The Kenosha telegraph. [volume] (Kenosha, Wis.) 1860-1888, 1876-09-07
FOR REPRESENTATIVE DISTRICT.
CHARLES G. WILLIAMS,
OF Rock.
TRAMPS.

q
ton from Nathaniel Greene in jail saying
that he was confined in Jail on the SIM
pie charge of intoxication and complain
ing that his fine was not paid and he
set at liberty so that he could 90 to bis
sick family in West Virginia.
This week we publish communica-
ton from E. G. Timme, Clerk of the
County Board of Supervisors. referring
to Greene's communication and giving
facts in the case.
Greene called at the Telegraph Office
begging for money before he called on
Mr.. Timme presenting the same appear
ance ard telling the same story, except
as we remember it, he wanted money to
help him on the way to his family in
West Virginia. We did not consider
him worthy, refuse d to give him money,
and said 10 him that we did not think
he would make a good use of money If
he had it. We said to him, as he urged
that he was a soldier and went with
Sherman to the Sea, that there were
several soldiers in The place some OF
whom might perhaps judge him mole
fayorably than we did. Before leaving
he asked for ten cents which we refused
to give saying that we could not see any,
more propriety in his asking US for ten
cents than there would be in our asking
him for ten cents. The next we heard
from Mr. Greene was his communication
from the jail. 1t seems that several
soldiers judged him more favorably but
perhaps not more righteously than we
did.
: Greene is tramp, one of many who
are constantly begging for money. We
have long been worn with tramp print
ers begging for money. We remember
two healthy, robust looking young men
calling separately on the same day some
years ago, asking and almost demanding
money because they were printers. Tramps
arenumerousan and they seem to be constant
~ increasing. Thousands of men are
out of work aud thousands are tramping
the country in pursuit of work. And
many would work if they could get
work. A young man from Boston
worked in this office last Saturday to
get money to help him on to Racine.
He is good compositor and claimed
that he could earn $500 per day at the
prices paid in the country if he could
get work. In reply to the question, Do
you not find tramping hard business? he
replied, Yes, very hard He did not
look like tramp from Choice, and vet it
would seem strange if he could not get
work enough to earn his living. S
What is to be done with tramps is be-
coming question of great importance
all over the countrT. 1t is a nice ques-
tion to decide whether tramp is one
from choice or necessity. Some are dam
gerous and to be guarded against
Others are harmless and might be trust
ed. They have left home in hopes of
finding work, but failing in finding it,
and without monev, they have tramped
on and on, and are tramps from necessi-
ty And worse still, they are becoming
yitiated, and may become dangerous.
Back of the tramp question there is
still another and greater. There are
thousands and thousands of men and
women out Of employment and without
any means of making a living except
their ability to labor. Private and COZ
porate enterprise, and municipal, state
and national governments fail to give
them employment. What is to be done
with them? 1t would be dangerous as
well as cruel to let them starve. But
starve they must unless there is great
ly increased demand for work, or unless
they are provided for by municipalities
or furnished work by governments.