CHARITY BEGINS AT HOME!

Lyttelton Times, Volume XCVII, Issue 11180, 30 January 1897, Page 2

CHARITY BEGINS AT HOME!

TO THE EDITOR. Sit, —I notice that the Armenians are obtaining a large share of local sympathy, and are also likely to receive some local cash. The Armenians are certainly deserving of sympathy and cash, but it seems to me that it is unnecessary to go to Turkey and beat along the shores of the Mediterranean for deserving objects to expend our surplus sympathy and cash. upon. Is New Zealand such a prosperous colony, overflowing with milk and honey ? Has each of her inhabitants a'sufficiency that places he or she beyond ; the pangs of hunger, the want of clothing and food, and the sufferings that are usually the lot of a large proportion, of the peoples of all countries P I say that while there are hundreds in New Zealand crying for food; while there are thousands of cases as bad as those of the Armenians that need alleviation, it is a keen satire to go to foreign lands to seek objects for the bestowal of qur bounty. “ Charity begins at home.” In the case of New Zealand it is apparently inspired from

abroad, and it is almost solely confined to the cause of the suffering foreigner. If we have any voice in the affairs of the “ mighty Jingo Empire ”. to which were are bound by “those silken bonds,” why do not the orignators of the foreign charity fund go to the root of the affair-, and ask that “ mighty Empire ” to exercise a little of its boasted power by influencing the Mohammedan butcher? If the “caxise” of the Armenians’ suffering was kept in check, the “effect” could not obtain. Why can wo not (as an atom forming the mighty British Empire) protest against the inactivity of England’s Jingo Government? The cry is “ diplomacy ” prevents it. “ Diplomacy ” is the cause of this wretched butchery which we tacitly agree to, and then impudently ask for means to alleviate the distress of the survivors. This, I pre- 1 sume, is for the purpose of allowing his Majesty of Turkey to have some loft for a'nother day ? The whole thing is a sad and brutal joke, and only tends to show the miserable state and the innate rottenness of tfiose monarchical countries, the “Powers of Europe,” and glorious Britain is the greatest smug humbug of them'all. Let New Zealanders consider the whole case in all its aspects, and then they will come to the conclusion that the sooner the Armenians are butchered off or starved, the sooner will they reach a peaceful oblivion beyond the “protection’ and patronage of the Christian monarchical “ Powers ” of Europe and their “ diplomacy.” It is questionable whether temporary alleviation of numbers of ill-clad, tortured people in jail countries is beneficial, as it only serves to make the morrow more bitter and prolong a life that was unasked for and is apparently uncared for. The rest of the grave is best for those who “ have not.” Alive, they are an encumbrance and annoyance to their well-fed, sleek fellowmeu, who always pass them by, and wish to help the foreigner ; dead, they may prolong the existence of worms, which is, perhaps, all they were horn for and about all they are fit for. Let our people bestow their surplus charity and cash within their own colony, which sadly needs it, and let them study the problems of the “ Christian Powers,” the divine right of kings (and their austere modes of living), and the way they look after the subjects an “ Omnipotent One ” has confided to their charge. Then let them strive to attain some tiling beyond “ Brummagem Christianity ” and a wailing for , the heathen ~ and foreigners generally, whilst permitting our own to become animalised, to hunger, suffer and die. New Zealanders, Study human problems and advance Socialism ; by these means only will the smug Pharisee and the over-fed, yet avaricious lepers of society find their true level is on a par with that of che hog.—l am, &c., ISHMAEL.