The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1899-11-24
cRAR1TY THAT CURsEs.
Tndiscrimiuate Giving Results 1
Chronic Pahnarinm.

oFtGAVuA " QN4EFel Win u Virtue Va
with what passes as a virtue. but It
cannot be doubted that some Of the
heaviest curses that rest upon ciyill-
zed society to-day have come upon Il
through the exercise Of unthlnlSlng and
lndiscriminate charity. It Is this kind
Of charlty-the scattered dole. the aims
thrown out with free and open hand to
all who win receive-that has filled
many parts Of the old world with a
pestilent multitude OF professional beg
gars, lazy. filthy. lying horde Of par
asites. heavy burden upon. the honest
and Industrious. menace to society.
and a terror to all, the native and the
stranger alike.
The same kind Of charity, kindly
meant but grossly miSdirected, has bred
within the borders Of our own busy
and prosperous land that creature who
Is always seeking but never finding
work. and who lives upon the commu-
nifty meanwhile, the creature known as
the tramp. There are 10000 Of these
professional beggars and semi-crimi-
nails in the United States to-day, an
army whose ranks are constantly re-
cruited by men and women who find,
unhappily for themselves and the COM
munity, that the display of few rags
and whining lie about want and suf-
ferinS are all that is necessary to open
to them the purses or the kitchen doors
Of soft-hearted and easy-golnG peo-
pie. All these and vast number Of
other persons, who derive their sup-
port partly II not wholly from beg
gary. have come to be what they are
chiefly because their seif-respect and
Independent spirit have been broken
down by a false and vicious philan-
thropy.
Considerations Of this character arc
urged with force and apposlteness in
an article contributed by Bishop Potter
to one of the periodicals for the cur
rent month. He makes a plea for sys-
tematlc and organized charity, a char
ity based on sound and true philan-
thropy. OF the evil results of the
false kind he gives many illumInativc
examples drawn from his own obser-
vatlons and experiences. one.of these
relates to a woman who had been for
years the beneficiary OF a clergyman in
a city parish, but who on her death was
found to be in possession OF several
thousands of dollars, which she be-
queathed to relatives in distant land.
Another example cited is that OF n
woman who had connected herself
with no less than seven parishes. from
every one Of which, as a poor widow.
she was receiving a monthly allow
ance.
A more striking Illustration Of the in
finite mischief that may come from a
well-meaning but InconsIderate act OF
kindness is afforded in n story which
the bishop tells OF man who came to
him for help and made his plea on the
strength OF letter written for him by
the bishops own father, who had been
dead for twenty years. The letter was
a general letter, Addressed to no one,
and therein lay the mischief. When
read 1t had in each instance been re-
turned to It's bearer, and he soon dis
covered that he had in It talisman
that would open almost any pocket,
The man had been originally an indus
trlous mechanic temporarily disabled
by illness and worthy, at the time, Of
judIclous help. But the letter proved
his undolng. BY means Of 1t he had
lived for years without work and be-
come a chronic loafer and fraud.
Bishop Potter says that he offered the
man ten dollars for the letter, but the
fellow was mot so innocent as to sur
render his whole capital In trade"
This is but one instance out Of many
that might be cited to show what ruin
and degradation may result from easy
going and thoughtless alns-giving. The
best and wisest charity. as pointed out
by Bishop Potter. is that which embod-
les the giving OF ones self, the help
that helps UP and not down. This is
the kind of charity that found express
sion in the noble service of Edward
Dennison in England, and is finding ex-
preston in our own land to-day in the
work of our college settlements, free
kindergartens, manual training schools,
women's exchanges and other agencies
and institutions where the poor and
the needy are taught how to help
themselves and encouraged by person
al influence and example to better and
more thrifty ways of living. This is
not the easiest kind Of philanthropy,
but 1t is the only true kind, Human
nature is nowhere so weak as on the
side which charity touches. There is q
sad truth in the saying that laAiness is
one Of mans besetting sins. It is his
constant temptation to make his way in
the world somehow or other without
work. Woe be to him who yields to this
temptation, and equal woe to him who
makes himself, though unwittlngly, the
tempter.
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