The Kenosha telegraph. [volume] (Kenosha, Wis.) 1860-1888, 1877-05-31
KEN0sHA. MAY %. 1877

AAI41SODE1A, may 20, 100
EDITOR TELEGRAPH:-Im must, If you
please, contrary to my intention, take
once more for my text-Trampsl
1t is to be understood that the county
agent and the sheriff are prohibited
from relieving any more tramps, except
the sick and disabled, and consequently
the question arises-Is this .judicious
or even economical?
1t is, no doubt, with good intent and
q view to economy that the order is is
SQed-but is it economy? Is it not,
rather, the very way to increase the
expense TO the county? There seems,
as yet, to be no decrease to the number
OF callers at the jail for food and lodg-
ing. One, for breaking into Mlllers
jeWelry store, has been found already,
that will cost the county, at least, 1925
between now and the time of his trial
in November. Another, is in jail for
breaking into freight cars at the depot,
and is, [ understand, to be put upon
his trial for burglary. One every
Week-n0t very eXtravagant calcula-
ton, only one in sixty or seventy Of
the tramps who visit us-of this kind
OF tramps, will make % persons, up to
the time court sits for the fall term !;
| ii costing only $75 each, it will amount
to 6l700 and is just as likely to cost
more as less, then, add to this, SIS per
day for q counsel for each-the sum
| paid for counsel to defend Mangan at
the last term-and under the present
manner Of doing business in the court,
you have sum I dare not estimate,
and time alone can demonstrate to you.
This does not look much like reducing
the expenses; and too, it is in the pow
er OF any one to make complaint against
any tramp, and have him take6 up as
q yagrant. The citizens will be forced
to do this ere long in self defense, sub
jectlng him, (the tramp to imprison-
men5 for SIX months in the county jail.
How long will it take, think you, to fill
the jail and run our expenditure not
simply from hundreds to thousands of
dollars, but to many thousands.
! But this only represents part of the
difficulty, I think Tax Payer, stated
that he had to feed many, very many,
tramps in the course Of a month. John
Lucas tells me, that since he left the
city he has lodged and fed "a. Mr..
Houston, l believe, scarcely passes a
night without two or three under his
roof. You, [ believe, are not a stran-
ger to their demands ON your charity,
and | have no doubt many another
citizen could tell the same tale.
Says a late Milwaukee paper: "Deso-
latiOn looks out Of the vacant houses
in the village of Bay View, and the
effect OF hard times is everywhere ap-
parent. The immense volume of
smoke from the furnace is no longer
looming up and hurrying over the hor-
lion like q dark cloud. Houses after
houses, once the habitation Of thriving
families. and hearty children, now
stand like grim representations Of neg
lect and desertion, with windows bro
ken and doors nailed up. For Rent
is now the welcome which greets the
visitor on every hand. A few solitary
puddlers walk slowly along the streets. .
Many Of us know what Bay View
was only short time ago. Few, if
any, drinking men were there, not a
saloon in the place, or any where
round, where the inhabitants could
control. | have spent many an hour
among them, night and day, and there
fore, I can bear good witness to their
thrifty habits; their strong desire for q
purer, better, and a higher life. Many
of them to-day are, most likely, to be
found among the continually increasing
army of-Tramps!
There must be some we'll grounded
reason for the present poverty stricken
condition of the people, besides ''OUe1'-
production" and ''shiftlessness. A
i people do not change so suddenly from
industry and thrift, of their own free
will, to the degradation of beggary and
Ipauperism. 1t is not enough to put
the blame fol- this on the late war or
an jnconVertible paper currency.
France has suffered from both of
these, if both be an evil inflictiOn, but
with altogether different effect; her
treasury is full of gold and silver, ours
is almost empty. To-day gold is rush
ing out Of the United States at the
rate OF nearly a million day. AT the
same time it is pouring into France,
with almost equal volume. France
has been continually prosperous and
her people we'll employed. The United
States is by no means prosperous, OF
her people employed. France is cult
waiting in her people habits Of thrift
and economy. The United States
seems to be cultivating shiftlessness
and the habits Of the Lazaroni of Italy,
as II our greatest ambition was to gen
crate nation of thieves and paupers.
In seeking for the cause of this I
have come across the following Stats
tics which | give without comment.
The total amount of money, in circu-
latlon, Or what was used as money in
1865 was 49, 02, $4,000. In 1S66,and 1867,
this was reduced by $686,5S4,8OO. Dec.
1, 1878, the total available currency
amounted to $615,468, 1874 and on the
first Of the present month MAY, 1870
only about $525,000,000.