The times., 1899-01-16

anonymous letter is incapable OF believing
there can be an honest motive in any ac-
ton By moral defect of his character
he is condemned to assume hidden III
centive such as alone could animate MIN
self. No person with properly deFeioPeu
moral sense could bring himsei 10 ihe
writing OF such letter. which reveals not
only cowardice. but so its invariable ac
compartment. malice. Every moral coward
is malicious The only mystery about the
letters is the interest the writer's can
have in defending Lewis. Whether it is
personal friendship. or bigotry which may
have been pleased with the refusal to give
relief TO some poor person of a particular
religious sect. we can only guess.
The charitable arrangements of the Dis
trct have never been wholly satisfactory.
Before The Times undertook the exposure
of the uncharitable methods of Lewis. the
maladministration had led to the intro
duction of a bill in the Senate-as long
ago as last March-for the abolition of the
system. 4 year ago a woman, prominent
in society and known to be interested in
all benevolent enterprises, published
column of criticism of the methods where
by Lewis permitted the deserving poor 10
suffer in a way to exasperate every chari-
table soul. She made particular mention
of case quite as impressive as that 10
which The Times called attention in time
to prevent the actual starvation of help
less woman. Indeed, the complaints OF
the warfare made on the good name of
whoever happened TO fall into abject pow
erty were many before the case of Mrs.
Evans was revealed.
In giving prominence to this instance,
The Times had in view the exposure of
the policy that betrays the generous peo-
pie of the District, who have refrained
from private giving solely because of the
promise that the organized charities would
suffer no deserving poor person, regardless
of religious associations, TO want for the
necessaries of life. 1t is established be-
yond all doubt that Mrs. Evans was in
abject want and in danger of starving If
she escaped freezing. She had been re-
fused relief by Lewis, who represented her
to be a fraud. without the least trace of
warrant for such a slander. He could not
plead ignorance as that would be to con-
denim himself, for it was easy to learn
the facts of the case. That the people
of Washington repudiate and resent this
representation of their charitable pur-
poses was shown by the prornptness with
which contributions were sent TO her,
many of them by intelligent and careful
persons who Investigated her circum-
stances and found her to be not only in
need, but also worthy of assistance.
1t appears that not only are the poor
10 be subjected to insult and SANDER. but
those who dare aid anybody condemned
by Lewis are to be yilified by anonymous
towards. Being unable to find any real
ground for condemning such aid or on
which TO defend Lewis, absurd motives
are invented TO account for an honest
action. The Times and the people who are
opposed TO the Lewis methods and hope
for his early removal from office have
nothing to conceal and need no other in
centive than is furnished by the published
facts of the maladministration of Lewis.
He has proved himself to be wholly unfit to
have charge of the charity work of the
District.