The Cecil Whig. [volume] (Elkton, Md.) 1841-current, 1877-12-01
FOOT PASSENGERS.

The tramp Is predatory biped with
scant ideas of right and no regard for
decency. In the great world Of life and
its realities he is the one positive cx-
ponent of worthlessness. The funda,
mental article of his creed is that
" society owes him living" He was
flung into existence, dashed against the
hard logic of events without being con-
suited, and therefore no obligation rests
upon him to earn "a subsistence He is
entitled to be fed, and he is not even
bound to be at the trouble of raising
the food to his mouth If the world
but knew it, a great crime was perpe-
trated when it failed to rock him in
"the cradle of luxury" and to rear
him in elegant and ostentatious indo-
Ience. He regards it as a burning
shame that he is forced to walk from
town to town an humble suppliant at
kitchen doors He has keen sense of
what he supposes to be his rights. and
dwells, with imprisoned eloquencc,
upon the taunts and ieers that are his
daily portion. He has a glib tongue
and his words are oily He is Com
muniSt Of the worst type, without cX-
actlv knowing the definition Of the
word Men arc living creatures. To
live, it is necessary that they should eat.
He has nothing. The occupants Of all
these houses have abundance. He is
entitled to a share He takes d" i'm
nv" forces the door of the harder and
walks off with his own TO prevent
unnecessary trouble, he does il clandes-
timely. He may not lay down his prem
ises and argue from them quite so
formally, but the conclusion he reaches
is precisely the same, as he slips away
with his pockets filled with another's
bread. He is, generally, a specialist.
AS rule he pretends to be thoroughly
posted on one topic only. He does not
mention these technical phrases, as he
perhaps has never heard of them, but
he is either Il communist, spiritualist
or an inflationist, nationalist, skeptic
or a woman sutf'ragist, always free
thinker, and quite frequently a free
lover-of whisky,
We have lately had the pleasure OF
meeting one of the species who COM
bined in himself all these characters,
with the possible exception of the
whisky. So comprehensive and, if we
may be permitted the expression, so
universal was he, that we might, with
out shock to truth, write him down a
phenomenon. His volubiitv would
have done credit to a life insurance
agent. And the ease with which he
twisted his tongue around such eX-
pressons as psychological develop
ments land physiological tendencies y
and "psychical facts " would not have
been unworthy of the pathological and
syntactical pyrotechnics of Prof Hulk
ley He held to Platonic theory of
government and dweIt with surprising
persistence on the wrongs of the work
ingmen "The majority has no right
to rule said he, nor has the minor
ity" Like Sam Bard, he was entirely
"too unanimous Congress should
have no law-making, but only law
proposing power, and no law should
become binding except by the consent
Of the ~ ole people. Lunatic as he
was, his sophistries were subtle, and
his arguments somewhat ingenious.
Among people who would be unable to
detect his insanity, his doctrines would
prove dangerous and his preaching is
just such as would be calculated to stir
up the spirit Of mischief among that
class who composed the majority of
those who, few months ago, were in
strumental in enacting scenes of arson
and pillage and murder that were a
stain upon our civilization. This par
ticular foot passenger ought to be Gagged.