ALMSGIVING SOCIETIES. 
BY L. S. EMERY, 
SECRETARY ASSOCIATED CHARITIES, WASHINGTON. 
The questions of pauperism and crime in the District of Columbia, 
as elsewhere, have been difficult questions to solve. Kind and affec- 
tionate parents, who dislike to have their sons and daughters pressed 
into mental or manual activity beyond their own inclinations, espe- 
cially if there is an appearance of their doing so to secure a livelihood, 
often — unconsciously, it may be—create an impression that labor is 
humiliating. Such parents are preparing their children for a condi- 
tion of dependence and pauperism; and sooner or later, in the 
ordinary course of events, they will either knock at the doors for 
charity or be tempted, in desperation, to secure a berth behind the 
prison bars. This cause of poverty is not infrequently found in 
localities where manual labor has not been so popular as in other 
places ; and, in the eighteen years of constant and active work among 
the poor of Washington, I have been seriously impressed with the 
magnitude of this class of cases. 
For many years there existed a peculiar necessity for special effort 
to prevent suffering among the poor of Washington. In 1866, the 
Provident Aid Society first dispensed alms to those in apparent need, 
without any positive motive other than to relieve immediate want. It 
established soup-houses; and long lines of men and women came 
daily, with wonderful regularity, for a bucket of soup, every day 
adding new clogs to whatever sensibilities of manhood remained. 
Year after year, food and fuel were dispensed so indiscriminately as 
to educate to imposture, to demoralize, and to fill the District of 
Columbia with an unprofitable and dangerous element. The Provi- 
dent Aid Society, overwhelmed with applications for aid and con- 
scious of a necessity for a change, closed its work. 
Then followed the county and city boards of trustees ; and, for six 
years, these two agencies disbursed the public funds by almsgiving 
exclusively, with the most undeserving, as usual, to the front for aid. 
In the county there was an alphabetical registry commenced, but it 
did not extend into the city; and it was found that begging continued 
to increase. During the last year of its work, about thirty thousand 
dollars was expended for what is termed out-door relief of the poor; 
and it was during that year that a plan to apply the labor test was 2 
conceived, and the Washington Labor Exchange was organized in 
1877, with the following declaration: — 
“ Recognizing the wisdom and true charity of helping the poor and 
unemployed to help themselves, the people of the District of Colum- 
bia have organized the Washington Labor Exchange. ... It is our 
earnest purpose to discourage indiscriminate almsgiving, and to pre- 
vent, in a measure, the pauperism which forms so painful a feature in 
our community.” 
It was the beginning of a new era; and, during the first year of its 
existence, 4,228 persons made application for employment, and em- 
ployment was found for 1,250. The influences of the Labor Exchange 
were good. It formulated a declaration of principles which formed 
the basis for future action. It gave no alms, and finally became 
little more than an intelligence office without a systematic record; 
and it closed its work. It was succeeded by another organization for 
almsgiving exclusively ; and the old, familiar faces came again for 
their share. This organization continued about two years, and mat- 
ters grew worse instead of better. 
In the light of about fifteen years’ experience, and with a sense of 
the necessity for co-operation, the Associated Charities was organized. 
Its object was to dispense charity on a prudent, discriminating, 
economic, and systematic plan,— apian which should keep the man 
who is about to fall from falling, lift a man up gently when he has 
fallen ; advise, investigate, stimulate to nobler ambition by awakening 
a sense of self-respect, a pride in self-support and responsibility ; keep 
an accurate registry, and institute a system of prompt and intelligent 
relief, without offending or wounding the most delicate sensibilities 
by exposure or harshness. It became incorporated early in 1882, 
and immediately established a central office, distributed fifteen thou- 
sand circulars setting forth its plans and purposes, divided the district 
into eighteen subdivisions of convenient size, fourteen of which organ- 
ized, selected, and arranged the work of their visitors, raised their 
own funds as far as possible, kept a systematic registry of particulars, 
and reported to the central office in detail, where a ledger of particu- 
lars of the whole city was kept. 
