Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1899-11-01
THE uENDfCANT.

THE MENDICANT.
with the crowd attracted here by tie
shuhiick launching has come a proper
tionate number Of beggars. IN various
stages of physical mutilauon, LIKE
Other undesirable visitors, these people
follow crowds, and on such occasions
spring up like mushrooms Their ap-
pearance does not add to the cheerfllness
of cities nor do they seem to have any
mission in the body polite. II they even
stimulated sweet charity, their whining
lamentations might be pardoued, but
everywhere they are regarded with sus-
picion. Unfortunately the mendicant in
all lands is held in distrust No matter
how obvious his bodily inhrmities may DO,
the general public shrink from the auda
cicus way in which he makes capital Of
his woes. Usually the charitably inclined
is haunted by the fear that he Is being
deceived by professional sharper. Let
a man but think that he is being swindled
and he will shed the last drop OF his blood
to save cents.
Beggars. good and bad, have been very
cleverly discussed by William Dean
Howells, in his charming book of essays
entitled, 'Impressions and Experiences
II we recall his ideas accurately, he says.
in substance, that be never assisted
nenGicant without afterwards feeling
that he had been deluded by a rascal
whereas. on the other hand. he never
denied one help without subsequently cx-
perlencing the sharpest pangs of con
science.
And that is pretty much the case with
everybody Charity OF this sort works
on hit or miss plan, aud one can
never be quite sure that he has acted
judiciously The besgar with gaping
sores or stumps for legs, or sightless eyes.
is naturally much 10 be pitied. And yet
q philosophical person might well argue
that these very infrmities are used 10
bait the multitude, and consequently that
the alms-seeker is assisted far beyond his
deserts. We reason-when we wish 10
palliate our stingihess-that even though
man be blind, there is no reason why
sympathizing pedestrians should annually
give him as much money as a congress
man draws This logic, though possibly
based on false premises, in 50 far. as The
beagar's income is concerned, hallway
satisfies US, and so. when We meet the
strong. nice-looking, but needy young
man. we magnanimously separate our
selves from a dime and bestow 1T upon
him. Possibly if we watch the yourg
man. we see dozen others do as we
have done and then, as a crushing, finale,
We detect the mendieant as he sneaks INTO
saloon This makes US pessimistio, and
we are harsh and cruel to the next beg
car who POSSIBLY. deserves assistance,
and failing TO get it, dies of Starvation
or commits suicide Thus the world
wags. but the poor are always with us
Organized charity does not meet the
situation, II, forsooth. there were enough
Institutions TO house all the supplicants
things might be different. but even then
we would find the beggars looking our
eff. house in the mouth and spprnins il.
Nor could we altoge. her blame them.
Some might argue that the police should
remedy the Observation-Disclosures laws
or rather anti-vagrant laws valid soise
the problem, but here again'we have the
| conflict OF pity and suncompromisins
ueor. The man arrested usually tells
pl,lfrl story, verifes it, and causes our
aickering sympathies 10 aare up like 4
blacksmith's Goals at the bellows muzzle
| The Chicago chronicle switch bias
uhilosophizing along the same line. mas
the following to say abont hegars:''
The problem has wen been ,prenounced
! an ugly" one TO solve still. u - an
uslier one to abandons There sfpuld he
! some trustworthy ags neg. sconnpctent ana
| uncovered to deal with THESE various per-
sons-the boy who ought 10 be in school,
| the Blind man who perhaps ought to re-
ceive some stipend, the sufferer from dis
| easc who needs treatment in an instiEn-
tion-each according TO his special cr-
| c.mstances. with adequate provision Of
This sort made, and widely made known
10 the public, these dependents would b'
left to such provision, the hit-or-miss
| street CHARITY" which now persists would
be reduced to minimum, and, if need be,
| y.eolous measures would be supported oy
| the public conscience 10 free the stress
from this most unwholesome form Of
| mcndicancy.
These suggestions may, II seriously CON
slcered. do much good but We fear our.
contemporary has merely gone in one
hole and come out anotptr."