The Memphis Daily Appeal
Memphis, Tennessee
June 15, 1861
We are glad to learn that the citizens—notwithstanding the adoption by council of Ald. Robinson’s resolution stopping relief to the poor by the city almoner—are sustaining the determination of Mr. Underwood, late the city almoner, to continue to distribute to the poor such provisions as citizens may place in his hands for the purpose. Contributions were yesterday made in support of this object to the amount of fifty dollars in money. This will be laid out in flour, meal and bacon. Any provisions that Mr. Underwood may have put into his hands will be faithfully bestowed on persons whose needy condition has been ascertained. The place of distribution is on Second street, north of Jefferson; it will be opened on Monday morning. The mayor gives his approbation to the plan, and to the party who has kindly assumed the difficult office of distribution of the charity of the public. It strikes us that the benevolent effort thus made, might advantageously be put on a more permanent footing than is at present contemplated, and have a wider sphere of operations. Owing to the absence of a considerable portion of the male community, many mothers and sisters will be left in very serious straits; and on account of the decreased demand for labor, there will be much difficulty in families hitherto exempt from privation. This will lead to many appeals on the private charity of our citizens, and imposters will take advantage of the existing distress to push their trade of deceit, and they, by impudence, will gain more than enough for their wants, thus cheating benevolence, and robbing the fund that kind and Christian hearts have intended for genuine and modest poverty. To put a stop to begging and all its attendant evils, it appears to us that it would be well for the city council to employ and pay a public almoner, and contribute to a public relief fund. Private citizens should entrust to the almoner for distribution what they have to bestow. Whenever persons professing to be in need apply to private citizens for aid, instead of the citizens giving it immediately let him give the applicant a ticket—supplied by the almoner to all contributors for the purpose; this ticket would be authority to the almoner to give the bearer assistance, if found to be a proper subject for aid. If imposters after obtaining aid from one citizen went to another, making a trade of poverty, the presentation of another ticket would at once check the fraud, as the presentation of more than a fair proportion of tickets from any one individual, would reveal to the almoner the system that was practiced by the presentor. In this way all would be relieved when requested assistance, and imposition would be detected and stopped. We commend this plan to the consideration of the benevolent.