The daily gazette., 1877-06-05
From the Baltimore Sun.
OutraEes by Tramps

The late brutal outrage by tramps upon
poor woman and her daughter near
Newark, N. j., which equals in horrors
even the late crime in De Kalb, Miss, is
one of many outrages perpetrated by
tfamps, and precisely parallel to one
which occurred not many weeks ago in
New York, where rufian was convict
ed of having, in company with two 9th
ers broken into tene ment ar d outraged a
woman and her daughter, and was sent
to prison for three months, a sentence
which was simply an encouragement to
like crimes, and which, ifinfiicted upon
the perpetrators of the De Kalb murder
would have raised a shrek of horror
through all those regions which "com-
pound for sins they are inclined to by
damning those they have no mind to-"
The fact that the women thus maltreated
were poor and defenseIess-whether of
---arta- - 'onr-aYs-o,..a,, ,,.o
enormity of the crime. Poverty anu
helpleness, if they cannot be a defense
against the base and ignoble, should at
least have the protection of the law and
OF civilized society. The tramp has be-
come nuisance ia this country in every
way, and is the harder to bear because.
though familiar pest in Europe, he has
been until lately unknown here. Like
the locust, the scourge is felt more in this
country because a recent importation. In
the old world the tramp has been knowr
under other names from the most ancient
times, begging las Roman author
says) for the scraps of spoilt bread that
mad been reserved for the dogs" For
more than five hundred years France has
been legislating in vain to get rid of this
nuisance, and from the earliest periods
the English laws have sought in vain to |
deal effectively with the nuisance. An
intelligent essayist upon this subject saws
that the conclusion of all European ex-
perlence is that nothing can permantly
anect the evil of mcndicity but a gener-
al uinusloh ni OF prosperity, morality and |
We had arrived at this
condition in the United States before the
war more nearly than any modern nation
and in some sections of the country. es-
pecialIy the South, beggars We're almost
unknown. Even now medi cants. excent
those who come come from outside their
own limits, are very rare in the Southern
States.
1t is estimated that in Massachusetts
alone there are now $4,000 vagrants. n
great proportion of them abie-bodied.
1he hard times is the excuse for MANY of
vagrant proclivities, who perhaps were
once able and willing to support them.
selves by honest labor. Hence it is, no
uouot, that we have more ofthem in this
secuon than ever before. Various efforts
were made dt the last session of the Marv-
iand Legislature to enact a law which
would provide special remedy for this
grievance, but none of them were suc-
Gess1ui' Most of the States have vagrant
laws, nut they are not enforced. IL seems
strange that no protection can be founJ
such country as this against the
tramp nuisance, and th"t it should he be
coLDlnS more serious every wear Ac
corning TO late accounts a coInpanv nf
Them took possession of railroad train
Travelled as far as they wanted to, and
then lett the train, only few of their
n number being captured. 1t seems to be
Tue custom OF these people to quarter
themselves on the aims and charity of
the large cities in the winter, and. in the
spring, 70 make raids into the country. l.
where they beg, steal, murder, and com
Inlt SuCh atrocities as have been lately
perpetrated in New jersey. Even whers
the laws are most stringent they do not
seem competent to deal with this nui-
S,ance. Public opinion. however. which
mas sought to express itself in efficient
legislation, will, in default of that. iusti-
~ individuals in legitimate measures of
which is the first law of
nature. A powerful dog has been found
valuable guard, and even a terrier pi yes
an alarm which makes them at least
cautious. Rural communities would find
II TO there advantage to act in concert
tor the abatement of this growing pui-
sance, and cooperate with the officers of
the law IN the apprehension of yagrant
and criminal offenders.
AS every mans house is his castle !
weapons of defense, of whatever kind.
may be used without ceremony when,
ever protection of a household ~ NOT Al
forded by the laws and their adequate en-
forcement. When arrested close confine.
ment or hard labor have been fonnd
specially distasteful to vagrants. Upon a
sudden emergency, like that in New Jer-
sey there should be no hesitation in tal.
ing the most summary measures, OF
course, however, due caution sbonld
always be observed, as there nav oc-
caslonally be worthy poor among the