The record-union., 1896-12-11
PROPOSED RELIEF OF THE NEEDY.


In our local columns the plan of the
Salvation Army is outlined for relief of
the worthy needy man who finds him
self this winter without food or shelter
In brief, the army proposes to furnish
meals and lodging at cents each to
those bearing the army tickets, which
will be sold at the rate of twenty for
81. AS a prerequisite to being allowed
to use the ticket the managers will in
sist If the applicant is not clean, that
he shall bathe and that his clothing
shall be fumigated, and the bath and
fumigaion the army viii supply. 1t
hopes thus to inculcate a sense of
Its of those who need such teachings,
albeit many a poor fellow has not the
means of cleanliness, however much
flthiness offands him.
AS means of distributing the tick
cts to the deserving, the army pro-
pose TO sell them to householders and
others who may require applicants for
food and shelter to do work for them
The army proposes also to undertake
labor propositions that will not inter
fere with existing industries
We do not think this is sufficiently
clear. To give poor man work that
he may earn food and shelter cannot
interfere with existing industry, no
matter what it is. The converse of the
proposition is that if the poor. fellow
wants to work and can work, he shall
starve if his labor comes into line with
that pursued by some one who does
not have to appeal to charity.
The army is wrong on that PROPOSE
ton, commendable as is it's humane
sentiment on the other proposition. If
men come to it hungry, sober, worthy,
pennfless and wanting work, and it can
supply them with anything under the
sun to do that will be productive and
enable them to feel that they have
earned what they get, and are not pau
perized by reason Of their misfortune.
In the name of common humanity Let
them not remain idle, because forsooth
their labor is In line with that of some
vocation IN which others are employed
The simple truth is that Il Is tmpos-
sible to put a poor fellow at ANYTHING
to enable him to fill his belly and cover
his nakedness that some one who is
not in want ts not employed In the
same kind of labor. Away with all
the false sentiment about not interfer.
ing with existing Industries" The
very men In those industries will re-
fuse TO consent that one of their fell
lew-beings starve In the streets or be
driven to crime, because forsooth he
can be best employed In labor which
Is already active In an existing indus
try. Labor Is neither SO narrow nor so
nhurnan as this. and In saying what
we do we reflect the heart and sens-
bdltty OF the thousands Of workers en-
ployed In our midst, who viii not only
share their food with the unfortunate
worthy il need be, but do not fear his
competition.
But q graver problem is involved.
Suppose the householder who takes the
army'e tickets, as all should do. has
NO work to give the applicant? In
such cases he ought to still have the
ticket, the householder having the as
surance that 1t cannot be hypothecated
cannot buy rum. nor be spent in folly.
It is absolutely worthless unless the
army indorses II, and we have its
pledge thatit will not do that unless the
holder is worthy of aid. But it should
be prepared to make the holder feel
the he earns his meal and his right to
sleep under shelter on a cot with a
dressed sheepsl1in beneath the sheet.
and a coarse blanket over him. as are
provided On these shelters in New York
The army should be careful to avoid
pauperizing. 1t will do that sad thing,
hovsvsr. II It u not abs to give the ap-