New Iberia enterprise and independent observer. (New Iberia, La.) 1902-1944, 1913-01-11
WHAT Is A PHILANTHROPY
IST"?

Joseph Fels received a request
for his photograph to be placed in
the gallery of philanthropists OF
the National Memorial OF the
United States. He declined. His
reasons as given in a letter to the
Secretary R. E. DOan were as
follows:
81 have made no philanttropic
gift. 1 give nothing to Charity.
When l have any money to give
away I give it to Justice.
Il do not think it would be
fair to the 'philanthropists' or
to the cause with which | am
identified that my picture should
be in your gallery.
''Then men usually called
philanthropists', as a rule, up
hold existing injustice but give
money to relieve victims Of the
wrongs they uphold. One con-
spicuous example is a man who
has given enormous sums to
found libraries and to abolish
war. | do not wish to be under
stood as questioning his SINGER
ity, but it is nevertheless true
that he is doing all that one man
of Influence can do to perpetuate
the evils he is endea voring to re-
lieve. He has been and still IS
staunch upholder Of the form
of robbery called protective
tariff He has written, spoken
and given money IN behalf OF
this iniquity. However good his
intentions, the fact remains that
in supporting international tariffs
and in opposing free trade, he Is
doing more to perpetuate national
hatred and jealousies than all his
contributions to peace funds can
begin to destroy. Besides the
tariff, he upholds other predatory
institutions, which impoyerish
the people and debar them from
opportunities for education,
which none Of his libraries can
supply,
"This man is typical Of all
called philanthropists. The,
most prominent supporters of
charitable institutions in our
cities are men who bitterly op-I
pose abolition of wrongs that Gre
ate poverty. There are philan-
who denounce employ
ers of labor for paying low wag.
es; who point accusingly at own
nrs of department stores, blaming
them for white slavery; who de-
nounce owners Of unsanitary tene-
ments; who rave absut political
corruption and demand iegasia-
ton forbidding every evil under
he Sun, bat who will not lift a
niger to help remove the funda-
mental cause Of these evils.
While denouncing employers
Who pay low wages, they shut
heir eyes to the fact that they
uphold conditions
which force laborers to choose
'etween low wages or none at all.
While denouncing tenement own
RS they refuse to consider taxa
ion of industry and legal en-
engagement of land speculation
make tenement evils inevitable.
While denouncing political cor
'nption and demanding futils
'rohibitory laws they uphold the
wrongs which create poverty
nd drive men to get living
rom corruption or other evils in
reference to starvation or beg
AIRY.
"These philanthropists mayi
veil be described as men who
I've money TO repair Httle OF
he harm they have themselves
eDped to do or as Tolstey has
7ell stated; men willing to do
nything to help the poor except
0 get off Of their backs.
Identified as l am, with the 4
reat movement to remove the
ause of poverty, it would be a !
listake to classify me with those
pposing our efforts and who
7ou]d apparently prefer that all j
ne evils they decry should exist
orevcr rather than that the !
ause of them shenld be dis I
lrbed. T" l,... jE3Ns l