The Sun.
London, England, 1869-11-09 00:00:00

THE SHEFFIELD IDOL.

The Rev. R. Stainton has been trying to break in
pieces the golden calf of the Sheffield unionists ; but
the success of his attempt has unfortunately not been
proportionate to its merits. The shepherd Broad-
head, in a recent address to his flock, had
admitted that he had done wrong, but argued that
ho was nit worse than the average of working
men in Sheffield. The Rev. R. Stainton
called a meeting to give the sheep an opportunity of
declaring tha' they had been maligned by their
pastor. And they did pass a resolution, affirming
that Broadhead's speech implied a charge of the
most revolting kind, and disclaiming any connection
with him as a leader, or any sympathy with las
crimes. But this act of repentance was speedily
cancelled. Mr. Stainton was followed after the
meeting by a large proportion of his audience, who
hooted, screamed, and behaved so violently that the
well-meaning clergyman had at length to take refuge
in a police office. Ife had got the golden calf down,
but the worthies of Sheffield speedily set it up again.
TIIE SUPPLY OF VAGRANTS IN WIIITECRAPEL.

Whilst other supplies run short, beggars are unfail-
ingly plentiful. The vicar of St. Mark's, White-
chapel, announces the cheering news that the number
of vagrants in the union of that renowned district
has increased in five years from 5,000 to 20,000. The
Rev. Brooke Lambert justly thinks this a very
startling fact, and endeavours to explain the
"bearings of it." This increase is not due to distress,
but simply to the fact that vagrancy is a profitable,
light, varied, and altogether agreeable business.which

a large proportion or our craw ea nation very gladly
embraces. Originally the casual wards were intended
to give a night's lodging and a little food to destitute
travellers. They are really employed as hotels by
professional vagabonds ;

One of our largest paving contractors pointed the other
day to a man whom he would have been only too glad to
employ, but of whom he said, " Such as he will not do a
stroke 'of work so long as they can get their pipe and a bit
of bread any other way." This is the class which is filling
our vagrant wards—a class of men who shrink from a
whole day's work, who are content to sleep at a workhouso,
and to shamble through their quota of stoneyard work, in
order to spend the rest of the day in laziness, or who,
if they do a chance job, hand over the earnings to their not
very select female friends, and start for the nearest police-
station.

When they get to the station all the police officer can
do is to ascertain whether they are destitute. He
must give them an order, even though they may be
worthless vagabonds. If there is no room in the
"house," lodging must be found outside. The Rev.
Brooke Lambert thinks that habitual beggars ought
to be more hardly dealt with. Those who are
not bond fide travellers ought to be made
to work the whole day, and not merely a short task.
The most incorrigible offenders should be lodged in
a place of detention for three days or a week, and
kept to task work. The text, "If a man will not
work, neither shall he eat," ought to be rigidly
applied ; but attempts at reform also should not be
neglected.