The Jeffersonian. [volume] (Atlanta, Ga.) 1907-1917, 1913-12-04

S0lNS WOulu choose, II IL WOu1Q De a
question of their own labor and their
own money paying for them.
To the very young and the very
old; to the helpless and the unfortu-
nate, deprived of liberty by illness
or other cause, the idea of a bene-
ficient saint will appeal in it's proper
proportion; but to try and place a
premium on pauperism as we are do
ing in the larger cities, to fill, for
that one day, baskets whose very
contents have been made to repre-
sent very often profits to those who
have been most eager to see the
thing in operation, is a growing evil.
1t would amaze some Of the truly
generous if they knew the mode of
operation Of many of these sO-ca1led
charitable Institutions which spring
up each year ito provide the poor
with dinner" for any of the special
days; there is as much graft, as much
dishonesty, and as much leakage be-
tween the donor and the recipient,
as there is in any New York ward on
voting day, between the candidate
and the voter. The middleman and
the man above and below him-each
will claim, and get his share, and the
following real experience of one who
knows may illustrate the point: a
man in a small town had been very
conspicuous in everything that rep
resented the outlay of other folks
money; there came a time when the
town wished to celebrate special
occasion, and as usual, dinner was
to be part of the affair. A woman, a
stranger in the community was given
a prominent place on the arrange
ments committee, for the simple
reason that she was known as a good
worker; the man referred to also
had his usual prominent part. The
merchants of the town were most
generous in their donations, and the
understanding was that all not used
at the banquet was to be given The
Kings Daughters for their use in
charitable work.
Several turkeys had been cleaned
and prepared for cooking, by the
woman Ono one seemed to have time
to help herr, and the man went to
the bake shop where the turkeys
were being cooked, said he had been
commissioned by the chairWoman to
get one to take to the men who were
making ready the grounds on which
the affair was to be held-and took
it to his own home, where it was
relished by his family.
After the affair, the left-Overs
amounting to considerable value
in coffee, sugar, etc.), was placed on a
dray, to be sent to the hall at which
The Kings Daughters were waiting
to put it up, and the man intercepted
the dray, removed the things and
sent word to the ladies that every
thing had been used.
In due time the matter was taken
up, and the man sent check to
make good his theft-but that was
only one case where any one had the
audacity to follow him up. And he
has WaXed fat and prosperous, as SO
many of his kind have.
So it is with all our Special
charities; we have become a Nation
of gluttons, not only for food, but
for money and power, and we don't
care a great deal how we get what
We get, so long as we get it.
And more fOolisnness is being done
in the name of charity, than in any
other name and we may call it any
thing we like.
Look after those around you; il
they need help, give it to them, as
you would like it yourself, without
q brass band and a tag to declare tC
the world that you are down on your
Iuck-and you will have found salts
faction in the result.