The New Orleans daily Democrat. [volume] (New Orleans, La.) 1877-1880, 1878-07-17

! The Russians who poured over the Danube
into Bulgaria can scarce have equaled In
numbers the myriads Of tramps that lately
flocked into the unfortunate State of Iowa
The people of that State naturally became
alarmed at this invasion and credited it to
design. The tramps, they said, were organ
lied and meant to try little Socialism. The
true explanation of the invasion seems to be
that Iowa Is good State for tramps, 1t being
all country and few towns; the climate Is
cool, and your tramp, like city idler, must
spend his summer in the coolest and most
comfortable spot he can find; and,
moreover, Iowa is In the habit OF
yearly employing hundreds Of extra
field hands, Cleaners reapers and thresh-
ers. Now, although these tramps have not
the slightest idea Of working, they always go
to those places where plenty Of work Is offer
ing, since they can there always secure a meal
on the promise of days work and then leave
without doing anything
Although there Is no reason to believe the
story Of the Towans that an understanding
and organization among the tTamps existed,
the situation in that State was certainly I'M
pleasant, If not alarming. These tramp ma
RAIDERS ravaged the country in gangs, in
vaded houses. stopped railroad trains and
carried things generally their own way, So
great did the nuisance become that Gov. Gear
found it necessary few days ago to issue q
special proclamation, proclaiming tramps
OUTLAWS" and calling upon the sheriffs,
mayors, constables, and other officers of the
law, to see to it at once that this nuisance be
abated, the tramps arrested and set to break
ing stones on the road.
The result of this proclamation is q sudden
scattering of the tramps from Iowa. Most of
them are crossing the river and making for
Wisconsin, which is being invaded by larger
armies of them than ever ravaged the Hawk
eye" State. It is probable that In Wisconsin
they will commit the same excuses as in
Iowa; indeed, they have already begun them,
and it has been found necessary to order out
the militia to protect property; q similar
proclamation may therefore be looked for in
Wisconsin in q few days, and the tramps
driven out to some other State. The fields Of
these wanderers are thus rapidly being cir
cumscribed; half dozen States have al
ready ordered them away under threats that
they are not likely to forget or to brave. 1t
seems an inevitable result, that they must
eventually be driven South, II some sudden
inspiration does not turn their steps in this
direction some day.
Last year there was some talk Of employ
ing them in picking the superfuOus cotton
rotting on many places in the field for want OF
hands to pick it. II our planters ever yield to
the temptation of sending North for tramp
ino laborars tn nick their cotton thew will
bitterly repent their folly. The farmers OF
Iowa have tried this experiment; they had
such large grain crop that their ordinary
hands could not gather 1t. They advertised
for extra hands; the result was tramps, II
there Is more cotton produced than can be
picked by our own people, it Is better to let it
rot away than bring down this visitation OF
tramps upon US under the delusion that they
will do any work; they will simply steal and
eat, but work Is unknown to them.