The citizen-Republican. (Scotland, Bon Homme County, S.D.) 1???-19??, 1914-03-26

HUMAN SYMPATHY. /.

~, -r
The world is always within six
months of starvation without the adj
vent of such special calamitieS as have
oyertaken Japan.
There seem to be 500, 900 people in
Chicago today who have nothing be-
tween them n starvation. except the
hand of benevolence. A letter from
Chicago dated January Ii, tells me that
there are 1856 900 men there out of work
and that the bread line is daily
le~ngthening, and the municipal lodging
house is packed from cellar to garnet
bare floor" This certainly implies
100000 suffering people. My friend
goes on TO say that he feels guilty when
he sits dow to a comfortable meal.
There is something terribly out of
Joint with our general econony when
q country so rich as the United States,
with no storms of serious proportions,
no earthquakes, no tidal waves, no vol
canoes hurting widespread destruction,
no sweeping catastrophe of any kind,
should have within u borders so much
of want and misery.
The recent act of the Ford Automo-
bile company in distributing millions
among thousands Of employees enpha-
sizes the fact that very many great in
dustrial establishments are making vast
profits, all of which are Being e~ngrossed
by a few so-called owners, while the
multitudes of operatives get just wages
enough to keep them in working con-
dition.
We must not for a moment lose sight
Of the many other manufacturers, VINO
are working along his line Of improy-
ing the condition of their operatives,
but there seems infinite room for an IN
finite extension of the grace Of human
sympathy. We are much inclined 10
ments on the systems of morlbund
Europe, but a short visit, say 10
Munich. a city Of 600, 900, would con-
vince one that even in that country o!
high pressure militarism there is ittle
real poverty. And children whose par
fed and clothed and schooled at puplio
expense.
Some time age a Chicago paper print.
ed an incident having the true ring o.
human sympathy. A discouraged
young doctor in New York was Vlsiseo
by his father, a Jersey farmer.
"Well my son how are you gettihS
on?"
II am not getting on at all, I am not
doing anything at ALL" said the young
The old gentleman spoke Of persever-
ance and patience. Later in the day he
went with his son to a free ~dispensary
where the young man had an I'M
salaried position n spent an hour or
more there every day. The father SAT
by, a greatly interested spectator,
while 25 poor patients received help. AS
the last unfortunate went out n the
door closed the old gentleman burst
forth, II thought you told me that
you We're not doing anything. Why, II
I had helped % people in a month as
much as you have in one morning, I
would thank God that my life counted
for something"
There isn't n money in 1t though"
said the young man somewhat ashamed.
Money" shouted the old man scorn-
fully Money, what's money in com-
parison to being useful to your fellow
man? Never mind abou money, keep
right along at this work every day. I
will go back to the farm and gladly
earn money enough to support you as
long as / live. Yes and sleep sound
every night with the thought that I
have helped you help your fellow man"
This incident is reprinted by Joe
Mitchell C1aapple in his great book.
Heart Throbs," and it lifts the old
Jersey farmer into 4 higher nick in
whose name is sounded Ger the earth.
He brings to mind a story told of ohm
Wesley. Toplady, the author of Rock Of
Ages. abhorred the popular methods Of
Wesley n his followers and in talk
ing over the situation with Doctor Gill
he said, doctor Gill, do you think we
shall see John Wesley when we get to
an admirer OF WeslcT. but he was
modest II honest IIesitating a mo-
ment he replied, mo, brother Toplady,
I don't think we shall. John Wesley
will be so close up to the throne of
God and you and 1 so far away that
we shall never get sight of him"
(Signed) E. E. Lewis.