The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1897-10-09
THIS IS THEIR BIG DAY.
BEGGARS GO THE ROUNDS OF THE
MERCHANTS ON SATURDAYS.

I
quests-StOres Make Special Pro-
vision For Them Merchants
Would Like to See An Association
| of Charities - Ready to Give Their
SuppOrt-Tired of the Present Plan
of Dealing With Mendicants-One
Wants Identity of the Present So
cieties Preserved.
No opposition has manifested Itself in
/ any quarter to the organization of the
/ charities Of the city. The appointment
OF the committee and the taking of those
! steps necessary for the formation of the
| association meet the communication of all
who have been heard to express them
selves.
| 1t has been claimed that the merchants
would be heartily in favor Of the organl-
cation and an investigation discovers that
| this is correct. Any plan that would re-
lieve them from the payment of money pro-
miscuously for charity, as 1t is now be-
! slowed by the merchants. would be very
satisfactory to them. There are many
| things about the system they observe at
/ present in the bestowal of their charities
they think the establishment of some kind
of an association would tend to lessen the
inconvenience to which they are put.
| Many are not aware of the length to
which the aims giving has gone among
the merchants. Calls were formerly fire.
| quent all through the week, but many of
the business houses have of late set apart
| Co 10
| thing would be. given to the poor. The
| result is that a perfect swarm of beg.
| gars, principally old darkies, who have
not, or say they have not, any one to
support them, and that they themselves
are too feeble to work, pay regularly week
| ~ visits on that day.
| One of the merchants, who has his dis
pensatlon of charities so arranged says
| he has a lot of nickels set apart every
! Saturday morning. The mendicants be-
gin dropping in early, and until about Il
| o'clock there is a perfect rush of the
! custom. The old darkies know just what
! to do when they enter the store. With
| out questioning any one, they go right to
! the desk from which they are accustomed
| to receive their nickels. With bow and
a scrape they make their presence known,
| and on being given the Nickel they treat
the donor to another obeisance.
The merchant said the fact of just how
the charity is given out at his store soon
| gets advertisement among the fraternity.
and that there is hardly ever an instance
| in which a newcomer does not know
| enough to go right up to the desk as If
| he had been accustomed to apply regu-
larly. Not less than $3.50 is given on,
al this store every Saturday. and there
,.-T-..
method is pursued.
| Just about the same crowd of benefi-
Charles apply at each store, so that during
the day they gather enough to live on
during the week. This merchant is OF
the opinion that the proper organization
and administration of the proposed asso-
| citation would be of benefit. He thinks
many of the cases, II investigated by an
! officer, appointed for the purpose, would
| be found to be unworthy. He also be-
| iieves that the Investigations would b.
| likely at times to discover cases in which
| sufferers were without means of relief.
1t is his opinion that there would be none
of the more important of the merchants
| in the city who would not gladly assist
| in the support of the associated charities.
| He says he trusts the ministers will be
successful in the work. His plan would
be to have the directing board composed
partly of practical business men. This is
oughly with that of the min
isters themselves. Trey do not want
the association made up of any one class,
nor do they want the management to de-
vove upon themselves alone.
Another merchant thinks that the iden-
| tity of the existing charitable organiza-
lions should not be lost in the association.
There are people who are given assistance
| in an transformations way whom he thinks
| 1t would try very sorely 10 be compelled
! to accept charity at the hands of a public
| organization He does not believe that
many of these would apply unless they
had become reduced to the most desper-
! ate straits.
He mentioned an organization of which
he is member that never falls TO give aid
| to those whom it may be thought are in
a state of need, without being actually
| destitute. His idea is that it is much bet
| ter to try to keep people in comfort, and
! the enjoyment of that to which they have
| been accustomed rather than to suffer
| them to fall to a condition in which re-
/ spectability and self-respect is In danger.
1t is upon this policy that the organiza-
| ton works, and he says assistance is Of
| ten given in time to tide those momen-
| tarily unfortunate over the rough places
until matters begin to look up with them.
! He is heartily in favor of the association
/ as long as it does not contemplate the
! adjustment of the societies now in exist
euce. II is the place of such an organiza-
ton, he thinks. to attend to the beggars
and those who have been accustomed to
| subsist on charity.
Members of the committee recently APP
pointed to propose a plan for the consoli-
dation of charitable organiza tions, state
that they will have report ready to sub
NIT on Monday night. The details of the
plan which the committee will propose,
however, are not yet sufficiently formu-
| lated give out for Dublica fiOn
.