underbid other workers, and
gradually, if their number is large
enough land unfortunately very few
comparatively can produce this effect),
they bring down the wages for all the
workers in this particular trade.
An Illustrative Example.
A simple illustration will show how
this happens. Let us imagine small
town where twenty women go out to
scrub, at S150 day each, for four days
week, having hard time, of course,
but managing to live. Some charitable
ladies in this town, full of commisera-
tion for four or five of these women
whom they employ, think it would be
kind to get up charitable society to
help them. Strangely enough, it does
not occur to them that perhaps the
best way to help them would be to pay
$500 day for scrubbipg-no that
would raise wages" which to some
people seems the wickedest thing in the
world but charitable society founded
on the most approved modern lines,
which will not "pauperize" these poor
women, is exactly the thing; 80 it is or
ganized, and each woman can get $500
worth of sewing week, to be paid for
from the funds of the society. What
will probably happen? There being
some competition for the scrubbing, the
women who secure the "relief work"
offer to do scrubbing at $1.25 day, in
stead of at $1.50-the ladies', charitable
and other, are not 10th to pay less than
formerly, and employ those who work
the cheapest then gradually the others
are told by their employers that Mrs. So
and So works for 81 25 and they must do
the same. and SO the result is that the
women who scrub and also do charity
sewing. instead of earning Sc week as
formerly, earn 81, while the rest, who
only scrub, earn So, instead of Sc. That
is, instead Of s120 paid in wages each
week to twenty women. the twenty wo-
men get $110 week, Of which 800 is
wages earned for real work and $40 is
money paid for "relief work." and the
good of the extra dollar week to the
five charity workers is but poor Off
set to the loss of dollar week to the
other fifteen women.
A Charity Which Begins at Home.
Charity must be extended to mans
own employees, and to all who work for
him, to servants, clerks, saleswomen,
and demands consideration for their
welfare, their health, their feelings.
Educational charities" are always good.
Too much money. time and thought
cannot be given to teaching of all kinds
knowledge to the ignorant, wisdom to
the foolish. skill to the helpless, good
ness to the wicked-that is, teaching
people to be and to do something. Emer.
son says: He who gives me something
does me low benefit; he who teaches
me to do something for myself does mes
high benefit"
Actual gifts of money from individu.
ais to individuals are also safe if they
are accompanied by real thought and
consideration, enough to enable the Civ
or to judge of their effect, and to know
whether they do good or harm.
And finally it is necessary to protest
againt a most lamentable misun der
standing of what is called organized
charity;" people suppose it to mean ap-
parently that they are each to put little
money into machine, and that from
this machine there will come out great
quantity of money. which will be wisely
ana klndly distributed 10 great many
people-they do not pause to consider
how wisdom and kindness are to be de-
veloped by machine, or to reflect that
these attributes can only be exercised
by human beings in their relations to
human beings. Organized charity"
means in fact only that charity, real
charity, love, if it is meant to reach
strangers those outside the natural
lines of our own lives) must be organ.
ized, that is, must be properly ordered,
because if not, if it be disorganized and
disorderly. it will do harm where il was
meant to do good, in the ways already
described.
Organization does not dispense with
human sympathy. it only prepares the
way for it. AS system of water works
ia city does not make the life giving
water Unnecessary. but only offers q
means by which it shall reach those who
need il, so a system Of organized charity
merely provides the means by which
sympathy and the desire to do good NAV
bring life and hope to the desolate and
oppressed. 1t relieves the charitable of
no duty. 1t only makes their duty more
imperative. because clearer and more ef-
fective. JOSEPHINE SHAW LOWELL.
NEW YORK CITY.