The Middlebury register. [volume] (Middlebury, Vt.) 1850-1882, 1877-09-28
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The Tramp Question.

tramps has been quite extensive, has
arrived at the conclusion that the only
solution of the tramp question is
through the workhouse system, and he
therefore recommends that the town of
Middlebury adopt it. He suggests that
yard be fenced off near the county
Jail and facilities be furnished for break
ing stone to be used upon our roads, in
manner somewhat similar to the meth
cd employed in the large cities of the
Dominion Of Canada.
These suggestions seem TO have
practical common sense worthy at
least of careful consideration. Some
have supposed that because this species
of vagabondage grew out of, or at least
was largely the result of, the hard
times, it would disappear with the re-
turn of brighter days for honest indus
try. But the most careful observers,
and among them Mr.. Elihu Burritt,
who has made the subject n study at
home and abroad, do not think these
squads of mendicants will disband, or
that those who have become confirmed
in their shifiless and wandering ways
will readily surrender them and take
up the harder labor of honest industry.
II is to be feared the evil is chronic and il
is possible the return of flush times
may make it so much the easier to pros
ecute their calling. 1t is not difficult
TO see that there must be attractions to
many in the romance of this rambling,
lazy life which will prevent its surren-
der except under the heroic treatment.
But what is the etlectual remedy?
Mr.. Martin says nearly all of those
calling upon him for help profess will
lingness to work. Then why not, as he
proposes, take them at their word and
give them work? II matters little
whether they are or are not in earnest
when they ask for employment. Under
the present system, there being nothing
for them to do, it must almost of neces-
sity be taken for granted that they mean
what they say, and hence they are fed
and clothed and sent on TO plague the
next community And while we are
dispatching forward one set of these
Migrants to visit Vergenncs, Brandon
is sending on another lot of candidates
for our hospitality. If in each case and
everywhere the work system prevailed,
they would at length tire of their march
es only to find another job of breaking
stones, and they would eventually set
tie down to a life of steady industry.
But there is another consideration no
less, if not more, convincing that some
thing should be done to solve the ques-
ton. While leading this wandering
life they can scarcely avoid drifting into
criminality. The restraints of fixed
residence and consequent personal re-
sponsibility being removed, the best
citizen degenerates, and the effect upon
the uneducated and unprincipled vaga-
bond must be much greater. If any
further proof of this position were need
ed, we have it in the crimes committed
by them all over the country, from the
petty thieving we this week record in
Whiting, the assault upon Mrs. Peck in
Cornwall, the murder and suicide in
Brandon, to the highway robberies and
train wrecking in Pennsylvania. 1t
could hardly be expected to be other
wise than that when opportunity offers
they will steal; if repulsed, what more
natural than that they s'.ould seek re-
venge!
The plan suggested by Mr.. Martin
may not be new one, but if it has
been successfully tried, so much the
better. 1t is said that Count Rumford
entirely suppressed beggary in Bavaria
by this method, in 1890. And it is GER
tain that ii has been employed success
fully in England for many years. IfI
the workhouse system were in general
practice, instead of the present daw-
ding and putting-oti method which OH
ly shoves the nuisance along to work
mischief in some other locality, the re-
suit would be much more satisfactory
than now. Does not our town owe so
much to the general good OF the public?
But laying aside the question of philan-
thropy, is it not policy to make some
such provision az Mr.. Martin suggests?
The expense would be small, and the
"brotherhood of beggary" would soon
learn to shun the town where entertain
ment Oh their journeying could only be
obtained through hard labor.
~ State Auditor Ladd has furnished
the st. Adams Messenger with summa-
RIGA of the Late axpaudifuras for tha