Jasper County Democrat, Volume 20, Number 84, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 19 January 1918 — FALSE STORIES AN INJUSTICE [ARTICLE]

FALSE STORIES AN INJUSTICE

Help the Needy but Don’t Misrepresent the Situation. In their efforts to extend sympathy and aid to sufferers from lack of fuel and food, more care should be exercised that flalse impressions are not given out to the moral detriment of deserving citizens, as was the case of Mrs. Charles Elder and qhlldren. In some manner the report gained circuilation that Mrs. Elder and children were found at their home in a freezing and starving condition, -and the story was immediately seized by extremists and harrowing tales of dire want and distress issued. As a matter of fact Mrs. Elder and children were neither freezing nor starving, and the stories told concerning their situation do them an injustice. Mrs. Elder has been regularly employed at the garment factory and is making an effort to care for herself and her children in a suitable manner. She had groceries on hand sufficient for several days and also fuel. She had not burned any of her furniture and the family was well supplied with bedding. This information is had from the eldest bov, fourteen years olf age, who called In person at The Democrat office to protest against the publication of the article in the Republican, and from neighbors, who say the family is comfortably fixed. The lad said they were getting along all right and they felt hurt over the ipipression that bad gotten out as to their condition. He states that as soon as spring opens up he expects to g > to work on a farm and wall help with his wages to care for the family and relieve his mother to this extent. He certainly has the right spirit, and while at present the family is not in affluent circumstances, they are neither in a freezing nor starving condition and have not been. - ■ __