Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1898-01-03
PROTEST
Continued from First Page.)


is a vexed problem. But good old-fash-
toned, free-hearted, open-handed char
ity that drives away the sting of
want and makes a fellow man feel easy in
his poverty, and inspires him with cour-
age to start out in search of employment
feeling. that the grim wolf is at bay, is
the only kind Of charity that helps PEG.
pie on to heaven, and those who think
that they can create single noble i'm
pulse in the hearts of the poor by grind
ing them to the earth by methods that
are un-Christian and cruel are only fooling
themselves.
Mr.. Wilson says in this report that the
poor are to be raised above their poverty.
not by material aid, but by friendly visit
ing. But should such visitors fail to take
their purses along on such occasions he
would be very apt to liken them to the
five foolish virgins who went forth to do
good without oil. The Man Of Sorrows who
was familiar with all the trials. tribula-
lions and wants of the poor, realized that
1t would be as hard to bring the rich and
the poor together as to mix oil and water
when he said, L was an hungered and we
gave Me no meat and from that day to
this ministers have been preaching charity
to their congregations. and yet on account
OF these middlemen organizations the gap
between them has been made wider and
wider as times have grown harder and as
years have rolled on. Furthermore, the
churches have their own poor to care for,
and in many instances they are not only
in debt, but In arrears with their pastors
salaries; consequently there has not been,
ror is there likely to be- any tumbling over
one another of Christian workers in re-
Spouse to Mr.. Wilson's call.
ITO Illustrate the rottenness of the
'peeping system throughout the United
States. which turns philanthropy from its
Proper channels, 1t may be we'll to call
to mind that, while there are in this coun-
try far less than a million people who are
mere or less dependent upon charity dur
Ing the winter months there Is over one
hundred millions of dollars said to he
spent annually upon charity, sum which
would in ten years at six per cent interest
purchase millions homes worth nearly
$1,000 each. One-fifth of this sum wasted
annually would support and educate the
prison population during their ,confine-
ment; the greatest factor of crime would
he overcome thereby, and the country be
relieved of the curse of prison labor, that
creates idlenes5 among honest men, which
in turn makes criminals of them.
by comparing the paltry relief that the
destitute receive with what $1OO0OO.nO
would purchase for 1,OOO,OO0 people an idea
nay be obtained of the enormous waste. 1t
would procure for each man, woman and
child l barrel flour, 100 pounds pork. 1OO
pounds, beef, bushels potatoes, % pounds
coffee. 10 pounds tea, - pounds sugar,
cord wood, tons COAL 5 gallons molasses.
10 pounds butter, 100 heads cabbage.
bushels ,urnips. bushels onions, :; barrels
apples, 10 pounds lard, 10 gallons coal Oil,
pounds rice, 100 yards cotton. 100 yards
calico, pairs shoes and $40 worth Of cloth
ing. To families of five persons $40 per
month rent for. nearly a year, and four
times this amount could be given.
The little material aid that the poor re-
ceive in comparison with the above list re-
minds us of the circus clown. who, after
working upon the sympathies of the au-
dience by talking about the extreme desti-
tuition and suffering among the poor. asked
that each person throw n nickel into the
ring for their benefit, and, after getting
soap box full of nickels, he very cooily in
formed the donators that the poor for
whom he took up the collection were him
self and his friends. Then turning to the
ringmaster he said in whisper, L be-
lieve that charity organization would
pay us better than a circus
In asking that the matter be reconsid
cred, and that the custom of rendering re-
lief be continued by the police department,
we desire to remind you that those for
whom We speak are neither frauds nor in
dolent paupers. Many of them are persons
who have fallen to the level of want
through no fault of their own, and some of
them can point to the Capitol. War Depart
ment, National Library, art gallery. patent
Office, pension office. treasury and other
public buildings as monuments of their in
dustry of better days. while others can
point to the musty records created within
their walls as evidence Of busy lives hon
orably passed and recognized by philan-
ing them a helping hand that has been az
forded then by the police force ever since
Its organization. and We trust that we do
rot overrate your goodness and Judgment
ed and that the school supplies will also be
put at their disposal when gathered In"
The SiEners.
Among those who signed the petition
were the following: B. B. Earnshaw. Blum
Bros, T. A. Rover John Ridden, Keenan,
Bros. w. H. Keyworth. Guy Curran & Co.,
p. Mann, House & Hermann, Moore &
Cullinan, H. Friedlander, Frank Z. Hop
kins. Gustav Hartig. NJ Silverberg & Co.,
r. NJ. Narrower, s. Friedlander & Co., w.
M. Redmond, George Wilmer, Larrimor &
Ridenour, Holmes & Co., Isaac Levy, H.
Kaufman & Son. John w. Schaefer. f.
Strasburger. Doran Bros, ]. w. Rupert &,
Bro, Chas. Fischer, Bernard Bailey, E. X.
Newman. s. E. Young. H. B. Finney, s. Hal
Ter. c. S. Mackenzie, VIM. Brakhagen. Nor
ris Clark, 8. D. Bush & Co.. J. w. Heckinger.
John McHoun, Bernard ]. Young. Jno. w.
Chesley, Ira E. Kaufman, H. A. Gwin,
Chas. Kaufman A. NJ. Goldsmith. Norval
T. Tabler. E. M. --auden, N. kohn, ]. E.
A. M. Bauer, Tyree X. Fitch, b. H. Smell,
r. E. Dittoe ]. ]. Bischof, E. jain, u. r.
Hackstadt, I. d. Stoddard, VIM. c. Peake,
J; T Earnshaw: A. P. Geier M. H. Price,
w. rNouElkueS, MIS- IlenH, f1yue, r.
J. Mcdonald. A. Markward, E. H. Gordon,
John +. Davis. A. kleeblatt. Phelps & Co.,
VIM. T. Happen. Otto Shoemaker & Co..
jeremiah Wilt, w. L. CAN'T, Chas. F. Mills.
B. Rosenfeld. NJ. A. Perry, J. D. O'Meara,
Mackal Bros. VIM. Hollander. J. F..
O'Meara, J. 3. Rohrer. J. H. Carll H. w.
Wells d. c. Thomas & Co.. Henry Wahl,
]. Austin. J. NJ. George, Harry f. Chappell,
A Davis. J. VIM. Weber Chas. Stein, A. l..
Traphagen. J. Frank Mulcahy. c.. c.
McCauley, NJ. l.. Smith, Frank Lii
lie, Vinson & Perry. Herman Kass,
d. F. Donahue, H. Rat"liff Levi Rosen-
baum. Guy w. Medley. howard Quigley, c.
s. Esitridge, c. Lusby, N. h. Webb, NJ. Ros-
enberg. P. B. Ryon, VIM II. Talbert, A.
Eiznar. 1. Sakolski. G. Goldberg l.. Rosen-
berg. s. A. Griffith, w. l.. Koontz, NJ Nc
Nelly. Blum Brothers. Louis Goldberg, r.
L. Manning, Ezra p. Collins, D. Nachman.