The central board of managers consists of fifteen elected members 
and a delegate from each subdivision, or co-operating organization. 
This central board meets monthly, makes rules for its own action, 
and, so far as it is necessary to effect uniformity, makes rules gov- 
erning the action of the subdivisions. 3 
In a few months, quite an accurate record and history of the poor 
and of impostors had been alphabetically arranged at the central 
office; and the citizens began sending to it their applicants, and the 
army of beggars began to disappear. 
The work of reform had commenced. No more indiscriminate 
almsgiving was countenanced. A scrutinizing investigation was made, 
and a careful, confidential record was kept. The plan was to clear 
away the professional beggars and impostors from the front, so that 
the real, quiet suffering could be found, and receive proper attention ; 
that all might be helped to help themselves in the truest possible 
sense, by finding or furnishing employment for such as could work, 
by furnishing or obtaining transportation for others to friends, or to 
some place where they could support themselves, by advice and 
friendly encouragement, by an occasional loan to keep a family shel- 
tered, by reference to associations, churches, and employers of labor, 
by instructions in the arts that are conducive to self-support, and giv- 
ing alms only as a last resort or when stubborn necessity should 
demand. 
By careful and persistent efforts and with the co-operation of the 
citizens, associations, the authorities of the district, and some of the 
churches, we are now able to present, as the results of our systematic 
efforts, not a perfect condition, but a condition of reform of which 
every citizen who has an interest in our nation’s capital may justly 
be proud. We have a city practically rid of its street and door-to- 
door beggars ; and impostors and professionals, who stood in the way 
of innocent sufferers, have been unmasked and dislodged. The 
homes of the quiet and innocent suffering poor are now visited, relief 
is administered intelligently and helpfully. A school for instruction 
of girls in housework, a sewing class, a free kindergarten, a cooking 
class, and a wood-yard are established and maintained at the central 
office; and several industrial schools, kindergartens, and nurseries are 
maintained by the subdivisions. 
The results, while they may not be all that we might wish, are 
exceedingly gratifying. We discover no injurious effects from the 
alms we give, but rather an evidence of gratitude, appreciation, and 
recognition of the fact that a friend has been found, and new and 
invigorating hopes and courage are restored. But the relief given 
must be administered with discretion and thoughtfulness and accompa- 
nied by words of caution, followed up by a kindly assurance that it is 
self-support that must be sought, and that whatever aid is now be- 
stowed is but to guide them into the channels of employment. I 4 
believe the system can be maintained, that co-operation is and will be 
increased, and that out-door relief will be under wholesome restraint 
and control. 
Manual labor must be dignified, so that the mechanics toiling at 
the bench or at the forge, and the farmers in tilling the soil, shall feel 
as proud of the labor of* their hands as they that are called to the 
professions in life; and they that toil honestly for their daily bread 
shall not feel humiliated or proscribed on that account, or inferior to 
those whose fortunes permit them to live in luxury and ease. If we 
would keep our sons and daughters pure and prosperous, we must 
inculcate the true principles of honest industry and economy, as well 
as honor the calling whereunto they are called. And, as much pau- 
perism and crime arise from intemperance, it behooves us to make 
our investigations broad and deep, and to act wisely in applying the 
remedies for each. 
In rendering relief, it should be that which will elevate and not 
depress, that which will inspire courage and resolute action, economy 
in the affairs of life, temperance in all things, and the acquirement of 
some practical knowledge of work whereby a livelihood may be 
earned. Then we shall have done much toward helping our fellow- 
men to help themselves, and toward the suppression of the great 
evils of the hour. Conventions may be held, resolutions may be 
passed with all their glittering generalities; but the great burden of 
relief and reform must be borne by our practical efforts with our co- 
laborers at our respective places of abode, after we go hence, with 
the inspiration of this Conference upon us.