The herald., 1897-03-29
DIR. Thomson on poverty
and Charity"
JOBS SORROW AND PATIENCE
A STRIKING STUDY BY BURT
ESTES HOWARD
The Rev. A. A. Rice Considers "The
Effects of Wrong Life"-David
Walk at East Eighth Street

The pastor of the Church of the Unity
Rev. ]. S. Thomson, yesterday preached
a sermon upon Poverty and Charity"
taking the text, "Why stand ye here all
the day i0le? Go into the vineyard; and
whatsoever is right, that shall ye re-
ceive" Matthew, 20:6-7.
1--WE all live on Gods charity" said
the preacher, "anG the charity of our
ancestors. Every child is pauper upon
parents, the state, the school. He ceas-
es to be pauper when he begins to earn
his own living, and to pay back what he
owes to parents, teachers and his eoun-
try. Some people, rich and poor, live
and die paupers, because they do not
pay what they owe to the human race
and to their creator
I'm our city there is more food wasted
than would fill every hungry person
within our gates. In a time of suffering
and destitution it would be well to es-
tablish depots for collecting and distrib-
uting this food among the poor; and all
other necessities might be provided for
the needy in the same way. 1t is report
ed that corn is used for fuel in some parts
of the country because it does not pay
the poor farmers to ship it to the mar
kets. Railroad companies and rich men
could help in distributing this corn into
regions where there is destitution. This
would not injure legitimate business.
There is plenty of food in the country for
ali the people, and rational and practi-
cal methods of distribution could be
adopted to prevent starvation in any
place.
There is plenty of rich land for mil
lions of settlers; and it would be wiser
for poor men to work on this land and
make a living than to rush into cities
and to bring about a congestion of labor
and to increase the unemployed multi
tudes. There are roads to be made, riv-
ers to be cleaned out and banked, and
harbors to be built. If it be true that
there are very many unemployed men in
our city, would it not be well to employ
some of them in sweeping our streets
and to lay asidethe sweeping machines
for a season?
1T was Christ who said long ago that
we should always have poor with us;
/ and this statement is justified by the
fact that some people are born without
brains to take care of themselves. And
it is nonsense to tell us that we can help
people to help themselves, because 1t is
utterly impossible to teach such people
lessons of self-help. They neither can
nor will take these lessons. 1t is our
duty to feed hungry fools, cranks, and
even criminals If we have the food.
They are our brothers and sisters, and
their sins and misfortunes are not ex-
cuses for US to let them starve.
THE American people are very charit-
able; but their unwise charity has Gre
ated paupers and imposters. Begging
is now an American institution, and a
large one at that. The imposters have
rendered necessary our brotherless and
bloodless associated charities. Person
al contact between giver and receiver
is no longer a feature of brotherhood.
Professional philanthropists are nee
essary evil of our age AS rule they
profess a good deal and give very little
to the poor. Judas was a professional
philanthropist in his time. He said,
Why was not this oil sold for 300 pence
and given to the poor?' 1t is added that
this he said, not that he cared for the
poor, but because he was thief and had
the bag, and bare what was put therein
Those who assume to distribute charity
should be filled with the Holy Ghost,
like the ancient deacons, In order to
prevent them from doing more harm
than good.
'BegSdrS IndI quote scripture " yOu,
and offer to tell you what a Christian
should do, are imposters of the worst
kind. 1t is good reply for them to quote
to them the beatitude, Blessed are the
poor Jewish beggars are very rare,
and Japan has no paupers. India has a
famine now, but that does not hurt the
noble fact that Hindoos do not beg, ex-
cept as religious exercise and duty.
Destitute -Hin6ioos are supported by
their relatives The Chinaman in Cali
fornia does not beg, and yet we Chris
tians hate him. cheat him and oppose
him. The Chinaman who makes his
living is a nobler character than the
Christian who begs; and the Chinaman
is himself proof that begging Is not a
necessity.
1.-THE fanatical and brainless strikes
of recent years have been the cause
of much of the suffering among
poor people, and the unemployed are
experiencing the results of the derange-
ments in trade and commerce which
those strikes produced. The failures of
savings banks have made much desti-
tuition. We ought to have postal or gov
ernment savings banks for the saving,
hard working and ambitious poor men
and women.
IF the poor and the rich would keep
the golden rule, we would have no pow
erty. The golden rule Is a simple and
sure cure. but we do not like it, and prob
ably we never Will like it in this world';
and. therefore, poverty will live as long
as the race will live. Poverty is not des-
titution, and we can surely get rid OF