The Ripley advertiser. [volume] (Ripley, Miss.) 1843-1897, 1884-04-05
Fiom JacEiol State Ledger, Feb. 10, 1884.
coz WOLFF'S TR4MP SPEECH.
Having been ere Himself he Speaks In
his Behalf.

/
We re %nuollsh below The celebrated
speech made IN the nunse Of Rep
resentaIiyeS, in 1889, on the tramp
bill, By Col. Wolf:
The House had under considera.
ton Tho Code Chapter relating to
~Tramps." Maj Francis A. Wolf of
Tippah County offered the follow
ing amendment:
''Strlke out tho word tramp or
'tramps' wherever they occur, and
insert the word 'v~agrant' OF wa
%granis.''
Mr.. Wolf said:
Mr., SPEAKER Webster and Wor-
cester define the word "tramp" to
DO a foot. walker, AMI in adopting
this chapter as 1t now stands, ex.
libits a poverty of language in the
coinage of,new terms, and with the
legal definition we are to p&Iter iii a
double sense, yoRlng the vagabond
and Iazarom with the poor man of
the country, who have TIE manhood
and courage to travel on foot. ZAP
plause
Mr.. Speaker: Such jeers and
%tannts come home to myself, be-
cause when a triendless and father
less boy, before had reached the
age Of manhood, Travelled through
twenty-five States of ihis great Re.
pubic. from the Cordilieras to Gas.
tie Garden, and from the Falls Of
/, Niagara to the most Southern KEYS
+ OF Florida. During this evenltuI
period was asaiior on the broad
bosom OF the Atlantic; | have fnrl
ed The royal aud the top gallant
sail, and have often stood at 'he
helm. | padded a canoe by my
self from Cairo, one hundred aud
eighty miles, to the mouth OF the
Obion river. laughter. | also
taught a five months school at Bald
Point, on the st. Francis river, in
Arkansas, and chopped cord wood
on the Mississippi and the Alabama
n rivers. In all my tramps | have
o never understood that my integrity
t, has Suffered any deterioration, fer
a always paid my Way.
" Mr.. Speaker: This question NAV
A, come home to gentlemen on this
d floor peradventure; forsootb, some
of their grandtathers were scissors
y grinders. IA~ppiause. Some o
| their grand uncIes may have bee,
- organ grinders with a monkey
70 Laughter Yes, cir, there are
gentlemen on this floor who put OF
< a clean shirt collar every morning
ID and ride a gllplng on the street car
to the II wards House and wheI
Iy they are at home they walked tw,
lr miles to borrow a cross cut saw
" Prolonged applause and laughter.
h We are now called upon ID initiate
K the Legislatures OF Connecticut anC
a Massachusetts. Ths hopeful youtl
II Of the country are to be pat nnle.
III the ban Of the State, We are SLOW
~ TO devise means for the relief OF dis
a tresaed humanity, but swift to Fer
al secute the honest manhood Of the
country, pr0miSeuously with a God
n torsakea and poyerty-stricken elias
is of this Gods green earth. Til,
ut yeomany poor men Of the coun'r I,
ze have no escape, whilst they are bul
IN feting the waves af adversely, an,
w pursued by 1.-THE sings and arrow
w OF an outrageous tortune," the" cal
Id only appeal to the author Of thei
10 being. through q long line OF rel
IT. tape, a petition ia returned
Id Blessed airs The psor and need.
We for they shall inherit the kingdom
An of Goo" another, Whom the Lor,
ID, loveth He c~hasteneth," and som
We lean poot sqneezss out a little line
nd Sweet are The uses of adversely.
h. Loud cheers and Iaughter.l
sc Mr.. Speaker, it does seem to m,
Of thatif Christ am His disciples wer
nd on earth travelling as they did i
nj the land oEPalestine some iinike
ut yoang man or some simpering mai
CO wonld ssrcastically point on
"there goes a gang of tramps.
le [Thundering applause and shout
ry Of laughter fbe chapter as it
nel presented to the people is Que Of
ng series of a long list of grievance
ar and gives daily strength to the M
ny tinnal Labor party. 1t is as 'brea