The Hartford republican. (Hartford, Ky.) 18??-1926, 1918-12-06
D0N'T Give MONEY
To STRANGE BEGGARS.
Read A Sensible Article
On How To Handle
Professionals.
louisville Herald)

of Approximately ! 5 years, each wear
ing heavy glasses, the girl evidently
blind in one eye, the boy obviously
almost unable to see, wiro went from
office to office retailing at 10 cents
copy a poem on blindness written by
,heir mind mother. The plea Of the
blind children was generally success
mi Both showed unusual precocity'
and amused with their quick respon-
SEES those who talked to them. in adj
5ition to giving the required dime or
a larger coin.
These children. appealing in their
tuGrmity as they We're, were but typi-
cal Of the people to whom nothing is
more cruel than to give aims, for the
selling of the poem was but subtle
form of begging. Most people prooa-
DIV never read the poem, and 1t GER
tainly was not worth commercially
the tenth part of 10 cents. The real
situation was that these children, who
should have been in school, learning
20 be useful and productive citizens
independent and self-supporting' were
enabled to make a very comfortable
income with practically no effort on
their part through trading upon their
indrmity, and were being confirmed
in a parasitic mode of life which
would strengthen its hold on them as
they grew older.
Association Worker Aids.
Fortunately for the career OF the
children and fortunately also for
those on whom they would otherwise
have imposed, one of the men on
whom they called detained them
while he called the Associated Chart
lis. which sent over trained worker
al once. She took the children in
tow. went to their home with them
and had a talk with their mother.
The mother. as the children mad
said, was blind She. the children
and two other blind people were go
ing about the country making an easy
living through singing on the streets,
taking up collections and selling the
poems. She said they took the most
prosperous cities and stayed there
for as long as they liked the situation,
and then moved on. She became IN
dignant when it was suggested that
the children should be in school and
s,f,4
upon her infirmity and theirs. she
said she would leave the city at once
and go to Evansville, where she knew
no one would bother her.
Family Goes to Citadel.
This arrangement would have re-
lieved Louisville of these parasites,
but did not seem exactly fair to other
cities which she might victimize. So,
the Associated Charities worker got
in touch with the Childrens Protec-
tive Association, which got them into
Juvenile Court on a charge OF con-
tributing to delinquency for the
mother, and of having no proper
Guardian for the children. Judge
TRIGGER with admirably good sense
committed the family for detention at
the Salvation Army Citadel until their
residence could be determined and
they could be sent there. In the
meantime, the Associated Charities
worker had written to a number OF
cities including Indianapolis, Toledo,
Cincinnati, Vincennes, Columbus,
and Evansville, all of which recorded
unpleasant experiences with the men-
dicant habits of the family. The In
dianapolis Associated Charities said
the family belonged there, and prom
ised to do it's best to keep the children
in blind school and the family at
home If the court officer would bring
them back. This was done.
This story illustrates number of
important points. In the first place,
il does more harm than good to give
a coin to a beggar or to "fakir' such
MS these children. The money, with
out trained service which can help
the applicant out Of the need for help,
is worse than useless, because 1t
merely confirms him in his easy life.
When the money is spent the beggar
needs some more money just as badly
as he did before.
Organization Necessary.
In the second place organizations
are necessary to handle such prob
lens 1t was through organizations
in other cities, which had records Of
this family, that it finally was put
where II belonged. II was through
the trained workers OF Louisville or
carnations that correspondence was
directed to these other cities, that
the family was Appreciated, and that
il was finally put on path which
should lead to the highest welfare
Of the family. Probably scores Of
Louisville people had given to these
children if not their mother; but un-
til organiZed social endeayOr got on