Montgomery County sentinel. [volume] (Rockville, Md.) 1855-1974, 1877-12-28
Tramp Convention.

oner's Aid Society met at Raine's Hall
in Baltimore, on Thursday and Friday
Of last week to consider various matter.
looking to the suppression Of tramps and
Migrants. The convention was called to
order by Mr.. G. S. Griffith, of Balti-
more, and on his motion Hon. Montgom-
cry Blair was called to the chair and G
S. Griffith, Jr., made Secretary. There
we're eight counties of the State and the
cities of Baltimore and Washington rep
resented in the convention. The dele
gates from this county we're Messrs.
Montgomery Blair, Francis Miller, Chas.
Albert and VIM. H. Farquhar. On tax
ing the chair Mr.. Blair made the follow
ing address on the subject of tramps =
"The tramp question involves the mos
serious problem of the times. We have reach
ed a period in the history of the country which
demanded the careful consideration Of those
concerned in The public welfare. The late
riots which startled the country like mid
night bell were directly and ind directly tracea-
BILE to the hordes of unemployed men called
tramps, who wander from place TO place, up
and down the country. 1t was an appalling
fact that 200, 00C able-bodied men are to-day
out Of employment and roaming over the land
nuisance and terror 10 the people. If this
condition of things ayistnd in anv othar
country but ours, we would charge it to the
folly and extravaganza of the ruling power.
Much OF this evil was due 10 the general con-
traction in business and the Wholesale stop
page Of manufactures, the wisdom Of which
he very much questioned for this had thrown
thousands OF industrious people out of en-
ployment, and 10 self defence they go from one
place TO another, hoping to better their condi-
ton. While there was this vast multitude of
unemployed people in country capable OF
supporting so many millions of people, much
Of the capital of the country was in the hands
OF comparatively lew men. Before the war
we had John Jacob Aston, a Vanderbilt, and
few others who owned from $40, 600, 900 TO
$50, 900, 600 each, but now we have men W hose
annual income amounts to nearly as much as
the entire wealth of these rich men One man
in California had fortune equal 10 the pro-
ductive labor of 80, 600 men These men go
on accommodating wealth until we are suddenly
appalled, by a terrible strike, and the govern
neni is called upon to suppress it. There are
many persons who claim that the General
Government can provide remedy for the
great evil. He, the speaker, believed that the
government had already inierfered TOO much
10 affairs that did not belong to it, and it was
this interference that was partly the cause of
the present state of things Let the govern
ment attend to its own affairs and leave the
question to the people. There are no politics
in this question and he did not see how poll
tics could get into il. The cooperation of the
churches would do much to solve the difficult
~, and with the churches we must have the
aid Of the solid business men Of the country
With their hundreds of millions rightly EN-
ployed, the manufactures could again be put
in operation, and this would bring at ouce an
Improvement in business. They could also
organize colonies to till the waste lands, aud
give work 10 the unemployed. The dangerous
classes as Mr. Beecher had said, were not
altogether the ignorant, but were often found
among the Letter" classes Society could
not be organized by strikes; we are not to he
born again in that way. Property must be
held sacred because property was the founda-
zion Of civilization. This, however, did not
Justify the oppression of labor. A system
that brought large denominations Of wealth
on one hand and poverty on the other would
naturally bring about that condition Of things
under which the country is now laboring-
fle did not wish 10 be understood as casting
obloquy on the rich men of he country, who
had contributed so much to its greatness. lie
had little hope Of accomplishing much by leg
isation the law might punish but could not
suppress the evil, and. the law il its punish
meut alone accomplished very little for the
good OF society The evil would require the
human touch to cure it. The moral effect oil
the movement inhugnrated by the Prisoner
Aid Society and what may be done in this
convention could do more than law. The
courts do not and caLnot assume that The
tramp is criminal but he may develop into
a criminal and is the cover for others who are
criminals, and he is therefore very danger
Gus element in society. The tramp mus, first
Of all be given employment, and then the THE
who comes in his wake can be suppressed by
the law
Judges Gilmour and Pearce and DR..
Chancellor afterwards made addresses on
the same subject. They differed with
Mr.. Blair in several particulars, espec-
tally upon the points of the modes Of
punishment to suppress the tramp nuis-
ance, the way to distinguish the honest
laborer from the lazy tramp, and in the
charge attaching the responsibility of the
tramp nuisance to the government. =
They all advocated the enactment of a
rigid law to govern all tramps and sup
press the nuisance. Mr. Francis Miller,
then addressed the convention. His
views in substance are as follows:
He thinks there would be difficulty in com
pelling tramps TO work on roads 10 all parts
Of a county. lie advocates law giving the
courts power 10 assign labor. The General
Government WAS not responsible for the state
of affairs; it was the old question Of capital
and labor. We are living under a false sys-
tenn, and there should be some way OF increas-
ing laborer's wages and OF decreasing the
rich mans profits. He did not think with
other lawyers that personal liberty would be
endangered by legislation on the subject. The
great question is TO protect the public and the
lawyers should study this part Of the subject.
He advocates smaller political divisions of
counties TO insure better local-goyernment.
The following is synopsis Of the
resolutions adopted:
Owing to the prevalence of tramps through
the counties it was resolved,
That com miltee of seven be appointed to
confer with the people and memorialize the
Legislature 10 enact laws looking 10 the sup
preston Of tramps. That the legislation
should embrace The following features Every
vagrant shall be imprisoned and made to labor
10 some public work. That the House of