The sun., 1898-02-17
THE PooR VINO ARE A1WAY rs WITH US
Pubiio usrk Advocated for Those who Are
Obliged to BeE.

Pablo work Advocated for Those who Are
Obliged to BeE.
To TIE EDITOR OF THE SUN-Sir. 1.-THE poor
you have always with you" MARK XIV, n.
Hence, no matter how we may legislate, so long
90 men will be thriftless or deficient in ability
some will bo driven to tho wall and be-
come burden to the thrifty and to tho moro
able. According to paganism. the proper thing
TO do with the weak Is to put them in an old
hulk and scuttlei it outside Of Sandy Hook. as we
do with tho worthless dogs found in the streets.
II We take purely utilitarian view Of the mat
ter. this would be the wisest thing to do and tho
cheapest and most convenient way for tho rest
OF us, sinco there 10 no hope or prospect of i'm
provement In many Of these people. But,
as we arc Christians, and SO acknowledge
all mon, no matter how fallen, as our brothers,
We may not rid ourselves of them In this sum.
mary fashion. No doubt there are those who
call themselves Christians who would not hest.
tate to treat them In that style; those, for in
stance, who approve of suicide in the case of q
man who is no longer able to support himself.
That we have such Christians among us Is clear
from discussion which took place not very
long since In one of tho yellow newspapers.
Assuming that the immense majority are not
utilitarians but real Christians, what are we to
do with the large and ever increasing numbers
Of people who have boon reduced or have most
hkely reduced themselves to bezgaryi
First of all. We cannot, as Christians. refuse to
help man because he is poor by his own fault.
II we were to draw the line there, 1t is probable
that few horse cars would carry all the poor OF
New York, and 1t would not only be easy, but
ondly. we may " divide the LIAR large % class Which is
poor BY Its own fault, or through unfitness into
the sick and the well. The first must be sup
ported by charity; but they. too, are compara-
lively few. and tho task is also comparatively
easy: II is the great army Of those who. being
ali the trouble, These accost, You daily
that 'y you are nTnR Ssr moral
when you don't your conscience disturbs you, as
caused your follow man u to starve Or to drown
himself in despair You have no way Of inves-
soesS as wbeS rr a bs S
| willingness to work, where are you to get him
worki It is easier. as rule, to give him $50
do satisfactorily to the employer, or indeed any
Now, let us suppose that ono of these knights
Of the sidewalk has been investigated and that
he can get tho no work. work. W what is he to doi 1 There
first is to work. tho second to steal and tho
third to beg. Dismissing tho first two as out Of
s
soptiaas lyirs till God T summons n him %DSE into an
amount et socialism might come in use
is such 9, thing as Christian socialism
ss this this {, Christian pFpyds pub
open to the poor. deserving or undeserving,
| this is to make them slaves. Even the poor
man should not be punished unless guilty of u
| crime. In Cincinnati where / lived in my child
hood ls49, such proyision was made, and 1t
was impeded by steep hill in the rear of it, the
Ohio River being In front. and 1t was resolved
that 1t should be gradually removed at the ex-
pense of the municipality. They fixed the wages
one who could not do better was free to take
| his shovel there and work at any time.
When a Door man in good heal asked any
Go to the hill !" so that only the sick were In
need OF almsgving Let us hope that tho wis
dom of our legislators will hit upon some such
| expedient here, as the evil has become intolera-
| selves to be "bulldozed by demaRoGues into
giving the regular wages, for, il they do. those
who are not weak brothers of ours will immedi-
ately rush in. and the latter will be walking the
streets as before | would be the last man to
call for low wages, but here it Is question OF a
charity which will not degrade and demoralize
| the man who must either beg or die The do
| and when man is able towork and willing to
work there must be something out of joint in
| society II he is forced to beg.
As to the causes of this new American way of
want OF schooling. as most OF the street beggars
can read and write and know much more. In
fact, 1t often happens that they are children OF
men who could not read or write and yet earned
which their sons ashamed or too weak to
follow. The father would have been ashamed
TO beg; 80 that education Of that kind, at least
| will not eliminate this class. They will be
always with US: ISAAC.
New YORK. Feb. IA.