Cameron County press. [volume] (Emporium, Cameron County, Pa.) 1866-1922, 1899-02-23
What Should be Done in This Case.


There is a case of destitution in the
borough which is a source of great en-
barrassment and perplexity to the Off
GERS of the poor and to the philanthro-
pic people of Emporium. What should
be done in the case? 1t is serious
public problem and demands earnest
and careful study from our citizens.
The facts are these: Some three or
four years ago, family came to EN-
porium from Williamsport. Itconsist-
ed of a young father and mother and
two small children, the youngest only
a few months old at that time. Per-
sons who have known something of
the mans history say that he has been
a shiftless begger from his youth. His
history since coming to Emporium
certainly justifies the assertion. 1t
has also been intimated by some, that
the Williamsport poor authorities were
not wholly without responsibility for
the migration of this family to Empo-
rum. With the exception of a few
weeks in the spring and summer of
1896 when he was employed in How
ards lumber yard and in the bottling
works, he has done practically nothing.
His only ostensible means of support
has been in peddling small notions
throughout this and adjoining counties,
failing, however, to pay for his goods
(if the experience of one merchant in
Emporium is a sample of the way he
dealt with others) and also failing to
apply his gains to the support OF his
family. The latter has been kept from
starving the past four winters (includ-
ing this partly by obtaining goods
from stores on credit and never pay
ing for them and partly by assistance
from the town and from generously
disposed individuals. Meanwhile the
number of children has been swelled
to four, each newcomer meaning an
other charge to the community and,
unless something is done, another
piece of humanity to grow up i'll igno-
rance, vice, and beggary. What
should be done in this case?
The community must make some
disposition of it without unnec-
essary delay. What courses seem
to be open? One person will suggest
that they be sent back to the commu-
nifty whence they came out, accom-
panied by an intimation expressed, or
more probably quietly implied, that
that community keep its paupers at
home and provide for them itself.
Can this step be taken at this late day,
however? The family has been with
US for more than three years, and we
have tacitly acknowledged RESPONSE
bility for them by giving them some
assistance from the public funds.
Another possible course is to keep on
as we have been doing, letting them
find their subsistence, no one knows
how, during the summer, and provid-
ing them with food and fuel out Of the
public purse during the rigors OF Wint-
er the family meanwhile increasing in
number and growing more and more
confirmed in habits ofshiftless depend
cncc, constant source of menace
and contamination to the commu-
nitN Another course is to withhold
all assistance, public or private from
them, and let them starVe-or steal or
depart, to be as badly off, and to be as
much Of a curse elsewhere as they
have been here. This treatment
would be severe, also selfish, and
would bless neither the community
which inflicted nor the persons who
received it. Is there not some mode
of handling the case that will be
wholesomely severe yet unselfish and
which may prove helpful to some, at
least, of the subjects of it? The per-
son whose outlook is limited to zeal
for souls, will say what this man needs
is conversion. Convert him and he
will be steady and industrious. Very
true, but there are some kinds OF
devils which go not forth save by
prayer and fasting; and we strongly
suspect that in a case of this kind the
devils of inherited shiftlessness and
beggary go not forth save by the help
of rigorous course of discipline in q
reformatory institution. If there were
some institution of that character into
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