The representative. [volume] (St. Paul, Minn.) 1893-1901, 1897-03-24
W
ROMAN('ING.

k~ e. q ROMANCING.
A REMEDY THAT is NOT REMEDY.
The Minneapolis Times OF last Sun
day says:
The Philadelphia Record says that
a group OF men were chatting in the
cafe of a club in that city the other
evening when the conversation turned
on professional beggars. A young man
present had just declared that he
wouldn't give to any beggar: that he
had been fooled too often, and that
they could starve for all he cared. At
this an elderly man, we'll known law
yer, interrupted him. saying;
you shouldn't talk like that. I'D
give assistance to any one who asked
me, and I'll give you my reasons for so
doing. Two years ago last Dece IN Der
q man came in my office and asked me
for help, saying that he was hungry
and cold and had no place to sleep.
Now was in bad humor that after
noon, so, although the man looked re-
spectacle and his story had ring of
truth, l refused to aid him. That
night was one of the coolest for years,
and the papers the next day con tanned
the description OF man found frozen
to death on vacant lot. That de.
scriptiOn sent thrill of horror throu'
morgue, and sure enough, there he
lay. with look on his face that / shall
never forget. 1t haunted me for
months, and I couldn't help blaming
myself for his death. A few pennies
would have sheltered him for the
night. and l wouldn't have had a
mans death to answer for"
Here is another case which occurred
nearer home which might serve our
clergymen for text, and from it they
ought to be able to draw lesson con-
corning common sense and the right
uses Of life, which their congregations
would appreciate better, probably,
than if it were based on the stiff-neck-
edness Of the Israelites when they
were deaf to Moses hints how perma-
nently to better the condition Of their
souls and bodies, or on the folly OF
Essau. who sold his birthright for life
for dish Of pottage, which only lasted
him for one meal.
A young man was discovered recent
ly in room In cheap lodging house
bleeding from Shot which he ha0
given himself. When he was removed
to the hospital his story came out. He
was a sensitive young fellow and not
in robust health, Of good parentage
and refined habits. who had come to
the city from an interior village to
push his fortunes. He became clerk
on starvation salary, and had no
friends. His employer was domineer-
ing and abusive. He left his situation
In consequence, and spent weeks In
hunting for work, which he did not
find. His money gave out. He was
com pelled to sleep in holes and corn
ers. He was hungry, lonely, misera-
BILE. 1t did not occur to him, appar-
emily, that some intelligent power had
made man of him and expected a
mans work from Kim, and that there
must be some way Of using his life, in
spite of domineering and vulgar en-
ployers, his empty pocket Or the point
blank refusals which met him atevery
turn when lie asked for standing room
in the world. So, to put an end to it.,
he shot himself in the side, not in the
head, 'lest he should disfigure his
face" He "never thought much Of
living, anyway" he said, and had moth
ing to regret in the whole business
but the pain it would give his mother.
All of which shows how the single
goldsta ndard Is crushing the people
and driving them to suicide. So far
we agree with the Times, but when it
comes to propose remedy for this
state Of universal poverty, we mus
take issue with 1t. 1t says:
The young man, hungry In body and
soul, makes up his mind that the only
place for him in the world Is among
the dead masses-perhaps in the pot
ter's field.
Now, If the city were the world, we
should agree with him, and feel pro-
found pity for him and his like. But
1t Is not the world. The time and
money spent in the city looking for
work would have taken him to the
farms where labor is in demand; to
pure air, to hearty companionship and
lifelong work, which would pay him
fair returns. and with industry, would
insure him mDetence, If he would
but seek for it. He would soon be his
own master. No more risk Of domi-
neering or dismissal No walking
from door to door begging for work.
The earth, and sun, and rain. will be
his employers; Nature, beautiful and
free, his companion. There will be
tastes, and (What is quite as essential
to his SOULS healthy there will be good
food and pure air for his body to wax
strong upon. Considering these facts,
our pity for many of these suicides is
some what modified, The man who is
willing to starve and beg and then
suicide 10 the city when thousand
farms are calling for him and Offering
him work, independence, home, is
hardly entitled to sympathy. Such
men are the modern Esaus, who blind
ly sell their right to a useful. strong,
happy but obscure life for misera BILE
chance Of success in the Uvercrowded
city: Il mess Of pottage which loses all
its flavor before it touches their lips. "
Now all this is very pretty and very
romantic; but the trouble is that IL
the poor unemployed workmen were
to rush out into the country, in
search Of work, they would find "the
earth, the sun and the rain" their
sole employers. The farmers are
nearly as "hard up as the city peo-
pie. They have more food but no
more money. The prices Of their
productions are below the cost Of pro-
ducing them. They have long ago
been driven to the necessity Of dis
charging their wOrkmen and doing
their work themselves, with the help
Of their children.
At harvest time, for few weeks.
they may require some assistance, but
even then they swap work." and help