The times dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1903-1914, 1906-03-09
THE FAKE CLUB.
1t Breeds Pauperisn and De-
bauches the People.

1t Breeds Pauperisrn and De-
bauches the People.
Editor OF The Times Dispatch:
Sir.-It was with some regret that was
not able to present my plea for the aboll-
| Senate committee last Wednesday night.
| The hour was so late when the promoters
! OF Judge Manns measure were offered
hearing was Compelled to leave before
space in your columns to outline our
position from the standpoint of construc-
tive relief work among the poor.
Poverty is. due to a number OF causes,
or limited In effect. while others. perhaps,
may not. Away back In the early Mosaic
code 1t was recognized from the expe..
rience of the world that the poor shall
thousand years of further experience
have proved the truth Of the Observation.
a higher authority than Moses verified
It when Christ said. For we have the poor
that the poor are a problem with which
we have to deal continually. There is
no evading the responsibility. we have
1t to meet and must meet 1t with the
best methods and Judgment that expe-
rience teaches us.
| All over the country, in our cities, or
ganizations have been effected to relieve
poverty and fight its causes. To remove
foster it. And the fundamental idea In
| all relief work is construction-that is. to
| lift the poor into the wage1earn'ng and
self-supporting class seenty-five per
help. get into this class. Wise and per-
sistent methods of relief have accom-
plished this both in England and Amer
lea. 1t will at once be seen that this is
an end well worth all OF our efforts to
gain. II we can reduce the dependent
poor to one-fourth the present number.
we not only tighten the burden upon the
community. but we hold In check the
ism in the community. This great and
| much desired object is the reason for the
rapid multiplication of charity organza-
ton societies throughout our country.
Their universal rule is ee-fold-investi-
CATION registration, construction.
If, then. we see any one cause defeating
our efforts, II we see our constructive
work torn down. IL as fast as we get
class and on the road to self-respect and
eilf-supporting class. Seventyfve per
which sweeps away and deprives them
OF the wage that is essential to indepen-
dent living, then we are bound to remove
this cause If 1t is within the power of
righteous legislation to do So
take 1t that all legislation is, In spirit
and purpose. humanitarian. The object
of all law Is to benefit and protect the
people. especially the weak and innocent.
To protect individual rights. to control
or put down the evils and to get the best
results for the public good. This is the
| the law will not uphold any individual or
number of individuals even In the exercise
of personal liberty if such exercise pro-
duces public harm and is hurtful to any
| class of people.
Pauperism is a public evil. 1t produces
Ignorance and crime. 1t is disease in
| the public body and 1t is the very hot
| bed and breeding place of disease in the
| human hOdy The ri
! forced to stamp out pauperism In the city
| on grounds of pure self-defense. Apart
from all other considerations, the we'll
to-do are compelled to organize against
! pauperism for self-protection.
The white plague that thrives in the
! alleys finds its terrible way into the
| chambers of the rich and even money
cannot always check its ravages. There
fore. common sense. as we'll as common
| humanity. teaches us to remedy the evil
as far as possible.
OF all the causes that produce poverty
| there Is none SO prolific as drink This
lies at the root of more than one-half
| OF the pauperism of our land. Directly or
indirectly 1t Is an ever increasing cause.
In the city OF Richmond 1t has done far
more to pauperIze the poor than all other
causes combined. In the nine years of
! my own experience here as pastor OF
church among the poor, l have found that
IN families where there was no drinking
member at the time, death resulted fire.
quently from conditions which had been
established by drink years before.
Mothers and children. forced into poverty
by drunken husbands and sons, finally
J yielded up life in a struggle too great
I for their strength. Little girls, forced
| Into stores and factories at early ages
| contracted disease in the absence of food
| and rest necessary for their development
and health. Boys thrown into the streets
| before they are in their teens contract
| habits of idleness, lliteracy and I'm
morality which result in disease and pre-
mature death from nervous and other dis
| orders. To the man thrown constantly
with the problem OF drink 1t Is a pitiful
| tale with apparently no remedy.
Recent Investigations In the city show
| that while the ordinary bar-rooms and
s sa3 8, are he responsible for much OF this
new social club system is the most fruit
| full source that mans destructive in
genulty has yet devised. Under the guise
OF benevolent intention, social well-belng
been dotted over with private places OF
meeting, where. under the protection of
the law, the real spirit of the law is
violated every day. With a low rate Of
joyed, and the limits placed upon the Or
binary saloons are entirely disregnrded.
During the hours In which the regular
5ars are r, closed on Sunday these places
DO flourishing business. Eyasions of
the charter and license are an easy mat
ter. 1t stands to reason that the men
who are Interested in work of this kind
are not apt to hesitate about ways and
means when the dollar is to be made.
EVERYTHING possible is done to get the
man with the weeks wages to leave them
! at the social club. Some of the Instances
! Of sheer heartlessness and Indifference as
to. the fate of the poor wife and children
which have come to my notice are almost
| incredible One man, a fine, able-bodied
mechanic. who can earn twenty dollars
a week Mt his trade and who can always
get work when sober, has not paid, for
the support of his family, a dollar a day
from conditions produced by poverty and
three others were III, Doctor, neishbors
and friends helped out as best they could,
We are willing to rest our plea for legis-
this public evil. There are other serious