National Republican., 1877-10-12
Homes and Employment.

II is the province of man to earn his bread
by the sweat of his brow. He is brought
into the world and finds spread out before
him, to invite to effort, the earth in all its
wealth of resource-the avenues Of trade,
manufactures and commerce, and the paths
to science. This is the field from which
man is to gain support, and it can only be
done, except in isolated cases, by the dint
of toll This is the lesson of life, though 1t
is not always studied and made the guide
of action. There is q large percentage Of
idlers who seek precarious living by their
wits or other doubtful agencies, and become
the lazaroni of the cities or the tramps Of
the country. The problem, what to do
with this class, is yet to be settled, and
challenges the attention and effort OF the
wisest of our philosophers and statesmen
We would not be understood as contending
that all those out of employment and idle
are so from choice for that would be un-
Just to large class who would labor If they
could get employment, and who have been
separated from it by misiortunes and cir
cumstances beyond their control. To thee
we have no reference in wt,~r We say, be-
yond the expre:-,on Of the thought that
thcyy ere first entitled to sympathy and aid
We desire to call attention to that class
who are denominated tramps and who in
fest the city and country in idlencss. We
have been greatly surprised at recent sta
tistcs which show the number Of this class
in the State of Maryland, to say nothing of
this District and other sections of the coun-
try. The late report of Mr.. GRIFFITH to
the Maryland Prisoners Association pre-
sents some astonishing facts relating to the
tramps in that State. II appears that the
almshouse of Cecil county received 1000
tramps in the past year, the Carroll county
almshouse 1000 the Hartford $500, Fred
erick 800, and in other counties on the
Western Shore the proportion was also
large.
Duty to society and the commonest prin-
ciples of philanthropy demand that some
provision should be made for this class, that
their nomadic mode Of living may cease
and the community be relieved from the
dread that attends their presence. En-
ployment should be provided for the indus
trious, who are willing to toll, and invol-
untary labor in houses of correction for the
vicious who prefer idleness and vice to
honest labor for livelihood. To this end
the best efforts of the philauthropists and
lawmakers should be directed.
There is much land to be possessed and
titled in the States of Virginia and Mary
land 1t is not necessary to go West" tC
find cheap and fertile soil TO invite the toll
of the husbandman. Let these lands b,
purchased and the waste places made tC
blossom through the labor of those who ART
out Of employment. Under such policy
the sum of human prosperity and happi
ness would be greatly enlarged. The enter
prise Is worth an effort seriously and deter
minedly made. The initiative is alread,
being taken There is an association yet il
its infancy which looks to this end. 1t i
known as the ViticultOrs Cooperative As
sociation, and has for its object the combi
nation of capital and labor, 50 rs to form
cooperation for mutual industrial as wel
as mental culture, based upon the true prir
ciples of political economy. Its early air
is the scientific cultivation Of grape in Vii
ginia. 1t holds its meetings on each Tue'
day evening at 3 o'clock at 517 stree
corner of Sixth street, northwest, where il
principles and aims are intelligently dii
cusscd. This may be regarded as pione'
association, but kindred associations relatiu
, to the general industries of the country al
feasible until the vacant arabic lands
every State in the South shall be occupied !
, industrious communities established und
, favorable circumstances of fselfprotectipn,n M
, where the idler who desires to earn h
bread by the sweat of his brow will fin
ample field for honorable and producti'
y toll. In this way employment can be -four
, by the willing toiler On the other han
: those who are tramping the cities and couI
q try, leading vicious instead of industrio
lives, should be picked up and consigned
q reformatory institutions, where labor Ct
. be forced from them. This is great que
ton, and challenges the best wisdom Al
# efforts of every philanthropist and we
wsher of mankind to solve the problem
/, employment and homes for all the Amer
can neoDle