New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1899-09-26
" HELP THAT HARMS"
SOME REFLECTIONS BY BISHOP POTTER
ON THE SEAMY SIDE OF MODERN
PHILANTHROPY


One OF these was that resolute endurance OF strait
ness and poverty Of which there L. so fine and true
jerome" venture to say that the charm OF that
rare book, to grea, many Of the most Intelligent
and appreciative ~ it, readers lay IN me fact ha
they could match H. or something like H. III their
own experience; that they had known silent and
proud women and brave and proud boys 10 whom
whatever tho hard pinch Of want that they knew
TO accept dole was like accepting a blow, and
inquistive stranger or kin with robe Of secrecy
that At once impenctrable and all-concealing
heroes have lost II on the tented field without
"A murmur; but to sue for bread to some other
have smittcn them with the stain OF personal
dshonor. The wholesome clements I'm that earlier
tion each one OF them is sorey attenuated n not
wholly absent
OF condition. In other words, at the beginning or
the present century, in almost all communities
whether Industrial agricultural. the dispdrtles
Of estate were inconsderable. There was perhaps
ne rich man OF the village or town or Two , or
only relatively and they were marked exceptions
me great majority OF inc people were %. rons
Among these there were indeed. considerable varle-
tics Of task work but work and wage were not far
apart; and, what was OF most CONSEQUENCE Ger
tain large identity OF condition brought into II
certain breadth Of sympathy and mutual help, out
Of which came the outstretched hand and the open
door for the man who was out OF work and was
Yes who MAS looking for IT, For here again was
distinguishing note Of those earlier days o. which
II not dishonor In communities where everybody
had TO work an ider or q loafer was an intolera-
bic impertinenco. and was usually made 10 feel H.
And yet again there WAS the vast difference IN
those days from ours that the Industries Of the
and mechanized characteristics \ mechanic 2,
% @ OF t Eou1 d 'rm nj nd tnfeEnnce
could do But ordinary mechanic now must h9
Td sSS @bs1 b ii ont f 81 ob hre he is
ordinarily out OF IT all along the line
Confidently OF SOCIETY.
might. as my reader will have anticipated
IN recognizing go on almost indefinitely IN this
pare him for the point which want to make in
connection with our modern charities ana 'ner
mischief. Our modern social order. IN word mas
become more complex, more segregated more
specialized. A whole class Of people IN cities
those mean. OF considerahle wealth-Wlth Few
noble exceptions lwhich however IN our greater
live In profound ignorance or the conduoh OF the'
fellow citizens. Now and then. by some sharp re-
currence Of bad times" they are made aware tlat
large numbers OF their neghbors are out Of Work
reminded that there Is consldeIape riias -IoM
appallingly large f s growing to be m New ork
Mr.. Coler has told us-whO need help or mink
they do and who at any rate. more or less nosily
demand II I'm the street at the door. by begging
letter IN a dozen other ways that make the
rich man understand why the PRAYER or Agur was
Give me neither poverty nor riches ,,-,
or tbe ,ndid1siq - oniy fhey could "a TO mat
agreed But il has been OF the most pathetic
notes Of needless and superficial trea tmtnt or
great problem that here, there has not been
from the beginning the smallest pretence Of
u, Indonbediv s true that there
IL no imaginable mechanism that could relieve ny
one Of these agencies from responsibility in the
matter OF relief to the unfortunate nor Is y de-
been the Church that has undertaken the relief OF
the poor and sick sometimes II mas peeh ar hee
~ largely left 10 the state But. I'm any case :he
result has been almost as often otherwise mis-
chievous or corrupt and corrupting. For. in fact:
the ideal mode OF dealing with the problems or
sickness restitution and disablement should be
ono in which the common endeavOr OF the Sta;".
tho Church and the individual should he somehow
onght 10 be- the history Of the best cndcayors
toward such coordination has been history f
large inadcquacy and Of meagre results
THE CHARITY ORGANIZATIONS SOCIETY.
As an Illustration Of this It Is enough IN point 70
the history Of tho Charity Organization society IN
New-York. which presume. is not greatly dtf-
ferent from that Of similar societies elsewhere
Antecedently IL would have seemed probable that
such a society. which aims simply TO discourage
community from being prcyed upon by the idle and
the vicious would have the sympathy Of that great
institution. some Of whose teachings are; II any
man will not work neither shaH me- cat uotah no
the sight Of all men; Not slothful I'm business
and the like. Bu. as a matter OF fact. such so
Gle 81 h~ve had no more bitter antagonists than
the NIurches. and no more vehement opponents
than ministers Of religion IN meeting composed
denounce with the most impaSSloncd "iatoTy any
agency which undertook. by any mechanism n
iurude into the question or tho circumstances re-
sources or worthiness OF those who were the Oh
jects ~ ecclesiastical almsgiving; VINO he de-
facts needed to enable them wisely and judciously
10 assist those worthy aud needy brethren who
could sound plausible or probable; but in
little while IT happened that a woman VINO had
died leaving behind her among her effects sundry
savings bank books which showed her 10 be pos
ses sod of some thousands Of dollars which she be-
queathed 10 relatives I'm distant land still more
recently "A case OF similar character mas oc.uIrcd
in small sums through a long series Of Years
been boarded. recipient
been person entirely capable Of self-support and
supporting and the large accumuations are at
present the subject Of suit IN which tho church
IL endeavoring 10 recover what n not unnaturaly
regards as it's own Incorporated money
While rector In large city parish was called
upon by stranger who asked for money. and who,
as evidence Of his claims upon my consideration.
produced a letter from my father written soms
twenty five years before. when ne was BiShop or
PENNSYLVANIA. The writer had when this letter
was placed 10 my hands been dead f9r some ne
twenty years. but In a community IN when he
had been greatly loved and respected. his words
had not even IN that ap1e OF me ioif tne
10 no one and therein lay its mischief When read
T. had I'm each instance been returned % s bearer
and he soon discovered that he had IN II talisman
that would open almost any pocket. He was origi-
INA ~. n a. Of sickness. when 7 saw him how
ever he obviously. and doubtless FOR years
that II he were willing to beg he need not work.
and he had long before made his choice on the
which he produced and looking at Is date and
soiled condition. both revealing The long service
not give YOU anything but VIII pay YOU 80 II
you will let me have that letter II would not
he easy 10 describe the leer Of cunning and con-
tenpt with which he promptly took n out Of my
hand folded a. placed n IN his pocketbook and
Ieft he room. He was not so innocent 10
render his whole capital In trade
Now. here was man 10 whom we'll meaning
but inconsiderate act ~ Kindness had been m"
cause OF permanent degradation The highest
Qualities IN such one manhood. selfrespect fru-
gal and Industrious independence-had been pracu.
caIlv destroyed and act 81 charity had made 81
ono who was doubtless originally an honest and
hard working young man mendcant. a ioafer nd
frau