The workingman's advocate. [volume] (Chicago [Ill.]) 1864-1877, 1876-01-15
1rarnps


Prom the hoil,rs' Jlurn4L
During the past month convention was
held in Columbus, Ohio, which was q dis
grace to the country, and to the civiiza-
tion that rendered such q convention pos
slble. The convention was called by some
village dignitary for the avowed purpose
OF putting down the tramp nuisance, and
some OF the expressions let loose by So
called delegates were worthy the days Of
fugitive slave laws. Tramps have become
very numerous, without . doubt; but for
any set Of men to assume that, because
they are tramps, they must necessarily be
thieves and murderers, and all tramps to
be treated rs such, is going little bit too
far. They proposed that all tramps should
be arrested and forced to work on the
public roads in chain-Gangs, or, as they
put it, make them earn their feed.
Perhaps 1t would be well 10 ascertain
who these men were who could give ex-
preston to such sentiments. They we're
village, town, and county officials and law
yers-men whose very vocation proves
them TO be paupers. They produce moth
ing, and live of what the public sees fit
tC give them as charity; but. to take of the
sting of the word charity" What they
receive is denominated "a salary" Yet
they are public paupers-as much 30 as
the inmates Of our inirmaries and poor
houses; for il their salaries were stopped,
they would either become tramps or What
they affect TO believe tramps are.
Who are the tramps We do not in-
clude in our definition the hummer, the
periodical inmate Of our work-houses and
county lsils, the politician out Of power, or
! the fugitive from JustIce-as tramps We
have these classes AZ all times, good or
bad; out our tramp, one Of the class in
whose name We protest against such con
ventlons and AGAINST such aspersiOns on
their characters, is the honest, hard listed
mechanic or laborer to whom work would
be blessing that he or they pray for con
tinually. Thousands Of them are men Of
family, who cherish for their wives and
little ones love unknown to the crowd
that met at Columbus, or To the cowardly
crowd of newspaper writers who are CON
tinually bounding alter them. They have
been for years quiet, unobtrusive citizens,
working SIX days per week at wages barely
sufficient TO keep them while working, and
now that tens Of thous Inds Of them are
thrown out Of employment, for no direct
| fault nf their own, they start on tramp,
hoping that work may be had somrw here
for the asking; and when they find that
every place they 70 to has the same story
to tell-when they ind their little hoard
Of money gone-when hunger and cold
overtskes them, and they ask for bread,
and are met with insults instead Of SYM
pathy, with threats instead OF work,
with the prison workshop instead a
: honest outslde work that would enable
them to assist their dependent families,
then who can wonder if the tramp ceases
TO be the honest mechanic, the respectable
citizen, and feels that he IL an Ishmaelite
with every mans hsad against him, and
perforce his hand must be against every
bodyl
In times past, when work could be had,
, We have heard the lazy and the improv:.
dent say that the country owed them q
living, and theYwere going to have it. We
never had any sympathy with such Asser,
tions or those who made them; but We dc
/ say now that the man who In willing to
work and can not get 1t to do, in neither Q
! pauper nor q criminal; that he would be o
coward to see his family suffer with hunger,
and that no would he suicide TO starve,
! when food could be had for the taking Of
, it, and the man or men who would send q
fellow-man to prison under such Circum-
/, stances should purchase . rope and 70 and
hang themselves a. o disgrace TO the earth
they polluts with their presence.