The Detroit times. [volume] (Detroit, Mich.) 1903-1920, 1917-12-01
The Perpetual Poor
NY ~. AnDINgToN nHUCE
Author ~ The Riddle OF Person
atty" Psychology aud
parcuthooi etc.


Scientific research OF the past fcW
sRrs especially medical and psy.
. Geological research has made 81
very clear tlaJ the problem present
I'd hy chronic poverty is by nc
means SO simple rs WAS formerly
supposed
And as. for that matter. many peo-
T PIE stln suppose X man IS unfor.
i mnate enough 20 fan into The ranks
+ ~ the perpetual poor there are
I many who fool that his plight is sus
! ceptihle oi easy explanation
"Of course A is poor. they viii
say. "Ile is sure 90 bo always poor.
/ as long as De continues 10 drink. Let
him leave nam alone and things viii
begin 10 go all right for him
Or;
"B is poor because he IS lazy He
has had plenty Of opportunities, but
I ne won't stick az anything
Nobody can help a man like
I that. He doesn't deserve help. He
ought 70 be made 20 work"
Or againl
"C's poverty f. his own fault. He
/ Is sullen. quarrelsome. mean-natured
I lie makes no real effort 20 get along
With other people No wonder he
soon loses every Job gwen him"
Thus summaIily and harshly. are
/ The perpetual poor explained"
But. taking As case, does 10 really
explain matters 30 say that he "
poor because he drinks? Why does
he drluS2
Modern medical science insists
that drunkenness IS disease. or,
I 10 be more exact. that II IS sign
Of the presence OF some diseased
condition.
Perhaps A drinks because he IA a
neurotic weakling. Perhaps re is the
victim OF some abnormal mental
state. Perhaps his "sprees" core
spOnd 70 what IN other men would
be epileptic attacks.
In any event. before conforming
him for hts llquor.caused poverty, Il
surely would Re more Just and sensi-
bic 70 try TO ascertain why he r.
such slave 10 liquor that he allows
20 70 keep him In poverty.
SO with B.
HIS fairness may itself be dis
ease symptom. The chances are
that Il Is.
Possibly his nervous system IS so
organized that no fatigues quickly
when he attempts TO apply himself
70 mental or physical work.
or he may be suffering from such
unsuspected malady OF stomach or
heart or lungs. which has had gen
orally weakening effect upon his
system,
In either case he certainly needs
medical treatment II he Is ever 10
be able 70 work Ike other men.
II Is no real explanation OF his
poverty 20 call him lazy. His lazi-
ness has some specific cause Find
what that f.
50 with The "grouchincss- OF c.
Before holding G responsible for
J his failure az social adaptation
some expert IN mental troubles
should be given opportunity 10 de
terInine whether c is OF quite nor
nal mentality.
The likelihood is that. whilo not
actually insane, he may be mentally
so constituted that Il is Impossible
for him 20 avoid friction when
brought daily into contact with other
I people
But, this being recognized. n be
| comes possible 20 rescue him from
his poverty by fnding for him work
that VIII not bring him ip.o frequent
/ contact with others
In fine, The problem OF the perpet-
nal poor is a problem calling for pa
tient scientific Investigation OF ever
! individual case OF chronic poverty.
Not until this Is generally appre-
ciated need we expect 20 make much
| progress In tightening the burden
which chronic poverty today imposes
on society.