The Republican journal., 1878-11-28
Punishment That Shall Punish.

While we of the east are graphing
with the tramp question in a very tender
and persuasive way, and are in conse-
quence being overrun 10y hordes of idle
Migrants, who not only have no decency
or sense Of shame, the people Of the Pa
citic coast are taking quite another
view of the matter Starting from the
same point, they arrive at very differ
| cnt conclusion They hold that the
tramp Is an exceptional being, to whom
the rules made for dealing with offenders
generally will 10y no means apply. Com
plants against traIaps and their crimes
| became SO numerous, and their offences
were So little repressed, that clause was
put into the new constitution of Califor-
MIA, authorizing legislation to meet the
Vito Wit, the whipping post. There
exists a belief among the best informed
people OF that state, that the application
Of the lash to convicted horse thieves,
ncendiarles and those who brutally NAL
treat women, will be et1ectual. Discuss
ing this matter, the Alta Californian
saws
The action Of the constitutional convention IN
authorizing hogging as a punishment gives gener
al satisfaction to the farmers who have been the
chief sufferers by the lax administration of justice
toward a large class of criminal Migrants who in
fest the agricultural districts and, under the pre-
tense OF looking for work, live by medlcancy, va
red by theft. arson and violence when favorable
opportunity presents itself They will not work,
though they are usually willing to take places
where they can get wages with little exertion and
it is very dangerous to offend them for their class
have set not less than hundred ncendiary
fires this wear in grain fields, stacks, and barns.
The experience in Maine has been al
most parallel to that which is here relat-
ed, and although we do not expect to see,
nor would we advocate, the enactment OF a
like punishment here, still it is very evil
dent that something more of severity is
demanded to meet the case. AS the law
now stands in Maine. a tramp, if his legal
settlement be outside the state, can be
sent to the workhouse for three or four
months. but for those who claim a resi-
dcncc within the limits of the state. no
punishment is provided more severe than
a brief jail detention, with warm lodgings
and good fare. This is simply the tramp's
paradise. and an intiiction that he under
goes with patient enjoyment. What the
people Of New England, and particularly
of Maine, can do toward the abatement of
this evil is a serious question. In its
treatment, the tender feelings and milk
and water sentiments Of mere humanlta
IIaus are not to be exclusively considered
We must turn to those who have had
experience With criminals, and whose
thought has been turned in the direction
Of the best mode of dealing With them.
by far the larger majority of the men Will
say that fer the sneak thief tramp, and
incendiary, who are 50 frequently found
combined in one. there is nothing 50 elf
cacious as a good sound logging. How
long it may take for this view to permeate
the country remains to be seen. But in
England. where the sentiments Of the
humanitarian class find quite as much ex
preston as in this country. it has been
found that the lash could keep III order
class OF criminals who laughed at the re-
Straints of prison life. as we'll as transpor-
tation tc penal colonies. In lobl the
English law provided the latter penalty
for that dangerous class of rui1ans who
garroted and robbed people on the high
way; hut it soon became apparent that
the law had little or no effect in repress-
ing the crime. Two years later it was
provided that men convicted of that
crime should be repeatedly and severe
y whipped. The consequence has been
that the crime is now almost unknown.
When it is remembered that some of the
European governments are known to ship
their criminal population TO this country,
and that the vagrdnt classes are largely
recruited from this source. the need OF
more vigorous repressiyc measures cannot
fail 70 10 Seen
The fire OF Monday morning started in
the exact locality at which the great fire
Of 1913 began, and had the wind been
strong from Ike quarter would have
been very destructive. The many recent
fires which We have experienced show
very clearly that better means for eXtn-
gushing them are called for If it be
impossible to obtain water supply with
head sufficient to force the water where
needed, we might, at a comparatively
small expense, have at least one steam
fire engine. Such a machine was sorely
needed on Monday. The eXtingushing
Of blazing storehouses Of hay, by unaidcd
human muscle, is too much for our fire
men. And besides the day has gone by
for that in places like ours, and the aid of
steam called in. An efficient steam fire
engine, like that Of the Moorlen patent
just built for the city Of Augusta, can be
had for $4,000, and would very likely be
the means OF saving our city from a seri-
Gus disaster. Belfast has become CITY
OF incendiaries it should also become a
city OF at least one steam fire engine, and
vigilance committee Of the whole for the