Washington standard. [volume] (Olympia, Wash. Territory) 1860-1921, 1879-08-08
4 Tramp Law.


ntory to have an efficient tramp law
enacted n the next session of our
Legislature. In many respects, our
lind is the paradise o. roGghs and
oyer-grown Loodiums, solely for tie
reason that orr legal restraints are
50 !nil of loop-holes. thus enabling
offenders Of low cunning to com
ylttelv ovade what was meant to be
well directed legislation.
From exchanges coming from
almost every State and Territory
wet Of the Missouri river, we CLEAN
notices of the arrival OF tramps
driven ont of the Eastern and Mid
de States by the strinSency OF The
late enactments in the especial in
tcrcet OF such refugees. The laws
passed in the various Atlantic States,
relating TO this question differ Il
good deal in their efficiency. That
of New York is so defective that it
amounts 10 only u common vaorant
law and the trnmps are outwitting
the authorities of respectable towns
by their deep cunning. The law of
Pennsylvania is good deal more to
the lulpose, and tramrs are leaving
the Safe III large numbers for more
genial cllmes. This enactment pro-
vides that all persons going about
from door to door, or placing them
selves in the streets, highways or
other roads to beg or gather aims,
may be arrested. Such persons,
brought before u magistrate, are
sentenced, upon conviction to the
work-house for twenty days. AT
this time, a certificate of discharge
is given them, together with small
portion of their earnings while in
carcerated, and they are exempt
from Nearest for the period OF five
days thereafter. It is perhaps true,
in a good many cases, that honest
and industrious persons are made
to suffer from such laws. But it is
impossible for human laws to be
made that will meet every exigency.
Evil is in the world and it must he
promptly dealt with, even though
harm rebounds, for the time being,
to innocent individuals. For term
of years, desperadoes have been
escaping from the older States to
the Pacific coast and plying their
nefarious callings without let or
hindrance in town, city and country,
Now we want none of the cast-off
evil of other parts of the Union; we
have quite enough of the inherent
article to contend with.
There is time and opportunity for
members elect, of the coming Legis-
lature. to speculate upon the merits
and dement's of the tramp question,
and at an early day of the session,
to draft bill that shall, as far as
possible, meet the necessities of our
own case. The element in reforma-
tory law that Migrants of all times
and countries have most dreaded
and hated, is the labor compulsion.
They cannot stand the labor punish
ment and in majority of cases, had
rather submit to solitary confinement
and poor fare for q limited term,
than be put to manual labor and fare
better. Let it be remembered, then,
that in our tramp law, the labor
clause must not be overlook. Strong,
able-bodied men who can stalk about
a rough country, eking out pre-
carious living, are eminently able to
perform twenty-six days useful la
Dor in month, when provided with
good board and lodgings. A good
deal of care will be necessary in
drawing up bill that willy tramps
can neither scale nor crawl under.
Let it be like the Pennsylvania law,
SO admirable in its working that
tramps will be glad to flee the coun-
try as soon as they have served out
q term.
WE learn that Miss Fannie Ostran-
der had very narrow escape from
drowning, last evening. She, in
company with several other young
ladies, had gone in bathing at the