The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1901-12-22
EXPLOITING THE POOR.
One Fault OF Much Charity Is Lack
of Respect for Poverty.
Boston Transcript.

Boston Transcript.
One of the chief reasons for the remark
able success of the Mills hotels in New
York city may be found in the respect that
is always paid to the personal rights of any
man who enters their doors as a ledger.
When a man has paid his 20 cents for a
room" says Mr.. Thomas, the manager,
the hotel is his, and L have no more right
to take away from him any of his privi-
leges or try to make him do what he does
not want TO do than the manage of the
Waldorf-AstOria has TO dictate to his
guests" The humblest man who can pay
the lowest price charged for a room can
have as much self-respect as the wealthiest
guest of the highest-priced hotel in the
city.
Here is a practical truth which many
excellent people have great difficulty in
learning. Phillips Brooks once remarked
TO a settlement worker, in a conversation
about friendliness with the poor: 1.-The
most melancholy thing about poverty is its
approachableness." What then shall be
said of the philanthropy that is forever
seeking to try experiments with poverty!
There are those who conceive il to be a
part of the work of the good Samaritan to
note down data concerning the personal
appearance of the robbed and beaten Jew,
TO call him a case" TO compel him to join
In a religious service by the roadside, and
TO get the sociological facts of his wages
and his relation to strong drink, before
helping him on the ass and taking him to
an inn. Very probably the Samaritan
ought to contiue the prayer meetings and
the sociological inquiries after reaching the
inn. In the minds of the philanthropists
TO whom we refer he undoubtedly would do
so. One can imagine, however, that the
next time the Jew finds himself in a similar
predicament he will beg the good Samari-
tan to leave him by the roadside.
In the study of the housing problem in
our cities OF late years there has been
something of a tendency to treat the tene-
ment house as the legitimate object of anna
teur Investigations. The more meagre the
quarters and the more pOverty-Stricken the
tenants the less attention is paid to their
right to themselves. Into such tenements
city Inspector, philanthropist and investi-
gator are apt TO enter with hardly a rap
on the door. Questions are put in per-
emptory fashion which would be consid-
cred an insult by people in better circum-
%stancef. G%ratuitous advice is sometimes
given by those who would do good as
they call il, although they are we'll aware
that the only ground for their audacity
in Offering the advice is the helplessness
of those who are the unfortunate victims
of their benevolence.
The newer charity does not favor anna
teur investigations or laundering beneVo-
lence. Its fundamental principle is friend
Illness with the poor based on mutual re-
spect. The courtesy which always recog-
nizes the personal right to privacy on the
part of every family. no matter how low
down in the social and financial scale, is
absolutely essential to all permanent So
cial service. If the poor are too approach
able it is the part of the welI-favored to
help them to become less so by the devel-
opment of self-respect. The way to do this
is to recognize their personal rights even
when they themselves have forgotten them.
1t is necessary that there should be in
vestigation into bad housing conditions
and the various evils connected with a city's
crowded life. But these Investigations
whether i'm the name of the municipal au-
thority or in the interest Of private phil
anthrOpy should be made only by those
who desire to build up rather thar TO
pull down the personal barriers of q. proper
self-respect which every human being
| needs before be can be true 10 himself