Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1912-12-16
PLEA FOR THE WAITS
Justice Stafford Asks Aid for
Foundlings' Home.
APPEALS TO THE PEOPLE
Opportunity to Become incorporation
by Paying Five Dollars.
LESSON DRAWN FROM BIBLE
History of Washington Institution
Founded by Joshua Pierce-Ben-
eft to the World.
LESSON DRAWN FROM BIBLE

Justice Stafford Of the Supreme Court
of the District made a strong appeal for
aid for the Washington Home for
Foundlings at a recent meeting of the
incOrporators of the establishment. To
become an incorporation Of the institution
1t Is only necessary that man or wom-
an contribute s.. and Justice Stafford
urged the citizens Of Washington to take
| immediate steps toward becoming incor-
porators.
He said:
| And as Jesus passed by, He saw a
man which was blind from his birth. And
His deciples asked Him. saying. Mas
ter. who did sin. this man or his parents,
that he was born blind?' Jesus answered
| Neither hath this man sinned nor his
| parents, but that the works of God
| should be made manifest in him." And
| he gave him sight
| THE disciples question was speculative;
| the Masters reply was practical. The
| question implied that other men might
stand apart and let the afflicted bear the
| consequences of sin. The answer implied
| that Affections are opportunities for good
men to do the works of God Men are
| not to seek in the causes Of other men S
| Affections an excuse for their own hard
| heartedness. But If ne relieve sin from
| the Hgor of its consequences. shall We
not encourage sin? So thought the heirs
| of Joshua Pierce when they attempted
| to defeat their ancestors generous gift
a hospital for foundlings.' so they
| argued, tends to evil, and ought not to
| be supported What answer did the Su-
preme Court make to that contention?
Supreme Court Comment.
Here is what they said:
Hospitals for foundlings existed in
the Roman empire. They increased when
Christianity triumphed. They exist in all
countries of Europe, and they exist in
this country. There are no beneficiaries
more needing protection. care and kind
| ness. none more blameless; and there are
none who have stronger claims. than
these waits. helpless and abandoned upon
| the sea of life
In these words we seem to hear an
| echo of the Voice that said:
:" I must work the works of Him that
| sent me while it is day. The night cometh
when no man can work. AS long as l am
in the world 1 am the Light of the World.
And he spat upon the ground and
nointed the eyes Of the blind man with
the clay.
II have not inquired what form of re-
ligion Joshua Pierce prOfessed. The insti-
tuition he founded does not bear the name
of any sect. Even If he had never gone
to church l think We should have pre-
ferred his society to that of his heirs, no
matter how orthodox they may have been;
for this work of his shows clearly that
he had come close to the heart of Him
who took the little children in his arms
and blessed them.
1T was in 1869 that Joshua Pierce died,
leaving a will which gave fourteen :Ots
on 18th street to trustees to be turned
over by them to a corporation, when the
same should be legally established. and to
| be used as a site for a hospital for
foundlings. The devise was attacked by
| the heirs, with Gen Benjamin F. Butler
| as their counsel. 1t was defended by
! Walter S. Cox, afterward a distinguished
judge of the Supreme Court of our Dis
| trict.
Charity. Wins.
1.-The case was won for the charity in
the District court and the judgment was
affirmed in the Supreme Court of the
United States without dissenting voice.
But the lawsuit had dragged on for seven
years. 1t was 1877 before the will was
finally established Then the noble men
and women Of that day who saw the OPP
portunity for good that was presented
set to work to raise money for build
| ing. They secured $4,000 and built the
home. But this had taken ten years more
| and it was not until 1887 that it's doors
were opened.
During the twenty-five years that have
i SuCCecOcQ tNeTe nave COME III over us
| threshold hundreds of these little cast
Always. to find shelter, warmth and COM
| fort, ski1lful care and tender nursing, and
| to go out again, not to the cold doorstep
| or the vacant lot but to homes that made
| them welcome and to which they brought
| a compromising joy. Cautiously and pru-
IDENTIFY their homes have been selected,
| where they have been received not as ap-
prenticed servants. not stepchildren.
but as adopted sons and daughters, under
the sanction of the court. and taking
with their adoption the Unbeatable blood.
This work has owed much of its sue
cess to those generous and gracious wom-
en-, the board of lady visitors and the
| Pierce Guild, who have found ways and
means to supplement the insufficient rev.
enues of the home and furnish comforts
and cOnveniences which the directors
have been unable to supply. Year by
year the government, too. has lent its aid.
first by lump sum appropriated annual
ly. and. since the creation of the board of
charities. by certain sum that is paid
for each child that Is entered through the
approval of that board. About one-thrd
of the cost of maintenance is thus pro-
vided by payments from the government
and a considerably larger number of chill
dren could be received and cared for with
great advantage to the income of the
to the home could be secured.
Another Source of Revenue.
Some revenue is received also from
poor parents. unwilling to part with their
children. who are permitted to enter them
IN the home for temporary care. But the
increased cost of living has borne hard
uDOn the home and II is sadly in need Of