The Andrew County Republican. [volume] (Savannah, Mo.) 1871-1876, 1874-12-25
RI'NI WiI IENLi

George The Fourth was passed an act
entitled the VGgrant act, which holds
that every person running away, and
leaving his wife, or his or her children,
c~harGeable, or whereby she or they, or
any of them, shall become chargeable
To any parish, shall he deemed Il rogue
and vasaboud. Other supplementary
acts passed during the present reign
provide that any woman DESERVING her
natural child shall be equally deemed Il
rogue and vagabond, and punished ac-
cordingly. Acting by authority Of and
upoa the terms of these acts, there is
published in England q small weekly,
entitled the POor Lar TMions' Gazette,
which is posted to every union through
ont the country on the Friday evening
of every week. The scope Of this
weekly is very simple. It describes
every man who has left his wife and
children, his age, height, trade, cloth
ing. habits, mode of speech, haunts,
and every particular concerning him.
Through its means the light of outraged
justice is cast upon every skulking
renegade. lie cannot escape it without
leaving the country. and it is lawful for
any person to apprehend him, to lay on
Il hand, 10 urn him over to the nearest
constable. The pages Of this little
paper r iull Of the most curious
statistics. 1t includes men OF every de-
scription, trade, ard calling ; men of all
ages and compilations, dark and sallow
being the %rarest, tie generality being
fresh, ruddy, light, tlorid, freckiei, ami
fair. There are gardeners, golfers,
sawyers, b!acksmi.hs, t%ailors, miners,
butchers, cabmen, quack doctors, cos
.ermongcrs, sailors, servants, and men
of every conceivable trade and special
ty. Some of the Irregularities, or
things to be made a note of, are quite
singular and amusing. Thus we find
that n nan has a scar at the corner
of n eye /; another, a mark from the
kick of a horse; a third, projecting
teeth a fourth, n tumor on the right
arm a fifth, a harc-lip a sixth, a burn
on the left cheek &: a seventh, n mark
on the lose /; an eighth, Il down-cast
look, n stoop, n lame walk, or only one
leg. Sineularly enough, the majorit
of runaway husbands have blue eyes.
We are also told that one runaway hus-
band IS IN efficient musician, that
another speaks through his nose. Some
are fond OF dancing, while one man
plays the bones in a negro minstrel
troupe, and another plays the piano,
frequents betting houses, and hawks
pies.
There can be little doubt that such a
law and such q periodical must exercise
a very salutary influence upon the class
of worthless vagaboAds it is intended
to reach. There is nothing which peo-
Pile dread so much al notoriety when
deeds are evil, and with the
chance of having his name branded
about ; his person aud habits described; |
a price, rs it were, placed upon his
head, Il man will think twice before he |
deserts his home and family. 1t is true
that the poor woman, i'll her little pride,
will slave and toll TO keep the wolf from
the door, in hopes that the husband,
drunken aud useless, may re-
to save her from tine pity which
every woman breads. She will no:
make use Of this powerful organ until
every other method has failed her. She
las ~ held, at all events, on her faith |
less slouse; a hold which viii Justly |
the craven id.er up Ia public
and contempt. Nr. Gladstone
i,as proposed 30 try iii" effect Of shame
in the case of drunlarIs, by publishing
names Of dciinquen.s il Il black
list. to b. kept specially for the rur-
pose. u seems 70 ne IN oxcell mt idea,
when Young Mr.. Fitz-No0ile
knows that his young lady friends may
read in the morning paper tina. their
exquisite has been seen the
before drunk and incapable, he
may think twice before ri,king his pros
poets and reputation. Human nature
is unfortunately weak. and while the
philantlropist, the millionaire, the an
thor, the actor, and men generally
love no;oriety for its own sake,
the criminal, the vicious, and The fool
have ever,y reason 10 dread it Cor