The Savannah morning news. (Savannah, Ga.) 1900-current, 1904-05-25
FOR THE HELPLESS
AND DEGRADED
An Appeal for Something to Be Done
in Their Behalf.

An Appeal for Something to Be Done
in Their Behalf.
Editor Morning News; I ask the
privilege of space for a few lines in
your valuable paper in order that 1
may bring before the public a fFw
facts in which l believe it will be in
terested.
1t is an indisputable fact that at the
present time nearly every corner of
the beautiful streets of our fair city is
adorned CD by the presence of MANNED
and crippled lazzaroni. Do we need
to have more forcibly impressed upon
US the crying need for home for the
debilitated and helpless? Can we not
see the inhumanity of allowing such a
state of affairs to exist? Are we not
betraying the sacred commands of hu-
manity, whereby we are taught to sue
cor the weaker brother? Aye! Such we
are doing; but / ask again, are we to
continue, in this same, already too well
trodden path?
Not only is such state of affairs a
hardship upon the weak and intirm, but
it is running the future manhood and
WOHldIHOOu Oh the GulluTeI OL SuCH DE-
| ings.
One has but to walk upon the streets
at any time of the day to see numer-
Gus little girls of 10, Is and IA years of
age begging from the passersby. They
are sent out in the early morning and
commanded by their INDECENT parents
to bring back money-these parents do
not even inquire into the manner in
which their children become possessed
or it. If these parents are in such
dire need of help as to send their chill
dren upon such a degrading mission, is
it not the duty of the community to
relieve them? If these parents are nat
urally lazy and worthless have we not
the Calvin vagrancy law whereby they
can be confined, and the custody of
their children taken from them?
The girls" impressions and habits
are the mistress of the woman" and
the boys" impressions and habits are
the master of the man." Therefore
what can we expect from these boys
and girls when they blossom into man
hood and womanhood if we quietly
stand aside and allow their lives to be
ruined during their childhood? If we
calmly allow the emasculation of their
better instincts of manhood and wom-
anhood without raising hand to help
them from the pit of degradation and
crime into winch Lney are descending !
One has but to walk in the slums of
the city to see white girls of practi-
cally mature age whose only compan-
ions are negro boys. 1t disgusts one
with life and compels him to believe
that we are living in an age of degen-
eracy and not progressiveness
If our city and county authorities are
not willing to take upon their Shout
ders the burden of ameliorating the
suffering of the indigents and the evils
that result therefrof1, can not our
churches, and the various charitable
organizations of the city do something
to remedy these evils? They surely
cannot plead lack of funds" for are
they not annually sending thousands
of dollars to foreign countries for the
support of foreign missions, heathens
and pagans who scott at our religion
and prosecute our emissaries? Can
they not use these funds to better ad-
vantage in their own community where
the dire need of them is pre- eminently
APPARENT
Let us hope that those in authority,
and in position to accelerate the ces-
sation of the evils / have spoken Of
will soon awaken to a sense of their
forgotten and neglected duties.
Humanity.