Evening Republican, Volume 16, Number 303, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 21 December 1912 — Right Well-Balanced Charity. [ARTICLE]

Right Well-Balanced Charity.

“Let us remember those that want necessities, as we ourselves should have desired to be remembered had it been our sad lot to subsist on other men’s charity.”—Atterbury. 1 “It is another’s fault if he be ungrateful, but it is mine if I do not give. To, find one thankful man, I will oblige many that are not so.” —Seneca. “A man must have great impudence to profess himself a Christian and yet to think himself not obliged to do acts of charity.”— Stillingfleet. “Charity in its largest extent is nothing else but the sincere love of God and our neighbors.”—Wake. ‘The measures that God marks to thy charity are these: Thy superfluities must give way to thy neighbor’s great convenience; thy convenience must yield to thy neighbor’s necessity, and, lastly, thy very necessities must yield to thy neighbor’s extremity.”—South. No community is without its poor, its unfortunate and its improvident. To offset this there are some people who are willing and anxious to give of their fuller measures something to relieve the needy, cheer the disheartened and provide for the needs of those who are really suffering. Three local efforts have been made this year to provide funds to take care of these conditions. The first was the Thanksgiving entertainment and some twenty-six families were given provisions for a bountiful dinner. The act did not contribute to the improvidence in the least and the ministers who gave out the aid exercised every necessary precaution to see that only needy families were served. Following this came the movement by J. H. Holden and others to give a charity entertainment for “happy” Christmas making for the poor and before it was held the young men, moved by a desire to make some unfortunates happy, started the Good Fellows Club. In all something like S3OO was raised. This is to be expended largely under the direction of the organized charities of the city, partly by the ministers of the city and much of it held as a guarantee fund against emergencies that may arise during the winter. That it will be expended with discretion those who have contributed toward it feel certain and they do not think that persons who have not contributed and who have selfishly tried to influence others not to do so are not to be consulted in the matter. If the bachelors of the community thought it proper to contribute something like $125 to the charity fund, we believe that their motive and their action is deserving and we know that joy, real Christmas joy will be brought into a number of homes where little coats and shoes and mittens and dresses and a few toys are left. We believe that these young men will enjoy this Christmas as they never enjoyed one before, for in the free-hearted giving there is real pleasure. Let those who have felt any pinch from this charity make the first assahlt upon it, but let those grouches who live unto themselves alone keep in the background and if the committees who are to look after the poor need advice they will ask for it. Until then, let no self-loving person undertake to destroy the happiness of this well-balanced charity.