The enterprise. [volume] (Wellington, Ohio) 188?-1899, 1898-02-02
cHlLpREN's HOME.


1t is often boastfully said that no
one need starve in the United States.
Every one recognizes the duty of pro-
viding for the destitute. Full proof OF
this is found in the fact that there is
not county in Ohio, and few in any
state of the union which has no intirm-
ary. But in Ohio it is against the law
to place children in county intirmary
as it should be, because of the vice to be
found there. Is it still more
important to prevent children
from becoming paupers than it is to
care for their physica. necessities after
they have become such? Many of the
residents of the infirmery have come
to poverty in old age, because of in
temperance. l doubt if there is a
temperance worker in. the world that
does not. admit that it is more import
ant to save the young men than to try
to reform the old The greatest tenn
perance organization on earth, the w.
G. Z. u, is founded upon this belief.
Still there is no one opposed to in
firmaries, but many are indifferen
to the establishment of children's
home. If we can secure and educate
the children, there will, in few gen.
erations, be few to reside in poor
houses.
Some hesitate to favor the Childrens'
Home on the ground of expense. They
rightly complain of the amount of
taxes already assessed, l honor and
esteem the more those of our own
county officers who hesitate to ap-
prove any further increase lof taxes,
except for those things absolutely nee
essary. Such officers are the faithful
servants of the people, and deserve
and no doubt will continue to receive
their support in the future. But no
one can give the matter careful con-
sideration without concluding that a
children's home will be a saving of
taxes. / venture to conclude, from
my own observation, and the tes-
timony of those in position to know
better than l, that four-fifths of the
families assisted by township trustees,
are so assisted, because of the children
in said families.
You often hear the remarks from
patient charitable women, "Such lazy
druken loafer, such filthy, shiftless
house-keeper ought.to be left to starve
But there are five or six or tenchildren
they ought not and cannot be made to
suffer for the sins of their parents, y
No one who has ever looked the mat.
ter up, but knows that home support il
the most extravigant, the most degrad.
ing, the most unsatisfactory in every
way that can be devised.
Intirmary directors and township
trustees so well know this that they
refuse to help by outside relief, fami-
lies where there are no small children,
but insist on residence in the infrm.
ary. The writer personally knows
families in Elyria, who have sold to
their neighbors coal received from the
town. If coal, why not -four and
meat. have not the figures at hand
but venture the opinion that it costs
as much to support one person outside
as two in the infirmary.
If this is the case with adults, why
not with children? A still stronger ar
gument against children's home
is the fact the home assistance tends
to .pauperize children. They learn
very young that it is possible to live
without labor and they inveritably be.
come public charge as tramps OF
other idlers. But in properly con
Quoted home every child old enough
has regular task and is taught by pre-
cept and practice the necessity of con
tinual industry.
For these and a thousand othel
reasons, let us have children's home
in Lorain county. F. G. Eldred.