The Kenosha telegraph. [volume] (Kenosha, Wis.) 1860-1888, 1877-05-24
, KENOsHA MAY Is, 1877.

KENosHA May Is, 1877.
EDITOR TELEGRAPH:- My sympathy
for you in your sickness made your
structures on, my letter Of last week
painful, in that it conveyed to me the
idea that having cast me into the very
pit desired to avoid, you have forced
upon yourself an additional and some
what unnecessary labor. Further,
your remarks manifested to me how
easy it is to misconstrue the plainest
language and how readily the best
intentions can be converted into SEEM
ing wrong doing. This is more than /
could wish to say, but cannot very well
pass your remarks in silence without
showing a disrespect I do not feel. :.
My object in writing these letters is
mot to abuse any one, or make a parade
of my knowledge, but to correct certain
errors the people have fallen into, and
perhaps, to give expression to opinions
that are whispered around by large
portion Of our community tending to
show that the county expenditure is
excessive and our agents extravaganza
or careless. / must too, in passing
deny any feeling against any body, and
for Mr. Lucas / claim the most friend
ly relations, having said this much /
will leave him with you criticisms and
return to the-Tramps!
Icould hardly hope in such letter
as this to do more than point out the
fact, THAT in our anxiety to reach "hard-
pam we are thoughtlessly drifting into
Symmes' Hole, which is said to be
bottomless, were Ito make the attempt;
therefore, without stopping to point
out the connection between this and
the tramp disease, I pass at once to
show the rapid development Of plague
that no foresight, on the part Of our
officials, could have guarded against or
management have controlled.
AS lately as 1873 the expense of tran
sient paupers- tramps, as [ shall call
them in the future-Was less than
800; in 1874 only $500; in 1875 under
500; but, from Jan. 1876 to May the
cost had risen to $549, from that time
May to Dec. 81, $500 more was paid
after deducting $51 from the original
bill as presented by the then, sheriff.
Since Jan. of the present year the ex-
pense to the county has been $497 at
the price Of so cents per head, the price
paid. This would give over 500 tramps
that have been provided for by the
sheriff in about months, and the
county agent tells me that he believes
not a dozen Of these have been here
more than once. %"
In any country this would be re-
markable showing, in ours it is truly
alarming and has reached such dimen-
sions as to call for the most serious
consideration of every taxpayer, and
is taken out Of the region of censure of
officials or condemnation of those gen
tlemen who to so great an extent con
troll our county expenditure.
There can be no doubt that the alb
sence Of labor at home drove mechan-
les first on to the road, as it no doubt
drives many an honest man to-day. but
the congregation of hundreds Of tramps
around one city at one time and anoth-
|er city at another time partakes so
much of the idea of preconcerted mo-
tive and design that we can scarcely
refuse to accept it as the use of an oc-
casion for an organized effort on the
part of a shiftless and degraded class
Ito get living by preying on the chart
ty of the prudent, and industriously
earn living by their wits-as so MANY
do who belong to class above them.
Humanity urges a living, vigorous
charity, towards the unfortunate and
the poor, but calm judgment and com
mon honesty tell us, that this class do
mot deserve the consideration that is
lshown them by providing meals in
great abundance and food of superior
quality. But something must be done:
since we cannot at this time avert this
terrible nuisance. we must do what we
can to mitigate it. What that some
thing is cannot be very fully discussed
here, but temporary relief might be
suggested, without opening up an ar
gument or giving occasion for much
dispute.
In Waukegan [ understand thew give
a five cent loaf and lodging. In Racine
tramps are kept, some in the Jail and
some at taverns-When the Jail is full I
suppose-at cost of Is cents per head.
This is dispensing charity in self de-
fence. Here, at present, they are al
lowed to go where they please, the au-
thorities having refused further expen-
diture in their behalf, hoping, no dol1bt
thus to prevent their coming at all
Vain hope, i expect, for they still come,
and this does NOT moot +bn go, -
mitigate the evil. It at best but turns