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Show BEGGARS MUST GET 1 OUT OF SIGHT. , With the war about to bring us an a ! army of cripples, the branch of the Red m Cross dovoted to restoring to useful- ness the crippled and disabled, urges jsfi j the importance of ceasing to consider the maimed as only fit for beggary. H Writing to Tho Standard, D. C. Mc-a Murtrie, director of Red Cross insti-, tute for crippled and disabled men, says : Ii "To the Editor: The public has too often confused the Idea of a cripple with that of a beggar. The resulting 3& reaction has done a great Injury to tho Wjl cause of the sqlf-respoctlng disabled raB man in regarding him as a subject for charity but not for trade training and pi employment. ijg "To be sure, there is historical pro- lp cedent for this attitude, for in past de- 5r$ cades and centuries various peoples have condemned the cripple to the g status of roadside beggar or at best employed him as jester or court fool. Eg And, in our experience, there is ju6tifi- fej cation in the view because we havo pi seen many cripples at stroet corners, fSfl making publje exhibition of their de- formity or amputation and soliciting g3 alms of the passers-by. The num- is ber of these beggars Is small in com- K$ parison to the great body of physically handicapped men who are usefully cm. pj ployed, but the few have vigorously advertised, have made a considerable st impression on the susceptibilities of the community, and have reaped a profit- able harvest. A bank teller reported recently the case of a crippled street beggar who deposited in a savings ac- p count, after paying his living expenses, p3 $10 weekly. j "That the beggar cripple has been jpj permitted to ply his trade is a great Injustice to thp disabled men of char- PS acter and independence. The practico t should have been stopped in the past; $g it is absolutely necessary that it be fefe prohibited in the future. For with tho expectation of our soldiers who will Kg return disabled from the front, the Wfc public 6hould have no excuse for asso- elating their prospective career with p that of the mendicant. On the con E? trary every influence should be w brought to bear upon the public to si show that physical disability is an ob-stacle, ob-stacle, but easily superable with char- acter and ambition; and that the crip- W pie may be made into a useful and pro- ductlve citizen. "In several cities there have been in- eg augurated campaigns to drive the crip- pled beggar from the streets, and give l him the alternative of productive em- Igk ployment or a stay in jail. Suoh ef- W- forts should be imitated in every com munlty and persevered in until the un- pi fortunate conception of the cripple shall exist no more. js "Such activity may well be under- fit taken as a first step in preparation for 1 the return of our disabled soldiers and sailors." 1 The movement has our endorsement, l with this understanding that our gov- 1 ernment accept responsibility for re- m storing the crippled men to self-sus- pi taining duties, and caring for tho hope- lessly disabled. This tho government ip already in part has arranged to do jp through tho liberal pension system. SH There will bo no necessity for the crip- pled soldiers to beg, and every ono of W them not reduced to wreckage should ftf be aided to return to honorable em- f ployment. . . There is a powerful suggestion in m street soliciting which would have its m effect on our returning cripples, If, tho fl practico is not uprooted before the m stream of severely injured begins to pi reach our shores. k |
