Watertown republican. [volume] (Watertown, Wis.) 1860-1906, 1888-02-22

reading matter. and fed them rs little as
dared: and refused to take in any un-
SO regularly committed. The usual
clstom was to take in xll who applied
and commit them afterwards. When l
discharged any prisoners | gave them all
a severe lecture and told them if they
cane back as tramps would devise some
scheme to make it still more unpleasant
for them; I also told them to say to their
friends (tramps) that | was No friend OF
theirs and that I did not want any of
them in the jail, and ii they came here
expecting to DO pitied they would get
left. la doing this | was carrying out
the instructions of the county board, and
had not only the board at my back but
the people, who have to foot the bills;
and the tact that I was doing right in
discouraging the system has made al
most a complete success OF it; and now
our officers are doing all they can to keep
it 80. Then my course with the tramps
was thoroughly talked up by the tax
payers, and it became very unpopular to
arrest them for the fees, and is getting
more SO every day. Public opinion is
very strong in favor Of my plan OF dealing
with this evil, and no one 10 in favor of
the old system except, perhaps, few, and
they do not amount to much. At first
some would say, if you do not lock them
MP they will commit depredations, insult
ladies, aud raise the ID in general. l
still refused to 60 into the deal. The re-
suit was no one was disturbed and the
,ramps are not here. When they found
that they could not winter in this jail
they went somewhere else (perhaps to
your county, l have in Jail to-day two
men, one tor passing counterfeit money,
one for drunkenness, and discharged
two to-day. Have taken in since Jan. !,
1888, four men.
There were committed in this jail in
the year 1885, about 800 prisoners, in
1886, over 500. / took in for the year
1887, 1856, and it looks as though | would
have to close the Jail.
The whole secret of this tramp question
lies with the officers; if they will stop ar.
resting and encouraging them they will
quit to great extent, but as long as
officers continue to arrest for the fees, so
long Will We DO cursed with this great
evil. A great many pass through and
stop here, but with no officers to encoHr-
age them they leave: if they hang around
they are told to move on, and away they
60 to Rock or some other county. The
whole system can be stamped out if the
officers will do their duty.
Politics cut something of figure in sill
the counties. The Office of sheriff being
q fee Office 10 nearly all the counties, and
profitable when the jail is full, so many
are anxious to sacrifice themselves
for the people, that it generally costs
quite little sum to get there, and the
party in power knows this and they over
look many things that ought not to exist.
| mean the wire pullers. The people are
sll right and now see how they have been
fooled, and will in the future see to it
that the right men are placed in Office, at
least so far as local matters are concerned.
They hardly ever make a mistake on
national questions. When the time comes
that all departments of justice are adj
ministered as man would his own bust
ness. tken tramping would be one of the
lost arts. 1t does not necessarily follow
that all the officials approve OF arresting
and committing the tramp, but there seems
to be just enough to make it success;
but when they all pull together they are
pretty sure to win, as you say they do in
your county.
No, Mr.. Goodrich, We 10 Jefferson coun-
ty have decided the tramp must 60, at
least, so far as Jefferson county is con-
cerned. Now, if your county and all
others will elect men that will work for
the interest of the people, regardless IL
party, our taxes will be lighter and the
tramp no more.
Our county is full of men that can, and
| think will, do it; and it seems with the
material in your county you ought to be
able to get the right men there; if you
can't, think we could spare yeu a few
of cur good ones.
First, good honest men in office; second,
no tobacco, cards or reading matter for
tramps; as little to eat as possible; make
it as disagreeable for them as can be done
without returning to barbarism; discour-
age trampism in every possible way. In
short do not stop for anything that will
hasten the day when tramps are no more
If | have not made this clear to you, [
cannot be blamed [ have certainly writ
ten enough, and will stop.
Yours truly,
J. D. BULLOCK.
P.S. In addition to what [ bave writ
ten, what makes our place more of sue
cess is the county press; all are doing
what they can to solve this question; and
even if we had any officials who were
disposed to keepin the old rut, the papers
would make it very warm for them.
All pull together, and you will win.
J. d. BULLOCK.