The Detroit times. [volume] (Detroit, Mich.) 1903-1920, 1908-03-20
CLEVELAND MAKES
A PLEA FOR
THE POOR
Ex-PREsipENT HAS WORKED
OUT PLAN IN Ills MIND He
THINKS WOULD CORRECT
MUCH POVERTY.

I4AKEWQQQ M March 20
Grover Cleveland, who has just at
tanned his seventy-first year. has
thought out great charity problem.
He has In mind vast clearinghouse
where the worthy INDECENT can be
helped to better their condition.
This is what he says of his plan for
alternating and correcting poverty:
There 10 something big that can
be done " only the right man would
come TO the front. Yet ! am wrong
In speaking Of what an individual
might do. He might lead and direct,
but what we need In New York--in
all our large cities-is q proper charity
organization. u should be an organ
ixstion that will reach where II ought
TO reach; not half way nor haIf-hesrt-
eddy.
Il have In mind have thought OF
this countless times--a charity clear
ing house. just as the banks have a
clearing house. through which every
thing belonging to this sphere viii
pass. I know we have charity or
gnnizations, but I do not mean that
kind. They are not thorough. This
clearing house / have in my minds
eye would be the indorser Of every
proper and noble thing. A subscriber
would know that when he gave any
thing, whether IL was little or much.
that II would be sent through the
PROPER channels and reach those who
need help. He would have the salts
faction OF knowing that The money was
not being used to further this one or
that ones self-patented way OF dis
pensation.
Feels Deeply In Question.
II feel deeply about this and want
to tell you that IL such an organisation
as / wish to see established should be
brought into being 1t would not lack
support. I could go over a list OF rich
men who would support 1t nobly. The
rich men Of our country are not hard
hearted: they are not stingy. They
want to give, and they do give. but
they are not satisfied. They would give
SO much more II they were assured
that those for whom their gift was In
tended received II.
Nowadays. persons who are charitr
ably inclined are assailed on every
hand by persons who may or may not
need aid. These supplicants for aid
will 60 into a mans ONCE; they Will
say they are hungry; that their fam
lilies are hungry. The man who n be-
sieged Is busy. He hasn't the time TO
stop and size up the hungry one. He
doesn't want to make mistake, how
over, and so he sends out a IS bill by
q clerk. wonders for second whether
he has helped some one who deserved
1T or has been fooled again and then
forgets Ii.
Not Real Charity.
That is not charity. That Is not
giving from the heart. II Is not Civ
/ ing that does the giver good. II 10
merely a sop to his conscience. There
is nothing behind Il here" and Mr..
Cleveland clenched his left hand and
brought It against his breast.
Several years ago 1 discussed this
subject and expressed these ideas be-
| fore an international convention of
charity workers at philadelphia. I
was invited to speak to them. and
said that would treat OF charity as
understood II. ! knew long before
got through that II hadn't struck a
sympathetic note: that hadn't sound
ed the right key. What / said was re
ceived courteously. Of course. but
! thero was no 'unrestrained enthusi.
esm when bowed myself on the ros.
| trum.
There 10 too much self-aIorIfieation
In the way charitable works are car
rIed on In these days. Most every.
body has . pet schems Of HE own that
he wants TO set In motion.
1T is promised for every one o:
these schemes that the solution Of
the problem need occasion no more
concern But they are solvers whsci;
don't solve. The old problem still
stands and the inventors fall back %
give places to another crop Of non-sav
crs, who always have foremost In Their
thoughts what the world Is going &c
think about them and who forget
while thinking about Themselves, the
objects OF their pretended good works
These persons I am discussing be
come hardened. Their hearts grow
calous and their syrpathies become
dull or disappear. Like men who
grow accustomed 10 handling prison
ersg Yes That's what mean. They
become coa<sened-"
Siberia. long regarded as a barren
country, Is now producing . great dss'