Watertown republican. [volume] (Watertown, Wis.) 1860-1906, 1879-02-05

The Turner Society are sparing no pains
to add to The success of their grand mas.
que rade ball, which will be held at Turner
Hall. Saturday evening, February 9Th
Rich brilliant, grotesque, comic and bur-
esque costumes will appear during the
evening The entertainment will be eniv-
ened with various performances both of a
serious and comic nature In the after noon
ii u nst be orne in mind masquerade
procession will parade the principal streets,
On the whole Saturday, Feb uary l5,h,
will b. looked forward TO with great
| interest by The fun loving in our community.
Grand Lodge knights of Pythias.
The Grand Lodge OF ibe Knights of
| Py ,hlas of Wisconsin Will hold ts annual
| session III his city beg pnng next Tues
day, February IIth, and continuing three
days. The meetings will be held in Odd
Fellows Hall and the Hall OF the Sons of
Hermann will be also occupied by the
gathering. This meeting will call together
\ large number of the leading members OF
the state and It's proceedings will doubtless
prove Of deep interest to the knights
generally While in the city The head
quarters of the delegates will be at the
Llndon House.
How the New Hampshire Tramp Law
Works.
A brief synopsis of the provisions of the
New Hampshire Tramp Law was pub.
lshed in the Free Press of August 29th,
| last as follows:
The tramp bill just passed by the New
Hampshire House provides that ANYBODY
except blind person, female, or minor
under Y, who goes about from p ace to
place soliciting charity, shall be deemed
a tramp. and sent to the state prison for
not more than 5 months at hard labor;
any tramp that enters dwelling, builds
a fire on the highwav or on land without
permission of the owner, or carries dan
gerous Weapon, or threatens vic ence,
shall go to the state prison for not more
than two years, and if he willfully inju re
any property or person, he may be sent
there for five years. Every town must
appoint special constables 10 attend to
tramps, but any person can arrest them
and get SO apiece for the tramps convict
ed.
We are glad now to publish the follow
ing opinion of Judge Clark. Associate
Justice of the Supreme Court of New
Hampshire, as to the practical workings
of the law since it went into operation.
We are permitted to publish it, through
the courtesy of c. O. Greene, Esq, of
this city, to whom it was sent in response
to his request. The letter reads as fol-
lows:
MANCHESTER, N. H., Jan. Is, 1879.
My DEAR SIR: send you a copy of
the New Hampshire tramp law as re-
quested. You ask my opinion Of thework-
ing of the law. 1t works admirably, 1t
went into operation August %, ST.. Pre-
vious to hat time tramps abounded every
where; in city and village and town; par.
ticularlv in the country towns having a
scattered population, with no means of
protecting themselves from the nuisance.
1t has been in operation five months
Less than half dozen of these law vaga
bonds have been sent to the state prison
and set to hard labor for their own good
the benefit of the state, an as an exam
pie for the rest of the evil fraternity, and
the practical result is, the state is virtual
ly rid OF the tramp nuisance to day. The
whole army has disappeared. They have
"folded their tents like the Arabs, and
silently Glen away" Ia other localities
where they can ply their vocation with
less danger of serious consequences to
themselves. New Hampshire is no long
er regarded by them as favorable field
for operation. The law may seem sonnet
what severe in its provisions, but mild
measures will not remedy the evil In
its severity lies its efficacy. Besides, it
will be observed that the term of impri
sOnment, upon conviction, is left dis
cretionary with the Court, the maximum
limit being defined by the legislature, SO
| thatthe punishment may be made to con-
form to the circumstances of each parti-
cular case. We have also another provi-
sion of our statute, applying to cases not
| included in this law females, minors
| under seventeen years of age, and blind
persons providing for sentence of i'm
p,isonmert upon conviction, to hard
labor upon any county ia m or town farm
| or in any house of correction or common
| Jail, not exceeding six months. I think
if the Legislature of Wisconsin will enact
| law similar to ours, you will feel like
| thanking them for it, but l cannot assure
you that it will cause much rejoicing
| among the people Of your neighboring
states. Yours,
LEWIS w. CLARK,
Associate Justice Supreme Court ofN. H.
-Beloit Free Press.
Milw aukee NJ ar kets.