The Prose Works of Jonathan Swift, D.D. - Volume 07: Historical and Political Tracts-IrishSwift, Jonathan
General
The Prose Works of Jonathan Swift, D.D. - Volume 07: Historical and Political Tracts-Irish
Swift, Jonathan
Ireland -- Politics and government -- 18th century
If some of the out-parishes be overburthened with poor, the reason must
be, that the greatest part of those poor are strollers from the country,
who nestle themselves where they can find the cheapest lodgings, and
from thence infest every part of the town, out of which they ought to be
whipped as a most insufferable nuisance, being nothing else but a
profligate clan of thieves, drunkards, heathens, and whore-mongers,
fitter to be rooted out of the face of the earth, than suffered to levy
a vast annual tax upon the city, which shares too deep in the public
miseries, brought on us by the oppressions we lye under from our
neighbours, our brethren, our countrymen, our fellow protestants, and
fellow subjects.
Some time ago I was appointed one of a committee to inquire into the
state of the workhouse; where we found that a charity was bestowed by a
great person for a certain time, which in its consequences operated
very much to the detriment of the house: for, when the time was elapsed,
all those who were supported by that charity, continued on the same foot
with the rest of the foundation; and being generally a pack of
profligate vagabond wretches from several parts of the kingdom,
corrupted all the rest; so partial, or treacherous, or interested, or
ignorant, or mistaken are generally all recommenders, not only to
employments, but even to charity itself.
I know it is complained, that the difficulty of driving foreign beggars
out of the city is charged upon the _bellowers_ (as they are called) who
find their accounts best in suffering those vagrants to follow their
trade through every part of the town. But this abuse might easily be
remedied, and very much to the advantage of the whole city, if better
salaries were given to those who execute that office in the several
parishes, and would make it their interest to clear the town of those
caterpillars, rather than hazard the loss of an employment that would
give them an honest livelyhood. But, if that would fail, yet a general
resolution of never giving charity to a street beggar out of his own
parish, or without a visible badge, would infallibly force all vagrants
to depart.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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