The Leavenworth weekly times., 1878-11-07
The Massachusetts Tramp.

IL what the public speakers and journals
of Massachusetts say be true, that State
must be ON the eve Of anarchy and destruc-
ton. A clergyman, during the delivery
of an address al Lynn, on The 2nd Inst.,
said:
81 have been in the habit Of visiting
the homes OF the toiling masses and noting
their condition. and have never witnessed
such destitution "a ! witness now. There
will be less of labor this winter than ever
before, Notwithstanding the frequently re-
peated promises now made everywhere.
Mark what / say: The darkest winter OF
the whole Is before US inevitably"
The Boston Herald, by no means sensa.
tional paper, in paragraph In its issue OF
the 23rd inst, has this TO say about the
dangers TO which persons and property are
already sub biect from the unemployed In
Massachusetts:
'In all parts OF the country tramps are
becoming boldly offensive agsin, and
number of murderous assaults have been
noted within the past few days IN different
localities OF the north. Ii these fellows
continue the course they have so early In
the season inaugurated, they will only have
themselves to blame if precautionary and
retaliatory proceedings are Instituted which
will prave Effective in deciding the ques-
ton. As matters now stand, 1t is not sale
10 allow them to approach too near private
premises"
Put the best face upon it We may. and
allowing for some degree OF eXaggeratlop,
these extracts argue a sad condition OF So
ciety in Massachusetts,. There Is at least
a reasonable ground for these utterances, or
they never would have been heard. Winter,
whose cold and hunger must pinch the sui
fering, has not set in, yet the country
tramps are becoming boldly offensive
again" says the HeTald. "The darkest win
ter of the whole is before us inevitably"
chimes in the man Of God. Heretofore,
Massachusetts, claimed TO be the most intel
ligent, most prosperoni, orderly and moral
State in the Union. The claim has hardly
been disputed. To-day, how changed 81
have never witnessed such destitution as
witness now," says one. Crime accompan-
les destitution as the shadow does the sun.
1T is not safe TO allow tramps to approach
too near private residences echoes an
other. Here is the consequence fol-
lowing on the heels Of cause. Poverty
begets desperation, desperation drives men
to the commission of crime. What Is the |
cause of this condition Of society IN Massa-
chusetts? The State is not poor. In pro-
portion to population. Massachusetts Is
the wealthiest State in the Union. Her
stores and warehouses are full af the neces-
saries of life, the handiwork OF her people.
Her banks, we are assured, have plethora
of money, and her wealthy citizens are
seeking for investments for their idle capi-
tai. Food never was more abundant, cheap
and easy of attainment for money. Yet
many tens of thousands of her working
classes are ready to starve, or save them
selves from starvation by the perpetration OF
crime. All this comes from idieness with
out doubt Whence come the idlersf
There has been as much employed laor up
On the farms of Massachusetts. during 1873,
as in any previous year. Her agricultural
products for the past season demonstrate
his much. Her idlers, therefore, do not
,ome from her farms. They have not i'm
migrated into the State from elsewhere, for
We have been assured by her statisticians
hat the population of Massachusetts,, has
If at all, increased since the panic
# 1873. They mus, then, have come from
he factories and shops Of the State. Why
rom these?