The Wellington enterprise. [volume] (Wellington, Ohio) 1867-188?, 1879-08-14

the actual life of representative farmers,
not only of the we'll known men, but also
of the nameless thousands, will be more
than surprised at the immense floating
population which looks for its support di-
rectly to this class of citizens. 1t were
laughable, were itnot also; too soleninly
true, to marshal these parasites in one
conglomerate army, than which there
could be no stranger sight. ~.
The army oftramps must be reckoned
as chiefest of evils, and chiefly borne by
the farmers too patient favor. We believe
in some systematized method of bringing
the man who wants to hire and the man
who he wants to work, into Immediate
knowledge OF each other. But increasing
and cumalitive evidence shows that the
tramp of 1879 Is not the tramp of 1S49; {;
that his species have woefully degenerated
aud that, where SO large q proportion of
this wandering army are net anxious, or
even willing to work, being able to live
by begging, the fact of their subsisting on
the farmers resources makes them as a
class, parasites in its fullest sense. Did
we have space we might mention cases in
which one farmer, of not over-abundant
means, has had twenty-five or thirty
tramps call at his house in the course of
one day, and ask for something to eat"
That there are cases of privation and mis-
cry among these men no one will DENY.
But we gravely doubt whether they, as a
class, are deserving of the continued sup
port which our farming community gives
them, and the tide of public opinion is set
ting strongly against them. We believe
that, under proper system of supervision
each individual of the tramp army might
be, as it were, ticketed, and watched suffi-
clently to test his honesty in asking for
CnrG p,nra1xy opt Of he
less sort, primitive measures should be
taken, .'- H ...', 'i
But the farming class are supporters of
thousadds besides the professional tramps.
There are those illiterate and long un-
washed fellows who stammer in broken
english, and presently draw forth a crum-
pied paper which certifies that "The bear
er has sixteen orphan children, all ill-tem-
pered;" or has "sciatica, rheumatism,
neuralgia" and endless chronic disorders;
or was unfortunate enough to "burn his
house down." or 'wants to save debten-
numbered home" Persons of this char
dollars, which, failing, they modify their
desires with most anxious pleading, to the
low level of plebeian dime or a beggarly
nickle. A little higher than these bcggars
of the professional type are class ofchar-
latans who sell some nostrum, of virtues
claimed to be unparalleled, or peddle
cheap or damaged goods from house to
house, CT have so-called secrets in the way
of receipts for household use.
In the aggregate, then, this large class
of men who are continually traversing our
rural districts, deserves attention. Many
of them, although their methods are often
obscure, live altogether too much on the
farmer, indirectly begging their meales or
son OF notes by the farmers, in greater
being shown TO the character of
sojourners in the neighborhood
and in that increased knowledge which
will, in large degree, destroy the present
for deceit and fraud.