The Detroit times., 1917-12-01
The Perpetual Poor
HN 90. ADDINCrON nRUCE
Autlor 20 "The Riddle or Person
aItV Psychology and
Pareuthaoi etc.

scientific re,,arch of the past few
yslr esperiuy medical ana psy
biological research has made .t
worry cjrJr tsg lhe prohicm present.
',d by chronic poverty is by nc
mo5n- $50 mp.y 3s WAS formerly
supposed
And 1e. tor that matter. many peo-
pie sUli aapp0se lf % man Is untor-
Wnatr enough 10 iall into tGe ranks
= 'he pelp, ,Ual poor there are
maut Who i,el that bis plight rs sus-
cepublr Ci easy lXplanation
"Of course a ls poor, they vii.
say 'He E sure 10 be- always poor.
as long as he continues to drink Let
him lc1yc um alone and things viii
begin to go AN right foI him.
Or
~B Is poor because he is lazy lie
has hal pI nty of opportunities, but
hC WouJ stick ar anything
Nobody can help a man like
char he doesn't deserve help He
ought 90 be made o work,
or AGAIN
"C's poverty IS his own fault He
us sullrn. quarrelsome uean-TSSlred
he makes no real effort to get along
with other people. No wonder bee
soon loses every Job gwen him.
Thus. mmmoIily and harshly, are
The perpetual poor explained
But. taxing As case. does il really
explain matters 20 SAY that he IL
poor because be drinks Why does
he drink
Modern medICai science insists
tha drunkenness is disease OF.
10 be more exact. that it is sign
of the presence OF some diseseed
condition
Perhaps \ drinks because Re a. a
neurotic weakllng Perhaps he is the
victim of some abnormal mental
state Perhaps his "sprees' CORE
pond 20 what TN other men would
~ epileptc attacks.
In any event, before condomninS
him for his liluorcaused poverty. ~
surely. would bc more just and sensi-
bic 90 Try % ascertain why he is
such "a slave 10 liquor that he allows
lf 20 keep him in poverty.
So with 3
His lazinees NAV itself be 4 dis
ease, symptom The chance are
that lt is
Possibly his nervous system Is so
organized that ho fatigues quickly
when ne attempts 70 apply himself
70 mental or physical work.
or IN may be suffering from such
unsuspected malady OF stomach or
heart or lungs. which has had a gen
orally Weakening effect upon his
system
In either case he certainly needs
medical treatment II he is ever 20
be able 70 work ike other men.
II Is no real explanation OF his
poverty 20 call him lazy, His lazi-
ness has ONE specific cause. Find
what that IT,
So with The "grouchiness" % c.
Before holding G responsible for
his failure ar social adaptation
some experr in mental troubles
should be given opportunity 70 de
ter1nine whether G Is Of quite nor.
NAL mentality
The likelihood is that, while not
actually insane. De may be mentally
90 constituted that n is Impossible
for him 20 avoid friction when
brought daily into contact with other
people
But. this being recognized, II be
comes possible 80 rescue him from
his poverty by fnding for him work
thar viii not bring HIM iu'o frequent
contact wirh others
In fno the problem Of the perpet.
nal pe1T fs n problem calling for- Fa
tient scientific Investigation Of every
Individual case of chronic poverty.
Not until this is generally appre.
clated need We expect TO make much
progress IN tightening the burden
which chronic poverty today imposes
on society.