The Saint Paul globe. (St. Paul, Minn.) 1896-1905, 1903-03-20
PRIVATE CHARITIES
HUMILIATE THE
POOR
Rev. J. }. Lawler Tells the
Associated Charities That
Its Manner of Inyestiga-
ton brushes the Spirit of
Those Who Apply for Re-
lief

fled the audience at the 49th parlOr
! conference of the Associated Charities
at the Commercial, club parlors last
evening by saying, II think we have
turned into a mutual admiration socie-
! ty." Continuing Father Lawler said:
I'VE Investigate too much and crush
| the spirit of those who apply for re-
| lief. People do not want to be pau
pers. 1t is very humiliating to ask
for charity, and [ disagree with Fa-
Their McNulty when he says poverty
is weakness of character. There
are numerous conditions that cause
poverty, and in a city like st. Paul,
where we have all religions and none
at all, the city and county board of con-
troll, which dispenses a public fund
for the relief of the poor, is a good
thing. 1t is less humiliating to take
charity from public than private re-
lief. We ought to have as much re-
lief as possible. and in all my eXpe-
rience l cannot speak of anyone being
pauperized by relief 1t is only a de-
generate who will live on public or
private charity"
This declaration came near the end
of the conference of the organization
and after Rev. S. G. Smith, president
of the association, had advanced the
suggestion that the outdoor relief for
the poor be taken from the city and
county board of control and placed in
the hands of private charitable socie-
ties.
Smith Opposes Public Charity.
President Smith had asked the rep
reSentatiVe of the st. Vincent De Paul
society if it was possible for the or
ganization to contribute $3.50 more a
year, in order to have the new cases
for outdoor relief taken from the
board of control and cared for by the
private charitable societies.
Mr.. Young, who represented the So
ciety, referred the question to Father
Lawler, who said the society could not
raise any more money for the Asso-
ciated Charities, and if it could, he
| would favor the board of control con-
tinuing its present duties.
Rev. DR.. Rypins expressed the opin-
ion that Father Lawler misapprehend-
ed the aim of the Organization.
THE object of these meetings is how
to attain the ideal state of reaching the
poor said DR.. Rypins, and we do not
investigate too much All people do not
understand the science of investigating,
and this is where the trouble may be-.
What we want is to educate students
to make Investigations. The ultimate
ideal and aim of all charitable asso-
Citations is to get out of business by
putting all poor people on their feet
and 1 wish we could go out of bust
] llCSS lOiiiOlIOH. w IidI we Mdul 10 90 IS
| to establish self-reliance, and treat the
poor not as outcasts but as patients
suffering from a disease. Let us hasten
! the day and diminish the business of
! dispensing charity"
No SIuns in ST. Paul.
Rev. John Wright earlier in the even
ing had congratulated the organization
on having the best system of any city
in the country for dispensing relief for
the poor. He spoke of the city being
| free of vices Which other cities had,
| and said he was particularly proud that
| st. Paul had no slums.
| st. Paul will never have any slums
| as long as we have such splendid char
| liable organizations as are represented
| here tonight" declared Rev. Wright in
closing. .. .....--.
z George N. Lamphere related what
was being done by the state soldiers
| relief fund, and stated that in Ram
| sey county 1876 orders had been is
| sued during the year ending March 1,
! 1902, and that amount expended for
| the orders was $10,765, while in the en-
| tire state $6S,346 was expended from
| the fund.
paper from n. P. Langford, of
| the city and county board of control
| gave the amount expended for outdoor
| relief in q year as $3.50, of which So
| for burials and 1898 for transportation.
The list of the necessaries of life in
| the way Of groceries given in one Or
| der for a family of five persons for one
| month was so small that there was a
gasp of establishment from many of
! the women in the audience.
| Statements of What Is Being Done
in the way of outdoor relief by the
! private charitable organizations which
make up the associated charities were
! given in detail by NJ. L. Hutchins. of
| the relief society; Mrs. J. Wirth, of
| the Hebrew Ladies' Benevolent society;
| DR.. Jenette M. McLaren, of the Free
! Dispensary, and John D. O'Brien, of
| the St Vincent de Paul society.
What Might Be Done.
| Rev. Ambrose McNulty was not able
to be present but his paper on What
Might Be Done" brought out the fol-
lowing points:
| "Proportionate to the size of our city
we have a small number of relief So
cieties. For two reasons this is a good
| thing. The amount of material relief
actually given is less and a higher de-
gree of intelligence in giving can be
more easily maintained. The notion
that the charity of the people of a
community is measured by the liber-
| allty of their material gifts is seldom
true. The correct test is the amount
! of nelpfulness conveyed by the richer
| or more properly the stronger to the
poor or weaker. The chief obstacle
which agents of truly helpful societies
| have to encounter is an impulsive haste
on the part Of citizens generally in Civ
| ing to those who apply.
THE first thing needed is a compIete
| investigation by a trained sympathetic
! worker. Poverty is rarely a want of
money alone. 1t is substantially a
weakness in character. Almost all of
! those who come to want are lacking
| IN some. business qualification. They
! need greater ambition, or industry, or
! perseverance. or energy, or something
necessary to success in the strenuous
life.
In the matter of relief-giving, that
form which is most troublesome in st.
Paul, is the distribution of second hand
| clothing. An initial obstacle is the
quality and quantity of the goods.
! Many people at house cleaning time
| send all their cast-of clothing to some
charitable society to be given to the
! poor; me people sending it are liable
| TO think. they have made a valuable
contribution, and many articles are
sent which are Of no value whatever.
/ CASTOR clothing may be used to ad-
vantage by the poor, but it should he
sound enough to be of real service.
| THE chief gain in the future Is tn
! Increase the number of people holding
| correct views concerning the nature of
charity. When we are fully possessed
OF the idea that poverty is a question
| OF character rather than one of money
fewer mistakes will be made. When
we get this view it will be seen that
the large field, of charitable activity
| hes outside that of material relief Civ
ing