Abilene weekly reflector. [volume] (Abilene, Kan.) 1888-1935, 1909-12-02

By Aida LATTIMORE in The Outlook

that bread line In Broadway pltlIuil
AS passed there one night last weeA
there were several hundred mer
standing in line In the bitter cold
waiting for a cup OF coffee and
ROLL" She was fairly reveling In
La burst of emotional benevolence
towards those poor men and the ter
rlble conditions Of unemployment
which make such line possible.
| asked her II she knew the compost
| ton Of the ordinary bread line? Did
she know OF the large proportion OF
able-bodled, willfully idle boys and
young men among the assortment OF
those really stranded and those
stranded by profession? Did she re-
allie that many Of these "homeles'
men we're deserving husbands, sairk'
ing their responsibilities? Did she
know that in Philadelphia In one
year 100000 was secured from hus-
bands through the Department OF
Public Health and Charities and
turned over to wives who were sep
arated for various causes from their
sources of support? These husbands
were made to pay what, in many
cases, would otherwise have been
demanded Of public or private or
ganizatlons as charity
Many efforts have been made to
appeal to the seIf-respect in the hui
man flotsam and jetsam of the bread
line, but without success. Repeated
offers of food. lodging, and work,
with friendship thrown in, have been
made to the men. personally
know q man who one stormy night
offered by printed cards to each Of
three hundred and fifty men in the
bread line a chance to pay in light
work for food and lodging. Only
flfty-two out Of the three hundred
and fifty even applied at the place
designated on the card Of invitation.
Crowd attraction is more potent than
the chance for rehabilitation, and
criminals are safer in crowd than
in any office, however friendly. A
defense Of the men reached by fam
GUS mission was made month or two
ago. The men were asked separ-
ately If they were worthy" and they
all said they we're!
The enti1entalists who like to
give dinners to huge companies Of
people and who are made comfort
able by feeding the beggar at the
food SO generously--and igncrantlV
given, fall back on this plea, eyes,
but isn't 1t better to feed ninety-nine
unworthy persons than ito let one
hungry soul suffer-" The New Phil
anthroplst replies to this, mo, a
thousand times, mol" II the senti-
ment is sincere, she flor ills generals
ly she) should be willing to follow
up "the ninety and nine" for the sake
of the zone" about whom she rro-
fesses to be so anxious. Is the lone"
really SO precious as to be worth an
hour or two spent in nvestgationG
A social worker was speaking to an |
audience recently on indiscriminate
giving when he was asked question
which was meant as reprcach to
the heartless speaker. Said this man
Of soft heart and corresrondingIy
soft head, But could a man Of any
heart turn away a man, at ten o'clock
at night without the ten GEMS nee
essary for a nights lOdging?" Ger
tainly not" said the speaker; but
the man Of really large heart would
be willing to take a little more trou-
bic than giving the homeless man
q dime to spend in the nearest So
loon. He would arrange for nights
lodging for him and help brace him
up" One must remember that the
ordinary homeless man has left .
family somewhere, and, IL his absence
from home is made easy, others are
suffering.
Il Is true Of the money given to
any Of our city institutions that much |
Of Il has been wrung out Of the body |
Of the wage-earner. How can q work.
er develop resistance to physical, to
say nothing Of moral, disease, on q |
wage Of three dollars q week? A
wage Of six dollars, the amount mem
toned by the Consumers League as
q minimum living wage for q girl
dependent upon herself, with her
natural desire to present an attract
i've appearance, is not enough to
enable her to lead a decent life with
out heroic sacrifice. II her ideals
are not sufficiently high to meet her
problem, what Of the employer who
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