The Republican. [volume] (Oakland, Md.) 1877-current, 1937-01-07
THE GREAT
GAME OF
POLITICS. =.
By FRANK r. KENT,
Copyright by the Baltimore Sun and
reprinted in The Republican by
special permission.
Deadening BenevOIence?


new year of 1887 will be more pros
porous than the old year of 1886 as ii
is generally agreed that 1886 was a
good year with business on the up
grade and the depression in retreat.
There are, of course, those who be-
lieve we are bound to hit very bad
spot in the road before long and that
the jolt to our national complacency
will be particularly violent, but nc
one thinks it will come in 1887. Des-
pite the threat of serious labor troub-
les, there is practically unanimity OF
opinion that prosperity will flow even
more freely in 1887 than 1886.
Notwithstanding this prospect, it is
clear that in the coming year as in the
last, the greatest of our problems is
that of Federal care for the needy. It
is admitted that the riddle of relief
is the most difficult the President has
to solve. It is admitted, too, that the
way in which this problem is dealt
with will affect the nation in various
fields. AS it has developed over four
years, there have come to be in the
relief situation political as well as
financial potentialities not pleasant to
contemplate. Students of the facts re-
peatedly have pointed out the para
doXical fact that the relief load and
it's costs do not diminish with i'm
proved business and increased en-
ployment-rather the reverse.
All Of which makes interesting the
figures concerning private gifts to
educational, religious and philanthropy
ic causes during 1886, compiled by Mr.
Charles V. Yickrey, executive chair
man of a national committee which
has recently made survey of the
whole welfare situation. Among the
facts presented are these: In 1896
the total private contributions aver
aged only 2 cents on every dollar Of
national income; in spite of returning
prosperity, the people of the United
States registered the smallest per-
centage of giving since 1925; strange
as it seems, the depression year OF
1932-before Federal relief started
produced the highest percentage OF
giving ever recorded. 81
Further facts are these:
A study of income-tax figures re-
veals that at no time in the last TWEEN
ty years have the deductible contribu-
tions reached as high as three percent
although the Government permits an
exemption of fifteen percent, and the
Bible recommends ten as the proper
proportion!
In 1885 more than half ($159, 1885,
000) of total contributions came from
3,992,627 persons with net incomes
of less than $4,000. Their ratio of Civ
ing was 1888 percent.
Of forty-one persons with incomes
above a million year, tax exemptions
of $4,454,OOO were claimed, showing
gifts of 6.049 percent of the declared
income.
Considerable more data are con-
tanned in the report, but by far the
most significant statements are these:
First, that last year, with returning
prosperity and greatly increased in
come-tax returns, private giving was
less than in eleven years; second, that
the greatest giving occurred in 1882
when the country was in the depths
of depression and incomes were great.
ly reduced and income-tax collections
very poor. These facts make very per.
tinent the two questions asked by the
survey-frst, 'Does prosperity deader
benevolence and, second, "Does il
require suffering to produce sacri.
fetal giving?"
The facts seem to justify still an
other question-to wit, this: If some
way is not found to take the Govern
ment out of the relief business anc
return the burden to the States ant
local committees, will not private Civ
ing for the distressed ultimately dry
up altogether? That there is no i'm
mediate way by which this can b.
done is conceded. It will be impossible
to get the Government out of relic!
for years to come, but at least, it i:
argued, steps in that direction coulC
now be taken. But the creation of {
new Cabinet member to head a new
Department of Public Welfare, under
whom all Federal relief agencies vii
be grouped, is not regarded as stel
in that direction, but in the other di
rection-the direction of permanent
Federal assumption of all relief re
sponsibility. 1t is a step toward the
point where the States and privat,
givers eventually will let the Fedora
Government do it all. 1t is a step easy
to take because the disposition to un
load the whole business on the Gov
eminent is very strong among Mayors
Governors and members of Congress