The Crime of Caste in Our CountryDavenport, Benjamin Rush
History
The Crime of Caste in Our Country
Davenport, Benjamin Rush
Social problems; United States -- Social conditions -- 1865-1918
The gentleman (?) known as Ollie Teall should receive, at the hands
of the disciples of anarchy and socialism, a medal for his valuable
services in attempting to present a picture to the delectation of the
assembled “Four Hundred,” of the children of the poor feeding (as
animals, poor creatures!) in Madison Square Garden, last Christmas.
This man, Teall, may have no qualities to recommend him other than
this, that he is a superlative example of those who would create a
state of anarchy in this country.
It was his proposition, so it appears from the newspapers, to make
a kind of horse-show at Madison Square Garden, wherein the children
of the poor should perform the part of the horses, the animals. It
was proposed to sell boxes to the rich, that they might sit around
and behold the exhibition of the animals! To the originators of this
novel exhibition is due the thanks and praises of the anarchists, who
have sought a haven here, for they played into the hands held by the
anarchists with wonderful precision.
We must all respect the courage and manliness of one man who, justly
conceiving his duty as a teacher of the doctrine of his Master, arose
and protested. Yes, and he was worth more than a brigade of soldiers in
quieting the wrath of the people, the Rev. Dr. Rainsford, of St. George
Episcopal church, in Brooklyn, and let his name be remembered for his
courage in denouncing the most damnable exhibition of the tendency of
the “Four Hundred” of New York. The name of the Rev. Dr. Rainsford, of
the St. George Episcopal Church, will ever be remembered by the poor as
that of a man, a Christian, an American, and a gentleman. Vigorous was
his denunciation of the spectacular exhibition of the feeding of the
poor like so many cattle.
Yes, fair “Four Hundred,” as the nobles of France told the peasants to
“eat grass” and were amused at their attempts of the performance, so
you would feed a lot of poor children in Madison Square Garden, and
take stalls and boxes to look on at the peculiar performances of the
hungry eating! You know that each child is but the coming American man
or woman. You would make a Roman holiday to exhibit the necessities
of the People, who are your rulers. Delightful entertainment for the
exclusive “Four Hundred,”--to sit around with their many millions and
gaze at the ravenous appetites exhibited by the children of the poor.
It was a holiday like the holidays in Rome, when the nobles assembled
to see the persecuted Christians torn and mangled by every form of
beast that, by research, could be brought to the Roman arena. Dr.
Rainsford, thou art “a man for a’ that.”
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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