Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1929-09-22

WILL. protracted period
yellow xeVer that the needs OF
Relief Furds the AFFLICTED city
became acute and
public contributions were necessary for
the alienation Of suffering. In The
lowing reference to this situation:
EFT Is greatly to be regretted that for
want OF sumcient voluntary contribu-
tions to meet the wants Of the sick and
destitute at Memphis representatives
from that city ind it necessary to visit
and personally canvass the Northern
States for pecuniary aid. All the more
IS this to be deplored because 1t seems
that the fever Is still rather on the in
crease than declining. Yet there are a
number OF palpable and substantial rea-
sons for this apparent indifference, and
the people Of Memphis, or we might say
the people Of the whole section devas-
tated last year, have only themselves to
blame for the state Of feeling now ex-
isting with the charitably inclined of
the North. They have also the power
to remove 1t, II they have an earnest
disposition to do so. If not in time to
meet the pressing emergencies Of this
year, at least In season to provide for
any like contingency which may arise
In the future.
whether well founded or not, there
Is no denying the fact that o wide
spread and firmly hxed impression pre-
walls among those who contributed so
generously that there has not been q
sufficiently full and straightforward and
busineSslike accounting for the enor-
nous sums Of money and the vast
quantity Of supplies sent South last
year, nor yet reasonably satisfactory
evidence furnished that as general
rule their benefactions reached those
who most needed or deserved them. It
is, Of course, not possible to produce
in ell or IN very many cases such
vouchers and testimony as would meet
the exacting demands Of all self-con-
stituted critics and fault-flnders. nor
ought such minute precision be expected
under the circumstances. But it is held
by many just and liberal persons that
proper effort or even o willing diSposi.
ton In that direction has not been gen.
orally shown. They maintain that while
1t is q duty to give In such cases, freely
and cheerfully. 1t Is equally . duty, as
it should be o pleasure, on the other
side not only to acknowledge, but also
to promptly and properly account for
what is received.
"Then again the conviction Is quite
generally entertained that the people
Of the places afficted last year did not
profit BY their terrible experience and
take advantage Of the opportunity af-
forded by the Winter season to provide
against q recurrence Of the disease, but
instead sat supinely down, so that they
were q little or no better prepared this
year than they were last to resist its
attacks. The bountiful givers of last
year stand ready to give again, and as
freely as before, in all cases of unfore-
seen and unavoidable distress, and are
willing always to help those who help
themselves. But they say. In action at
least, that those who do not do 50, or
who do not earnestly take advantage
Of every opportunity to that end, have
no right to ask for aid.
Coupled with these two principal
causes for the seeming apathy which
exists among the benevolently inclined
are two minor obstacles, which cannot
and should not be overlooked. One Is
that the rich people OF the infected
places and their immediate neighbor-
hoods have not contributed Of their own
abundant means as literally as those
Immediately connected with them by
the ties of friendship. neighborhood and
business interests had q right to expect.
It is Q notorious fact. II the newspapers
are to be believed, that many Of their
own citizens Of great wealth have given
little or nothing to relieve the distress
Of tl1Soe Immediately around them, some
Of them leaving even their own flesh
and blood to suffer. Another dificulty
Is the want Of precise and reliable In.
formation both ~ to what necessity
there Is for outside contributions ut the
present time and as to the hands
through which they have been wisely
and faithfully disbursed when sent. To
have an appeal for money come one
day and the next day read denuncia-
ton Of the appeal as o fraud and its
signers as unauthorized and unworthy
persons IL at once confusing and dis
couraging to those who under other
circumstances would give without being
asked"