Catoctin clarion. [volume] (Mechanicstown, Md.) 1871-1940, 1884-03-20


misdemeanor, the defendent however having
the right to demand trial by jury, but in
asmuch as in such case they are required to
give bail for their appearance in court,
tramps and Migrants allowed their cases to
be disposed of by the magistrates and others
preferred this to lying in Jail in default OF
bail.
Under these laws, system of downright
robbery of the county has been inaugurated;
a system, we say, for the utmost bounds of
scientific peculation have been reached by
those officers, who, to the end that the largest
possible bills may be foot ed up, have wrought
the game of rascaity up to its present per
fiction.
The innocent members Of the Legislature
of 1880 were probably told that Frederick
city was con annually infested by villainous
tramps and that the laws for which they
were asked to vote were intended to be q
terror to the vagrant fraternity. 1t appears
that one of the laws did act promptly to
check the mi..raton to that city, the law
for tra,nps sent them to the llousc of Correc-
ton and the magistrates at first did SO COM
nit them but with what result? Freder-
lex became suddenly tramplcss.
Then came bright idea 1t will never
do, thus to drive away our best hold on the
cost account against the county let us look
into it iramps are sent to the House of Cor
rection, but cdgrants are sent to Jail that's
it, wen arraign them as Migrants and ar
ragn them they did; it rained arrangements
and the Migrants, no longer the tramp, flock
ed bacl, to Frederick for square meal and
good lodging at Fit. Hartsock; and this
marks the first step toward pcricctins the
system the first but not the last
Under the law the vagrant could be com
mittcd for the Q6ense, or he could be fined
and committed IN defaut Of payment Now,
if committed for tic ctense, that ended the
matter and he served his time out, but if
committed in default of payment of tiuc,
the law was so arranged that after certain
time he could get before magistrate and
make oath to his inability to pay the fine
and 6c released by form o. law, thus add
ing another set Gf costs to that of the commit
mcnt in the first instance; it also had this
additional advantage, that the vagrant was
again at liberty and could again be ground
over, under new name, and ground over he
would be, again and again, as many as SIR
times, so that now there are no cramps" in
Frederick and have been zone since the
House of Correction drove them away in
panic, but "vagrants,' lots Of vagrants va
grants with aliases in number that would
shame the most famous craftsman.
The fine commitment for payment, release
and rcarreSt is the second advance made to-
wards pertecting the system and now comes
the third, the magic third, the masters de-
gree in the tigmill fraternity, that smacks of
rascalty outs&!e cfMe lao.
Not content, each to take his chances for
a fair share of this debauching trade in the
necessities rather desires, of the vagrant,
money has been paid by these very magis-
tratcs to the vagrant, for the privilege of
committing them to Jail, that they might
charge the county with larger sum, as
costs. Six tramps-beg pardon-vagran,s
went before magistrate in Frederick and
asked to be committed; he agreed to commit
them, but before he rot to work on the pa
pcrs, they demanded to know chow much
money was in it for them" and upon being
told nothing" they left the office saying
that che was not the squire they were look
ing for, as they could get twenty-five cents
apiece from some one" and they went out to
look him up; they found the right man, re-
ccived the commitments into their own care,
passed the remainder of the day doing the
city" and when the shades of evening fell,
sought the Jail, produced their own commit
ments, were received and no constable ever
saw them as prisoners and yet the constable
got his costs on every one ofthem.
There is the system, citizen; what think
you oft?
Now we come to the ultimate object that
we have had in view in writing this article.
We have stuck our pen into this cesspool,
that your nostrils may be filled; We now
wish to address ourselves to that part of the
matter, wherein we have found promise
that an end shall come to this abuse.
Bills have passed the House of Delegates,
which as dmendOd but not as originally pre-
pared, will put an end to the greater part of
the wrongs perpetratcd under existing laws;
they have passed the House but not the Sen
ate and as the time ofadjournnent is rapidly
approaching, we are interested to know just
achy they have not passed.
If we are not misinformed as to the pres
ent status Of affairs in this matter, 1t is as
follows: the bills first drawn and having for
their principle object the lessening of the
emouments of the Sheriff. office was amend
ed on its passage through the House, so as
also to remedy the magistrate evil and that
in its present shape, should the Senate pass
it, we will be rid of law that the people of
no other county in the State would suffer
under Why is it delayed The people of
this county will insist upon al answer at the
hands of those who are responsible therefor,
should it fail in the Senate after having pass
the House in excellent form and in ample
time.