The people's journal. (Pickens, S.C.) 1891-1903, 1896-06-25
PITY FOR THE POOR.
Bill Arp Draws IL Touching Picture
OF Sutfcring-HeIp for the Destis


Jutc.
If Gordon Nocl Hurtcl never writes
anything more, "'rho BailiT's Sale"
Is sufficient to draw love and praise
from all good people. 1t has stindled
" kindly feeling toward him, and what
is better, it has warmed our pity and
enlisted our sympathy for tho suffer
ing poor. How easy it is for, hearts to
got hard und charity to grow cold.
hold goods to pay tho landlords rent Is
q much more common thing than is
supposed. The picture is not over
drawn. If it is not sold by the consta-
BILE 1t is by the auctioneer. ! never
pass an auction sale of old furniture
but what | linger and look and ponder.
There is an unwritten chapter of want
and misory in every old bureau and
sofa and chair. There are hearts ach-
ing somewhere. There is sadness
under some roof. If the sale paid the
debt there would be some comfort, but
the costs Of court, the drayago and
commissions takes about all-for, as
Mr. Hurtel says:
Such worthless old rubbish will go
for a song"
"Alas for the rarity of Christian
charity" when the bereaved mother
has to spend her last quarter to buy in
her dead baby's chair. II that did not
really happen, something akin to it is
happening every day in our crowded
cities. What we SEQ when we visit
them is only the sunshine and glitter
that wealth has brought to the favor
cd few. We walk or ride on Peach
tree and wonder and admire, but who
seeks the dark alloys where the poor
congregate? Judge Bleckley wrote a
Il D1 N.,1@ @,,fr
Cities-the City Of Life and the City Of
Death "-Atlanta and it's cemetery !:
and his contrast between their inhab-
itants was wonderfully graphic and
true. But there is u moro pathetic
contrast between the very rich and
the worry poor in every crowded me-
tr0polis. Sometimes we condone our
neglect of poverty and suffering by
saying they are not worth bcfriending
they are ungrateful-thcy brought
their misery upon themselvcs-or, If
you feed them and set them up for to-
day they will want more tomorrow.
Some folks say that private charity is
against public policy, but my expe-
riencc and observation is that the best
way to quiet our cOnscienccs is to help
thcm-give help in some way. There
are a few professional beggars, but
not enough to impoverish anybody in
this Southern country. But those
who are really poor and do actually
suffer for. good shelter, good food and
comfortable clothing are many and in
creasing in numbers every day.
My wife cut out those touching
verses about the bailitl's sale and says
they remind her of Tom Hoods Song
of the Shirt"
"Oh, for one short hour
70 feel as | used to feel,
Before | knew the woes Of want,
Or the work that costs 4 meal
That Song Of the Shirt" awakened
all London TO the suiferings Of poor
women and it has come down to us
..,ung the corridors Of time and quick
encd our sympathies and enlarged our
charities. Oh, that our rich people
would sometimes read it and drop a
tear Of sympathy and then go ont into
the by-ways and do something for
humanity's sake. Rockefeller is Il
great philanthropist in his way, but
George Peabody will outrank him in
the annals Of history and the Judgment
of heaven. Why does not some multi
millionaire follow his example and
provide cheap homes for the poor of
our cities ? | have heard it said that
it was Tom Hoods poem that first in
spircd him to build cheap lodgings for
the poor Of London. His plans for so
doing were not carried out for several
years, but he could not erase from his
memory the lines
"That shattered roof--tl.is naked floor,
y tablc--u broken chair,
And a wall SO blank my shadow thank
For sometimes falling there
He spent three millions on those
1,l l,rt, 4
colnf.,rt t0 t"" thousands who occupv
the. ia a.. "a'urc is not 80 mean
and .,...., .-. IL = ,hOughtlcss and for
gctiul. Oar 81 emotions need re-
mindcrs. Every now and then a pa
thctic picture must be drawn, a tender
poem aust be written. We must see
the poor woman with the faded shawl
AS she wipes with its fringes tear from
her cyc.'
Many a man has pity in his breast
and charity in his heart, but it. slum-
bcrs because it does not see the misery
of the unfortunate. Poverty shrnts
from the public gaze. 1t hides and
suffers and waits, and hence we sec
large sums of money gathered in the
churches to be sent to those alar of
when there is more need OF it at home.
Starving people do not go to church
nor will they go half clad in nnseemly
garments. The best religion Ian
guishes from hunger and cold. True
charity must hunt for distress ana re-
licvc it.
This rominds me of the convicts and
their pitilcss condition. Most Of them
deserve their fate but among tho 1900
there are some who lave cxpiated
their oifcnses and ought to be set free.
The c0urts make mistakes sometimes.
ard no doubt there are many convicts
paying penalties they do not owe.
There is not q more helpless creature
upon earth than friendlcss convict,
and we rejoice that Governor Atkin-
son and the committee are making q
searching examination. The Cover.
nor told mo OF q negro boy who had
served nine years and had eleven more
to serve. He went in q boy OF fifteen
charged with arson and now it appears
most clearly that he was not guilty,
and it could have been SO proved, b t
tho witness, Il substantial citizen, live
out OF the State and his evidence could
not be had. The how WIS cOnyirtn1 M