THE PROBLEM OF POVERTY 839 



on the ground of an acquired right. On a similar basis rest the 

 claims on the state, church, and corporations for pensions, retiring 

 allowances, or maintenance of widows and orphans. 



Sharply divided from these measures for the advance of general 

 prosperity, of self-help, and of social prophylaxis, there exist, in the 

 last place, the measures against poverty which constitute poor-relief 

 proper. The man whom these general measures for the public good 

 have not been able to prevent from falling into poverty, who, in the 

 case of lost capacity to earn his living, or want of work, cannot fall 

 back on the help of those upon whom he has some special claim, nor 

 has the right to claim help from insurance, such a man has no other 

 resource than to accept outside help, which is offered by poor-relief 

 and charity, a help which has this peculiarity that it stands outside 

 the compass of that reciprocal service which determines and sets 

 definite bounds to all other economic relations. The results of this 

 peculiar relationship are plainly recognizable on the side of both 

 giver and receiver. The giver is inclined to limit his gifts to what 

 is only absolutely necessary, because he gives without return; the 

 receiver is humiliated by the gift, because he can do nothing in 

 return. Hardness on the one side, bitterness on the other, are conse- 

 quently in great measure bound up with the exercise of poor-relief. 

 And where poor-relief is not administered in this hard way, or where 

 it reaches a lavish or actually prodigal extent, it escapes indeed 

 arousing the feeling of bitterness, but produces in its stead other and 

 no less dangerous evils, above all the evil of accustoming the receiver 

 to free gifts, of making him covetous, of lessening his efforts to main- 

 tain himself out of his own endeavors. Where poor-relief so degen- 

 erates it becomes mere almsgiving, which has as its inevitable 

 consequence the unlimited increase of the number of those seeking 

 help. The lamentable fact that heads of families desert their wives 

 and children is really fostered by the feeling, encouraged through the 

 administration of adequate poor-relief, that sufficient provision will 

 be made, without the presence and work of the head of the family, 

 for the maintenance of those dependent upon him. Nay more: 

 where greater riches afford the means of a lavish distribution of 

 charity, the begging of charitable assistance becomes a business 

 which supplies itself with specific expedients in order to secure its 

 share of the superfluous wealth without any effort. The appearance 

 of poverty is feigned. Hypocrisy, lying, and cunning in written and 

 personal representation form the stock in trade of this beggar 

 business, which, estimated by its moral quality, rivals the trade of 

 the card-sharper, receiver of stolen goods, and defrauder. 



Thus the conduct of society toward poverty continues to oscillate 

 between two evils - - the evil of insufficient care for the indigent, with 

 the resulting appearance of an ever-increasing impoverishment which 



