The St. Louis Republic., 1904-09-05

has occupied the best minds. ooulm.nled
Itself 10 tie uobi.sr .ouis and csuss.I the
greatest ., sacrihc.s In the history o, iiu-
IraHity. with. perhaps. ono exception. that
of religion. and yet. after al these yesTs
o, sacrifice. TIA problem remains un.oived
and the words % Christ remain true:
The poor you shall always have with
YOU
Perhaps IL. nearest approach 30 the
eiTn.ns ton OF poverty vas during the
Middle Age 7 knop this appears a star
tling assertion. especisIiy 20 those who
regard these sses ~ ages o, darkness AMI
supsrsut.oi. but history hears Oh. rry
statement. The Middle AS.z. had TO poo--
house. no State all for chronic poverty
and no chronic poverty 20 AL. On the
other hsn1 the rnona~eri@s. with their
vast resources. serted zE the great equal
izinE force between the rich and the ronr
From IN. rich hey received. by request
or otherwise. and TO the poor theee richie.
were dispensed. not IN form statistical.
but IN the name of Christ
The recipients Of tbs uionastic protec-
tion were looked uIou as the special rep
ressntatiyes OF Christ. and the hand that
cav. was s.Dt only hard that supported.
bu; one that blessed the recipient as well.
80 that no tsx.s we're levied for the poor
nor no pauperisrn created by the state ;
soUlles- and inefficient protection Of the
poor. Furthermore. we know that IN these
ascs the spirit OF Christ and o? his church
Was cverywhe.e dominant. and that the
church. teaching humanity. contentmsnt
and patienc. 20 al. fused the entire popu-
lace In the sweet bonds Of Christian char
ity Thus whilc on the one hand making
th.. millionaire impossible. freed the COM
munity equally from degrading paupcr!sro.
''ASAin. IN the cities there were trade
guilds which. covering the whole Held OF
labor. projected all their members. watch
In. yer heir x
and b,irying the dead. The-- trade guide
were both religious and patriotic. and they
Inerited. Consequently. th" blessing OF the
Put there was another cause zhy pau
peri-m lid not flourish IN these ages. ne
cities We're not 50 crowded, nor the r'Ish
toward them 20 great a. In these latter
years Tho oId-tfrne city was con<erva-
live preserved it, rights. enjoyed its Drivt-
legcS addressed no friendly Invitations 20
strangers. seeking chiefly TO care for its
Az OPPOSITE TENDENCY.
To-day Nc find the opposite tendency
orr cities want TO grow: they have a VEL
come for everybody: they proclaim their
growth and their prosperity and advertise
themselves as above all others tho place
for progressive and successful people to
com. TO. The result Is that To-day In our
cities 80 have rno-e people than homes.
more hands than work. and thus ve al
low poverty To- become c1nye-sed and pau
p--rism 10 become profession Indeed.
this appears 70 me 20 he the burning 1ues-
tion OF the dsy. namely. that in our large
cities whole districts are given over TO
corRested poverty
AT first sight you should think ;his
ought not to be true in American cities:
that there = 20 excuse for the crowIne
OF multitudes into tenement houses. al
ieywayE. whore there IL no sunshine or
hope. when there lie contiguous TO those
very cities thousands OF acres untitled
ard vast districts uninhabited. Doe. 'i1e.e
not appear a lack % political economy ir
this2 We having the experience 80 fhc
and freedom are necessary that the people
shai! live. NC Still Great. conditions where
growth IL impossible.
Il. - ts.iS problem that ieseryet special
attention FROM the Sr. Vincent de PAIL
Society and 81 IL TO be hoped tha. SOM.
solution may be offered therefor. even "
tie solution Is not adequate 4 special
claim r-sfS upon this society in tie fact
that there are. lust at present. countless
Catholic criigTautS coming to our citi-s.
who. because of tiiel- limited means end
temporary homes IN the districts No zyeak
Of MANY Of rhese Catholic emixranfs
come from the farms % southern and
They ar. people bIss by physical and
mental health. who Ioyc their homes and
who desire to protect their families and
train them In all domestic virtues Our
people are liable. owing TO n falls. public
opinion. 10 impute ignorance and crime ~
these people. but ihey do uniustly. and
it j. very doubtful whether our own Amer
lean people tn the manner born would
have half TIE virtue or faith that thee
% or people have II they had to 1--we in
similar surroundings
''It Is our duty TO help these people. 90
that they may face the struggle Of life
with some chance of success. 50 that they
may raise familie. In their SURROUNDING
families tina; We hope shall be Christian
and civilized
SOLUTION PRESENTS ITSELF.
But how this may be accomplished Is
the task before Us. One solution presents
itself It IL that through organized effort
we could undertake TO place these people
on farms. where. united. they could work
and united worship God according to the
faith OF their fathers The day of Catholic
colonization Is not past. Indeed. IL We look
to this group of waiting emixrantS ~. the
one hand and the vacant districts on the
other IL may be ssid TO have scarcely
commenced.
1T needs to make it possible ard sue
ces-frl the union of men with capital
and honesty: also with enough Of charity
to employ their wealth temporarily FOR
p good causc- ] do not say that they
must expend their capital without any
hope Of returns but do say that hon