Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1897-12-30
CAUSES OF POVERTY.
Humanity's, Hard Condition Estab-
lished by Nature.

The Causes of Poverty is the subjeA
of a paper by the late Francis A Walk
er in the Century. Gen. Walker says:
IN the first place, | should without
hesitation say that easily chief among
the causes of poverty is the hard con-
dition of the human lot as by nature
established. The prime reason why
bread must be so dear, and flesh and
blood so cheap, is that the ratio Of ex-
change between the two has been fixed
in the constitution of the earth, much
to the disadvantage Of the latter.
When it is written that God cursed the
ground and babe it be unfruitful,
bringing forth briers and thorns that
man should only eat his bread with
dripping brow, the scripture does not
exceed the truth Of the unceasing and
very-painful struggle for existence.
Taking it by little and large, it is a
cold and cruel world, in which little
is to be got except by toll and anguish;
and Of that little not all can be kept
by any degree of care and pains.
There are, indeed, regions where the
earth spontaneously brings forth fruit
enough for small population, and
where a moderate effort will largely
Increase that product, while the elm
ate is so benign that life is easily pro-
tected from exposure. But these are
not the regions where man ever has,
or seemingly ever can, become a noble
being; and even here, in the midst of
tropical plenty, the serpent stings; the
tiger prowls at night around the vii
lage; the earthquake and the tornado
work their frightful mischief; cholera
and malaria kill their millions; while
every few years quaint famine stalks
over the land, leaving it numbered
with corpses.
Throughout all the regions inhabited
by our own race life is a terribly close
and grinding struggle. From four to
seven months the earth lies locked up
in frost, and its wretched inhabitants
cover over the scanty fire and try to
OutlaSt the winter. When summer
opens it is to harsh soil that the
peasant resorts to win the means,
scanty at the best, Of barely preserving
life. Sterility is the rule among the
soils of earth, mountain and plain
alike. The exceptions are a compare
lively few fertile valleys in which are
concentrated the productive essences
Of nature. The literature of primitive
peoples is ever telling the story Of this
unceasing wrestle with the hard con-
ditions Of existence, and the same
dreary tale is repeated down to our
own day. Alcman the Greek calls
spring the season Of short fare; and
less than 40 years ago the Irish peas
ant spoke of "the starving season" |!
which Immediately preceded the harry. |
est of the year. If, then, you complain |
of poverty, make your complaint man
fully and squarely against the Maker |
OF the earth, for poverty is largely his |
work. The socialist is simply dishon- !
est when he charges human misery up
on society. Society has done vastly |
more to relieve misery than to create
it.
In conclusion, Gen. Walker says: At
the beginning warned the reader that
L had no panacea to offer, no single,
simple, sovereign cure for the woes
and ills of humanity. We must strain
out of the blood Of the race more Of
the faint inherited from a bad and
vicious pool before we can eliminate
poverty, much more pauperism from
our social life. The scientific treat
ment which is applied to physical dis
ease must be extended to mental and
moral disease, and a wholesome sur
gerry and cautery must be enforced by
the whole power of the state for the
good OF all. Popular education must
De made more sensible, practical and
lseful. The housewifely arts must be |
-aught to girls in the schools. and
Lere the boys must learn to use hand
and eye and brain in a close and vital
cooperation and coordination. Yet
still we shall have to await with
patience the slow, sure action of time
he all-healer. The balance Of social
orces has definitely turned to the side
# the less fortunate classes. and the
course Of events now runs in their
aFor and no longer against them