The Aberdeen weekly. [volume] (Aberdeen, Miss.) 1878-1933, 1909-03-26
Over the Hills To the Poor
House -

suggestion or human misery TO those
acquainted with almsh0use environ
ments in this county as any group Of
words that could be assembled from
/ the dictionary.
.'Over the hills 20 the poor house. -
At best, is the most unsought denneu-
ment Of human existence, and that
journey taken 20 tine Monroe county
aims house is the end OF hope and
just within the pale OF Christian sym
pathy Not because the Board of
Supervisors have not provided ade-
quatelv physical comforts; nor the
keeper il not kind, considerate and
attentive; nor yet. because the few
neighbors are not charitable and
christian in their mini-trations. 1t il
/ because of the isoIated location of
the institution.
Ten miles east of Aberdeen, on one
of the bleakest and most barren tracts
in the county, removed from the
commercial centers where benevol-
ent church organizations are most ae-
tive, the Monroe county poor exc out
the miserable days allotted TO them,
having few of the rough places
smoothed by the hand of comforting
sympathy.
In the wide realm for dispensation
Of charities, no field appeals more 10
the great heart OF humanity. than that
in which the aged, the manned, the
decrepid, or the orphan suffers the
scant providence of public benevo-
ience. Aside from the humiliation,
suffering and limited com fort, the un-
fortunates writhe under the con
sciousness that charity is heartless,
and that sympathy has been bloued
from the scroll of Christian virtues 1
Many of these poor are not the prod
ucts Of vicious dissipations nor of .
thriftless lives, but are victims of T
misfortunes that may come To any
prosperous or popular tavOrite of to- +
day It matters not why, nor how .
the curse of pauperism came, they
are charges on the county for means
of subsistence, as well as on the +
churches and society for the far more .
comforting amenities OF Christian
charity-sy interest and hut /
name visit2tions.
The foregoing affords grounds for
emphasizing the recommendation of
the grand jury that the poor house be +
moved near TO one Of the commercial I
centers of the county. If it were
near enough to Aberdeen or Amory, +
the benevolent would contribute TO
alleviate the inmates lot by vista
tions and donations of material things, !
az well as ministrations OF sympathy /
and interest.
The Weekly. several years ago,
URGED that this thing be done. 1t has
been stressed at previous terms OF
the court in the charges to grand 1u-
ries. and those bodies have re-em-
phasized il by Incorporating 1T as
Recommendation in their reports. 1t
would seem that an expression re-
peatedly voiced by the highest trl-
bunal and most representative assem-
blv of county would have borne
frnition before now. Added to this
stamp of public approval. the recon- /
mendation is founded in that scriptur-
al phrase which demonstrates chari- /
ty as the greatest of Christian virtues +
This places the Board of Supervisors
not only under the strain of popular
demand, but under the stress of NOR
al obligation For some reason, /
whether for want of funds or what, |
that body has never seriously con
sidered the proposition. which, how
ever. has not failed 10 appeal to the
great heart of the people, nor will
until something ameliorative OF pau
per surroundings in this county is
done
1t is painful to contemplate that the
unfortunate inmates of the poor
houses come in for such small conSid-
Grafton at the hands of philanthro-
pists and public benefactors.
Large sums are continually being
donated for the building of magniti-
cent churches, the endowment of in
stitutions of learning and the estab- /
lishment Of splendid public libraries. |
These are all benefactiol,s and not TO /
be condemned but far without the /
pale of charity where human misery /
and want are To be alleviated.
No phase of human condition lies
SO distinctly in the field for ministra /
tions Of the highest type of charity |
a. the aged decrepid. manned or or /