Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1903-02-13
Mrs. Roosevelt's Handkerchief.

From the Brooklyn Eagle.
The women of the Dallas free kindergarten
are asked to take advice They propose
to snub Mrs. Roosevelt, the wife of the
President, by sending back to her a hand
kerchief, which she gave, by request, to
their fair. They urged to reconsider
They say that the handkerchief cost ten
cents, whereas it should have been of lace
and cost s. or $40. There may be a trifie
Of southern feeling behind this action; that
is. the women may have taken their cue
from the men Of the neighborhood though
We doubt 1t, for men seldom do such small
and insulting things. 1t is merely a result
of not thinking
Mrs. Roosevelt probably receives a hun
dred requests a day to contribute to fairs
and remnant sales, all over the country
Every church, hospital, school, club, char
ity society and social organization that
needs money. writes to her and begs for
some object that can be sold for a price,
and it instances unusual courtesy on her
part that she sends anything whatever. The
expenses Of the White House are heavy.
Despite the allowances for service and en-
tertainments. there is a great outlay for
diplomatic dinners and other functions
things that, in view of his position, no Prest-
dent can escape, though he can minimize
them as Mr.. Hayes did, by treating his
guests to Potomac water with ice in it.
Add the normal cost of maintaining fam
lily in capital like Washington, and how
much is left for strangers, representing in
terests to which the family of the President
must be Indifferent?
The incident. slight as it is in itself
points to a very common abuse in this
country, and believed to be worse here
than it is in any other; namely. the con-
slant begging in which people, often better
bred than the women of Dallas, will engage.
They go to clergymen, statesmen, editors,
college presidents, lawyers and ask them to
talk for the entertainment of little clubs and
societies and Sunday schools that these
Lr,y o,-l Af. IL 70
give money for schemes in which they can
have no possible interest; they seem to
think that the pockets of the rich are bot
tomless, and they are grieved and astonish-
ed when Mr.. Rockefeller or Mr.. Carnegie
declines to give a thousand or two for the
Borioboolagha Psychological Laboratory;
indeed, their one object in life seems to be
to extract money and services from unwill-
ing people.
Charity is cardinal virtue. and the free
dom of giving in this country is no little
of it's glory; but it ought to be remembered
that most of the givers have their own cir
Gle of acquaintance and their own eleemosy
nary activities. 1t is simply impossible for
any one, even had he the riches Of a Croe
sus to give to all applicants, or at least,
to give articles Of intrinsic consequence. If
the churlish manner in which Mrs. Roose-
velt's gift to a company of strangers has
been received results In rule to heed
these importunings no further, it will not be
without it's beneficial effect.
The fact is. people have no right to start
enterprises unless they are willing to carry
them through. 1t is fatally easy for them
to open a charity bureau school, a work
room or a lodging house, and then rush
around to uninterested victims and demand
money to carry it on. What would We think
of men who started any other business in
the belief that enough could be begged every
year to keep them from bankruptcy? And
the worst is tn :, in almost majority of
instances these .eligious and missionary en-
terprises, which are thus dumped upon the
charities of the business world, are found
ed and fostered. by people able to carry
them on without these constant appeals for
help That help is generally given with
grudging, at best, and many of these en-
terprises fail because their managers act on
the supposition that the public can be as
sessed forever.