The Telegraph-courier. [volume] (Kenosha, Wis.) 1888-1946, 1896-01-02
PAUPERISM.i

M ssI9 "a ~ 5,sfg5s 5 s<at9SS.
Synopsis of Very Able Paper Read Be
fore the woman's S, Club by Miss q Il
Helen Hastings grF lu.
fThe following is "a synopsis of an in.
teresting paper upon the subject of
:" Pauperism," prepared by Miss Helen
Hastings, and read before the Womar's
club of this city, The causes of and
some proposed remedies for pauperism
are ably exploited and the paper will
be found most interesting and instruct
i've. This is one of the most important
questions ofthe day and any suggestions
looking to the anelioration of the pau
per classshould command OUR attention
and co-pperation.-ED. .a''.''i''i''
Pauperism is defined as +" the state Of
the INDECENT supported 'ol aided at the
public CHARGE" From the times of
Moses, when the right of cleaning and
other privileges were given to the poor,
it has been a. recognized fact that a
larger or smaller proportion of the
jewellers on this mundane sphere, do
not succeed in supplying their wants
by their own efforts AS to the causes
Of poverty, there tseeThs 'totbe a great
difference OF opinioh.o Henry George
says q ID is private ownership Of land.
The scientific socialists say i" It is pri-
.vatc ownership Of capital. . 'H1tl is
bad industrial organization" Say the
labor retorm6rs. +" It'isthe tariff" say
Some while others think 1T is the
threat Of free trade" e 1t is THE sa-
loon" say tile prohibitfonists and tenn
perapce workers. The soeiblogist lays
it to heredity THE itheologian, to de-
-prayiYa Il as@.ti 5es.l % $50 =
: But,qas the Rev. Washington Glad
den says, 20 A great'social fact like pow
e1Fy is NEVER the result Of any single
cause, and the man who SO explains it
is a quack philosopher. Philosophy
means comprehension, hot speciaIiza-
ton. The latter may be good for trade
and even for science but. people who
undertake to deal with great social
problems must be philosophers. The
question is ""t0 find not only what
causes are MOST influential, but also
which will most promptly yield to in
telligent treatment" Broadly, there
are two causes of poverty and two
classes of sufferers. faiThe one ought
to feel with Cassius, g the FAULT, dear
B:utus, is not in our stars, but in our
selves, that we are underlings. !" On
the other hand, it is true that "society
does through government and burden
some customs oppress the pOor.'' Chris
tan love would lead the Strong to bear
the burdens Of the weak, but too often
the law. Of selfishness supervenes and
reverses the case. In the matter of
taxation, it is a we'll known fact that
millions of dollars worth of personal
property, liable to taxation, fails to
bear its Share, from the too common
custom of hiding it from the assessor
This throws a disproportionate burden
upon real estate. Every man who
owns cottage, or who hires one (for
the taxes must come out of the rent)
must help to make up'this deficiency.
The poor man whose place is mort
gagged for two-thirds of it's value pays
taxes on the whole, while The man who
virtually owns the two-thirds, in all
probability-pays none at ALL.
Through corruption and carefessness
our municipal governments, that should
have been working for the people, have
sold for almost nothing, valuable priv
,ileges. If proper remuneration we're
gfequired, it might remove some OF the
load of debt that makes the taxes in
our large cities twice as high as they
should be. 1t has been said that /" the
revenues of the street railways of n.
Y, should pay large portion of the
taxes of the city" and can we'll be-
lieve that something is due from them,
when the stock, watered stock. is
quoted at 100, 100 and 202.
Congress, too, has recklessly given
away to railroad companieslarge tracts
of land belonging to the people. So
long as the laborer, when offered mad
equate wages, could take up free land
and thus gain subsistence, there was
less chance of industrial oppression.
Now but little free land remains.
Great railroad corporations have
mortgaged their property for immense
sums, and while the proceeds went, in
a great measure, into the pockets of the
managers, the roads have been obliged
to pay interest on this large debt, in
stead of merely on the cost of the roads,
therefore, higher charges must be made
for all kinds Of transportation, increas-
ing the cost of commodities, and max {
ing the expense of removal from one
place to another so great, as to often
deter a poor man, or to eat up his pro-
fits i'll going where there is greater de-
mand for his work. G g failiQaIta
There are some of the ways in which
society, through bad government,
n, l. nc fbn sfr,1Uuln for oyicforIoo hord