The true northerner. [volume] (Paw Paw, Mich.) 1855-1920, 1899-03-15
WHERE TO END CHARITY.
Evils should he Cured without Refer
ence to the Individual.


Carroll d. Wright, United States
commissioner OF labor, addressed an
audience in Baltimore upon 1.-THE econ
omic side OF charity" He said in part:
THE social order Of the world, in
Guiding science and religion, depends
for Its development upon economic Sc
curity. Hence every form Of charity
must be considered In connection with
social economics. In that great COM
mandment of God, Multiply and re-
plenish the earth and subdue it Ia
found the great fundamental forces
and principles to be used in subduing
the earth by man. The questions OF
plish this in the best way is one Of
the questions Of existence. Charity
stirs men to altruistic endeavor. In
the charge Of a society are many who
are now untitled for a higher cOndi-
ton Of things, and it Is to change this
and prevent Its perpetuity that we
have to face"
Mr.. Wright then spoke strongly
against street beggary, saying that 1t
has become a regular calling In life.
and one that Is profitable and one that
will not cease to be profitable so long
as the gypsy element Is in existence,
free from notes to meet, bills to pay
or other kindred cares. He said:
81 never give a dime to a man on
the street without feeling that l am
a meaner man for doing 1t, and realiz-
ing that do him more injury than IL
I had withheld it, This sort of thing
almost makes me an advocate OF a
law making 1t crime for persons to
give money on the streets. 1t is a
hard thing for a decent man to realize
that almost every one who asks for
aims on the street Is professional
beggar. Even the children who beg
are sent out by persons for that pur
pose. This is one Of the great prob
lens Of charity, and We must attack
1t without delay.
"a man who knows one thing and
knows IL well, Is educated, and a man
who is capable of making his living
honestly without burdening society is
splendidly educated, even though he
has not been through a university or
had a college course. The man who
has nothing to invest but the skill Of
his hand or his power of labor must
invest 1t to-day or he will not invest
IT at all. How are we to arrange mat
tiers so that he can invest his capital
now? How hard II is for such a man
to accept charity, and the dread Of it
is terrible to him. He knows II he ac-
cepts something for nothing that 1t will
lead him to shirk and continue TO do
so until he sinks into degradation.
There is no more vicious thought In
economic circles than that the world
owes us living
Modern charity aims to help some
body without hurting somebody else,
| but modern charity should undertake
to cure evils wherever found, without
reference to the individual. Judicious
charity must bridge over this condi-
ton Of economic insecurity. We must
give employment, mental and r7uscu-
lar; help men to help themselves.
GAL-SIX
This economic value of charity is to
be found in the new system of ethics
that is arising. When charity does
not aim to bring about economic Sc
curity it cripples the very thing it pro,
duces. True charity, as exercised to-
day, undertakes to prevent the collec'
ton Of criminals by making economic
conditions better, surer and securer
This Is the work that confronts us. A
new struggle for the life Of others Is
arising, and men realize that what
they do for other men is more than
anything they can do for themselves