The daily Gate City and constitution-Democrat. (Keokuk, Iowa) 1916-1922, 1919-02-15
SWEET CHARITY PIckLED.

| ~ I
! New York Evening Post: When
medieval church relief hourished. the
/ first trek taught thief was to put
a penny in the poor-box and extract
crown. In the days of Mrs. Jelly
Iby's project for teaching the natives
! OF Borrioboola-Gha to turn pianoforte
legs and establish an export trade,
there were neither scientific prin-
! ciples OF charitable relief, elaborate
auditing systems. nor inquisitive law
officers. The crop Of war charities
that sprang up> after 1914 was GER
tain to show many descendants Of
both the medieval thief and Mrs.
Jellyby. The district attorney esti-
mates that 10000 relief agencies
| have been active; and in 1916 single
foreign relief body reported that
| 5000 charitable organizations north
lOf the Mexican line were cooperating
with 1t. The district attorneys clas-
|sifcation Of New York's relief roster
! is simple. There were honest and
efficient societies, wastrel charities,
foolish charities. profteering socie-
ties. frauds and hundred per cent.
boys" The distinction between the
last two Is that the frauds maintained
a yirtuous look by pouring only 1914
per cent. into their own pockets.
The public has no one but itself
to thank If $3,000.000 was stolen here
! in less than one year, and much
greater sums wasted. Ever since rum
and Bibles were given to the Indians,
Am orleans have thrown the gates
wide to impostors. Two years ago
Robert w. Kelse of Boston remarked
that our manner of licensing chart
ties implied: go ahead with your
enterprise. You need never report to
this government what you do or how
you do 1t, how much you beg, how
much you spend, or the result. It's
nobody's business but your own"
And how delightful it is for the
charity organizers! No one can feel
aught but indignant at the hundred
per cent boys" But the agent who
insists that, as general benefactor of
the race, he should have his per-
quisite-what of him? He collects
hundreds weekly for Peruvian abo-
rhymes or Igorrote orphans; should
such a philanthropist not live at the
best hotels on porterhouse, truffles
and wine? He can take his 60 cents
out of every dollar; what no one
knows hurts nobody; and in the end
the Igorrotes do get something.
Another area In the field is the
exercising ground of society aspir-
ants. The Rhinegelts and Wester-
goulds are acting as patronesses and
honorary vice-presidents to this or
that charity, are they? Well, Mrs.
Aspirant, who has money, too, will
start her own charity. She can talk
so soulfully about it to her friends;
~, he
about it, and SO, martyr-like, will en-
joy the labor of arranging benefit
teas Spending much money and
taking much, she is vastly relieved
when it proves possible to send to
Europe small check without both
ering her husband to meet a deficit.
In even the humber social circles
this game is played. The district at
torney found one picturesque lady
who had delightful time going to
swell dining places with group of
satellites, having a good meal fol-
lowed by a harangue on her dear
charity to all in the room, and pay
ing the combined meal check out of
what she collected.
Our robust American definition of
the lowest meanness is that it would
steal pennies from blind man. OF
such meanness are those guilty who
would rob the war orphan Of his
bread and the war-maimed of his
crutch, by thievishness, ignorance or
carelessness in conducting charity.
Before the war state laws for the
better supervision of charities were
being warmly urged. A. G. Warmers
standard work on Charities" esti-
mates at least 10000 charities nor
mally in the United States. collect
ing s200,000,000 annually. Only seven
states have made any proper re-
quirement as to an investigation OF
worthiness before incorporation is
granted. Only ten states require the
licensing of even charitable agencies
concerned with the care of children.
Proper state demands for initial in
vestigation and continuing supervi-
sion should spread over the entire
union. The cities also can do much;
and such private agencies as the
chambers of commerce, nearly 200 OF
which now investigate and approve
or disapprove local charities. ought
to extend these activities. But the
chief responsibility lies with the
state legislatures. Till they meet It,
men can only be careful to give to
none but the reputable and approved
charities.