Vermont watchman and State journal. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1836-1883, 1876-01-19
The Folly Of Mistaken Kindness.


A short time ago a tramp was arrested in
certain large town, no matter where. lie
was in the earlier stages Of n violent attack
of smallpox, and had passed through the
most crowded streets Of the place before he
was taken in charge. That which happened
in one town might easily happen in twenty
others, and we are led TO consider what an
ingenious and almost unsurpassable mode
for the spreading OF contagious and infec-
tious disease the present tramp system is.
II has its other peculiarities, In the way Of
crime and careleSsness; but this new feature
is one which ought 10 rouse up even the mu-
nicipa selhshness Of the most hardened
townships. If outlying farms are pillaged,
If barns are burned, and travellers on lonely
roads assaulted and robbed, the dweller In
paved streets knows but little, and probably
cares still less, about the matter. But when
hideous and destructive disease comes slouch-
ing round to kitchen doors, and stands reek-
ing IN front yestibues, it becomes athing Of
eminent concern to all good citizens. Vac
cination may guard against that particular
form Of i'll we have mentioned but there is
plenty Of other diseases for which there is
no special prophylactic.
We use this illustration 10 bring forward
a subject upon which it is desirable to say
word. If we were 10 characterize this age.
we should call it one Of indiscriminate and
unreasonable pitv. In nm unhannv hour
some bright genius found out that crime and
vice were in some of their forms akin 10 dis
ease, and Immediately the professed phlan-
thropy of the day leaped TO the conclusion
that crime and vice were nothing but dis
ease. and that responsibility was an error of
the past.
Everybody who does wrong is therefore 10
be coddled and pitied. and cot into some sort
Of an hospital. and the greater the wrong
the more abundant and exnansive the nity
and the petting. If any one demurs. the
fierce answer il made that the obiector is a
lew or n heather. and with this club heavily
loaded with New Testament texts. the Of
fender is beaten into silence. II never seems
TO be taken into account that the New
Testament texts either refer to personal for
eiveness of Injuries (which is quite A differ.
ent thing from combination of public
wronosN or else to cases vhere repentance
has been clearly manife.ted.
The fact regarding these tramps ia per-
fectly notorious. that ninety.nine out of
every hundred are not sufferers and do not
want work They will moi labor nj anv.
thing. Thsir business is 10 live without
working. They are not the victims Of any
revnlsion Of trads or hardness Of the times
II ANYTHING il TO blame for their condition.
il Is ihe laS good.natnre of the community
which has not seen fit to storve Them into
industry.
I'VE are nerfsctlv avvare that there il some
d;fI;cnItv IN doai;3a ,;tb ,ho n,,ttor Wa
have ol;yavs so;d tLot ,rov;dad son,e ,,ronsr
outlet was fnrn;sbsJ fpr those sybo des;rsi
In RETURN 10 industrious resnectah;l;tv there
was no cood reason oga;nst a str;n ss,t law
in regard /. vagahopdage such law onca
well enforcad ,youlJ render /, easv 10 take
care. and kindly cnre. of ali cases of real in.
ahilitv Wa have alwavs hald that "a a
matter of dollars and cents n would nav ali
towns ~ attsnJ 10 ,hs hns;,ass that ,be cav.
;no l., ,1ro,ar,,, ,,astad anJ dostrovaJ In
nniJ;e sannr;,;ss and i, ,ba ,,oss;bia raJa,,n
Hon Of tha ,yaste ,natar;aI IL bnnanitv nat
70 s,eal- nf tLs actnol Issssrina Of lac,i ay.
nenses in i,;I. and almshousss vonld more
Than co,nnens,ta for a nroner ofl;cial amer.
vision. Bnt when The additional motive il
hrongh, In ,hat The b.aItb of honest and in.
dnst non. c;t;gsns ia anJangsred tbe case he.
1 comes loo clear for argnment we have Of
Ton road verv ,rettv and na,bst;c messages
about the homeless and Unfortunate wan
derer Knocking in vain at The rich mans
door and imnl9r;nc food and shelter I'VE
do not think that ono r;cb ma, in a tbousand
would begrndge helm to anv one who really
had sucb need If Il could onlv be believed
that the need existed' The oniv chance for
anv sucb bardsbin 10 occur Iies in tbe fact
of The constant and mortifv;ng disanpoint-
ments of those who have tried IN relieve dis
tress [ No one il 10 be blamed If after nine
teer case. NJ gagrapt i,,nosition bs hutton,
mn bis nocket aSainst the twentietb anneal
W. have aIways REGARDED. and do now more
| than ever regard The weakness of the munic-
inal law and practice as the greatest of
hindranees 10 private charity.
We are not utopian in our views. We
knov nerfectlv we'll that there will always
be a csrtain amount of that distress which
lies in the debatahle land between misfor-
time md miscondnct' We believe in the
helninr hand and the wise iudpment and