-
Chapter XIV. Pauperism and Alcoholism
- University of Pennsylvania Press
- Chapter
- Additional Information
CHAPTER XIV. PAUPERISM AND ALCOHOLISM. 41. Pauperism.-Emancipation and pauperism must ever go hand in hand; when a group of persons have been for generations prohibited from self-support, and selfinitiative in any line, there is bound to be a large number of them who, when thrown upon their own resources, will be found incapable of competing in the race of life. Pennsylvania from early times, when emancipation of slaves in considerable numbers first began, has seen and feared this problem of Negro poverty. The Act of 1726 declared; U Whereas free Negroes are an idle and slothful people and often prove burdensome to the neighborhood and afford ill examples to other Negroes, therefore be it enacted * * * * that if any master or mistress shall discharge or set free any Negro, he or she shall enter into recognizance with sufficient securities in the sum of £30 to indemnify the county for any charge or incumbrance they may bring upon the same, in case such Negro through sickness or otherwise be rendered incapable of self-support." The Acts of 1780 and 1788 took pains to provide for Negro paupers in the county where they had legal residence, and many decisions of the courts bear upon this point. About 1820 when the final results of the Act of 1780 were being felt, an act was passed" To prevent the increase of pauperism in the Commonwealth;" it provided that if a servant was brought into the state over twenty-eight years of age (the age of emancipation) his master was to be liable for his support in case he became a pauper.' Thus we can infer that much pauperism was prevalent among the freedmen during these years although there are 1 See Appendix B for these various la WI. (269) 27° Pauperism and Alcohol£sm. [Chap. XIV. no actual figures on the subject. In 1837, 235 of the 1673 inmates of the Philadelphia County Almshouse were Negroes or 14 per cent of paupers from 7.4 per cent of the population. These paupers were classed as follows :" and over r.rales. Under 21 years .. 21 to 50 " 50 to 75 Unknown J8 57 18 13 Females. Under 18 years . 18 to 40 40 to 60 60 Unknown 33 59 17 10 10 106 12 9 31 females, II 35 28 24 16 males, II 9 12 . . · . . . 13 32 13 Lunatics and defective. Defecti ve from exposure. . . Consumption, rheumatism, etc. Pleurisy, typhus fever, etc. Destitute . Paupers Unclassed. Women lying-in, children and orphans, 106 males, 129 females. Ten years later there were 196 Negro paupers in the Almshouse, and those receiving outdoor relief were reported as follows :" In the City: Of 2562 Negro families, 320 received assistance. In Spring Garden: Of 202 Negro families, 3 received assistance. In Northern Liberties: Of 272 Negro families, 6 received assistance. In Soutlzwark: Of 287 Negro families, 7 received assistance. In West Philadelphia: Of 73 Negro families, 2 received assistance. In MO)'a1l1ensing: Of 866 Negro families, 104 received assistance. Total, of 4262 Negro families, 442 received assistance, or 10 per cent. I " Condition," etc., 1838. S "Condition," etc., 1848. 73.229.84] Project MUSE (2024-03-28 09:14 GMT) Sect. 41. ] Pauperism. 271 This practically covers the available statistics of the past; it shows a large amount of pauperism and yet perhaps not more than could reasonably be expected. To-day it is very difficult to get any definite idea of the extent of Negro poverty; there is a vast amount of almsgiving in Philadelphia, but luuch of it is unsystematic and there is much duplication of work; and, at the same time, so meagre are the records kept that the real extent of pauperism and its causes are very hard to study! The first available figures are those relating to lodgers at the station houses-£. e.,persons without shelter who have applied for and been given lodging :5 " " " 1891, total lodgers .. 13,600, of whom 365, or 2.7 per cent were Negroes. 1892," " . 11,884, " 345, or 2.9 " " " 1893, (( . . 20,521, 622, or 3.° u " 1894, " . 43,726, " 1247, or 2.9 (( 1895, " . 45,788, 2247, or 4·9 " 1896, U • 46,12I, " 2359, or 5.0 Somewhat similar statistics are furnished by the report of arrests by the vagrant detective for the last ten years: 1887 . . total arrests, 58I. Negroes. ·55 9·5 per cent. 1888 . " 574· ·48 8.4 1889 . 588. .3 6 6.1 1890 • 523. " .48 9. 1 1891 . " 554...