The Hawaiian star. [volume] (Honolulu [Oahu]) 1893-1912, 1907-01-22
JUDGE DOLE ON
SUPPRESSION OF
PAQPERISM


The following interesting paper on
the suppression of paupersm, was read
by U. S. Judge Dole yesterday, at the
meeting of the Associated Charities:
Probably all workers i'm the cause of
charity are at times impressed with
the ineffectiveness Of ordinary relief
work in diminishing the causes which
create the constant demand for such
relief; and probaly an increasing
number of such workers are demand
ing some active attack upon such
causes as the only thing that will free
the world from pauperism and its
swarm Of evil influences.
IF but a tenth part of the thought
and energy which is given to money
making enterprises, to inventions, or
the development of mechanism and
chemical combinations for the de-
struction of men, ships and fortifca-
tons in battle, should be devoted to
the study of principles and methods
for the eradication of pauperism, it is
most probable that in a single gener-
alton this obstacle to human progress
would be radically lessened and that a
few generations more would see it sub
stantially overcome.
Although it is philanthropic to re-
! lieve the DISTRESS of poverty through
charitible work, it is like Topping off
the outer twigs of a tree in the hope
of destroying it, so far as it tends to
eradicate papperism itself.
eve relieve want here and there A
few children of poverty are rescued
from their surroundings and given a
chance for becoming self-respecting
and selg-supporting men and women,
but the process of producing paupers
is ever going on and the supply is APP
paling to the most optimistic. Ig-
norance and prejudice among both the
well-to-do and the poor contribute
largely to this result Intemperance
congestion of population in cities, the
greed of trusts, unsanitary habita-
tions, unsuitable food, wasteful and
unscienti1c cooking, want of economy
in housekeeping, evil environment for
children 9th in regard to health and
character, and hereditary tendencies to
disease and moral deficiency are prom
inent in the great array of hostile con-
ditions that hamper the efforts of hui
manity to clear itself from the blight
and stigma of pauperism
"a few men and women are working
intelligently and with a consecrated
public spirit to remove the cause OF
this age long evil; but it is almost q
single-handed fight against a wide
spread condition that seems to be Sc
curely and comfortably entrenched as
a permanent feature of society, sup
ported by precedent and tradition and
the mental habit of mankind. The
great majority are occupied with then
pressing affairs and have little or nc
time or thought to spare for this great
subject, which concerns them much
more than they imagine Many give
from time to time from their abund'
ance for various philanthropic enter
prises including those for relief of per
sons in want, and feel that they are
doing their share of the work of pro
noting human progress, but the rea
crusade for the extinction of pauper
ism has scarcely begun Such a move
! men must, to be successful, enlist the
enthusiastic cooperation of society a.
whole including governments anC
those individuals who are actuated by
religious motive and those moved b!
patriotism; to which we add those per
sons in whom such motives may bt
latent, but yet who may feel desire
for reasons perhaps not fully under