The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1897-05-16

A PLEA FOR THE HEALTHY.
Put on Incidence by Mis-
application of Charity.
.eSlie'S Weekly.

Leslie'S Weekly.
There is no city in the country that has
not q large and expensive equipment OF in
stitutions and charities for all conceivable
kinds Of disease and sickness. There are
hundreds of thousands Of able-bOdied souls
who are eating the bread of 1dleneSS simply
because they are lazy, and because they
have found somebody to pay the baker
bill. Sometimes, when looking over the
charity situation and contemplating the
many millions of dollars which it amounts
to, the innumerable host which it supports,
a feeling comes that IL general premium is
being put on 1ndolence, and that practical
work along honest lines has been sadly neg
lected. There is, We admit, an improve
ment, but the fact remains, after all the adj
missions OF philanthropy as the substitute
for charity, that the sick unfortunate or
the lazy unfortunate has every advantage
over the healthy unfortunate. Suspicion
for the latter, sympathy for the former,
and the healthy one gets a stone, while the
others find substantial food with soup and
dessert three times a week.
Now the welfare of the race, as we'll as
the health of the Nation-the healthier the
weather. is the rule-depends upon a senti-
ment which maintains and eXalts the physi-
cal Well-being. A sturdy workingman, with
his pick and shovel, earning q, dollar a day
IS worth more to a country, than a dyspeptic
millionaire munchlng apples, cursing fate
and cutting off coupons. The sturdy work.
ingman is always possible. If he gets sick
or loses his job a little help will make him
well or get him another place. The dys-
peptic millionaire is hopeless. because moth
ing but death, followed by the usual contest
ONSI iIo 1AlilOiLo 0GtlR III IllC OduSG VI uSG-
l~essness. But we ignore the sturdy work
ingman simply because he is sturdy. We
say to him Look here, my man, you can
work; you've no business to be i'll; you
have no right to rest. You cannot have
any of our aid unless you go crazy or get
smashed up" There is sense in this, of
course, because it makes the man work all
the harder, but in the end there is loss be-
cause it hurts the man.. And what Injuries
the producer of a nation strikes at the
very foundation of the national strength.
A life is a sentence. Some are short.
Many are long. A few are very long. There
are commas, semicolons ana colons, and
finally comes the full stop. We must pro-
vide for all these in the economies and
means we arrange for humanity. Men and
women cannot toll forever and be made
to feel that they have no right to human
sympathy and encouragement simply be-
cause they use their talents u~sefully instead
The most unfortunate people in the world
to-day are the poor who work faithfully
and honestly and live economically in the
centers of population. Why do not the en-
terpriseS and inventions of philanthropy
aid them? Why is there not way for these
borrow a dollar when they need it? Why
should they be the victims of the sharks
and SharperS and thieves and slick ScOun
drelS who prey upon honest poverty? Why
should we pass over the husbands and
wives who will return our assistance. and
give our money and our pity to the useless
crowd who abuse it?
We plead for the healthy. They need aid
in thousands of instances. They need the
fresh air in summer. They need a, helping
hand over the rough places. They need an
occasional breakfast. They Away need
and we are confident that there will be no
loss in the results.