The morning call. [volume] (San Francisco [Calif.]) 1878-1895, 1890-11-21
TRAAfPS.
A Law Nee ded to Protect Women From
This Dreaded Glass.

TRAMPs.
A Law Needed to Protect Women From
This Dreaded Glass.
Editor ITomal.'s Column. Morning Call:
Is there woman tramp? Where is she?
Have you seen her? Have /? Has any
one? Does she come to your door and ask
YOU, not humbly, but with insoIence. to give
her dinner or a nights lodging? Does she
ring the front-door bell imperiously and de-
mand, with threatening eye, money for
clothes or food, to be spent for whisky and
tobacco?
and yet, is it not little strange that with
nil of wGman's limitations, lack of physical
strength, want OF business training, with
The great numbers reduced from affluence to
poverty - little children often depending
upon them for bread, with the great num-
beTs born in poverty to exc out q bare ex-
iStence-is it not n little strange that the
great family Of tramps swarming through
our country to its deadly peril is composed
of men, and men only?
There is something innate in woman
which makes her hide her poverty, even
from tbpSe who love her. and struggle des-
perately to retain her self-respeet. If she
: cannot dig" like him whose brief history is
recorded in the good book, 't0 beg she is
ashamed" She will darn her threadbare
gown, live on a crust and walk with bleed
ing feet, when a man will become desperate,
feel that the battle is lost, then throw down
his arms and take to the street or the road.
Are not the qualities which make woman
'hold the FORT until the last moment vaiu-
able ones ''to aid, to comfort anu command"
in almost every walk of life? There is not
such a vast difference between political
economy and domestic economy, and they
are
WONDERFULLY ALIKE
In one RESPECTIVE do not know much about
either as an exact science
During the last three months. while the
fields of California have been ripe for the
harvest-while peach and pear and apricot
lave turned their blushing checks to the
sun, ready to be gathered, and purple grapes
have hung upon the vines in richest pro-
fusion; while orehardst and yiticulturist
have called loudly for help, often in vain
from enc 10 three tramps have called at our
door daily. They are always men-not one
woman among then-and generally strong.
stalwart men, who look as If they might
strike down the pillars Of GAIA, take the
prize in wrestling match or play baseball
at least.
They are not at all, either, modest in their
demands. Sometimes when they ask for
dinner they even specify the bill of fare
One wants coffee, and wants it good aud
hot too; another, when given slices OF
fresh bread and butter, sends them flying
through the air-'he wants meat third
modestlv asks for money to get his clothes
out of the laundryP' Had he clothes, then,
somewhere? He wore rags.
Nothing diminished the number of these
threatening begga1s but the establishment
Of ir1aO van ianf mil yyhu
every tramp is required to work an hour be-
fore being fed. But then the doors must be
locked and some one must watch 10 see that
he does not steal or set the house afire, and
this is an added burden. The last one who
favored us, six feet tall and built like Her.
cules, after languidly working his hour,
looked on supercliousy while plate of
meat, bread and vegetables and bowl Of
chocolate were handed out to him.
That alp" asked he contemptu0usly.
They don't hall feed fellow in this city
anyhow"
WHY FEED THEM AT ALL"
Does some one say? For two reasons, Most
women would rather give bread TO ninety
nine IogueS than refuse one man who is
really hungry, and were this not true most
women are afraid to refrain the charity
which is not asked but demanded.
1t is sad truth that in our own beautiful
country a race of laZZaroni is growing up.
The Goths and Vandals are with US, and
already make life in lonely places terror.
Women are asking every hour why il is that
the men, who are lawmakers, do not pro-
tect them and their homes from the men who
are trampS.
a great deal is said about the unwilling
ness of women 10 live in the country. 1t IS
attributed to "iOsS of excitement" vanity,
lack Of domestic TASTE, and variety OF
unc0mplimentary reasons, but the real rea-
s-n is very simple. Women are afraid to
live in the country because it is SO infested
with tramps that they and their children are
in mortal peril, and they prefer to live
meagerIy and narrowly in town or city than
to die daily of terror Many wife and
mother would rejoice to rear her children in
.be peace and tranquility OF country life,
among the trees and flowers and singing
birds and away from the glitter and tempta-
tons of city life if she dared to do it.
Not long since lady left San Francisco
with her husband to live ON a large grain
ranch in the interior of California. One
day, after all the w0rkmen had gone 10
distant field and she was quite alone, she
saw coming far down the road the ubiquit-
Gus tramp. He was frightful looking
specimen Of his genus, walking with bent
head-whether drunk or sober she could not
tell-but she fastened TO lock doors and WIN
lows and conceal herself in the depth of a
large closet.
On the man came, like fate, and Numbered
at the stout redwood door again and again,
chen at the back door, then
TRIED ALL OF THE WINDOWS.
He then broke in one of the windows,
and, creeping in, searched the drawers,
opened the closet door. There the poor
woman covered in mortal terror, fearing
that he would hear the very beating of her
heart, but fortunately seemed TO make up
his mind that all the inmates were absent.
He then went to the pantry, Toasted on all
the cold food he could find, and drank bot
lie of wine.
When satisfied he unlocked the door,
stretched himself out luxurously in the pet
easy chair, and took long nap ON the
verandah.
Within, the poor housewife, smothered in
the draperies Of the dark closet tTembled
fer her life and dared not stir. 1t was only
late in the afternoon, when the hour for the
workman's supper approached, that the I'M
hidden guest moved on" This woman, an
invalid from this terrible nervous strain.
"does not wish to live in the country"
again.
And this is only mild case With what
atrocities are not the columns of the news
papers teeming daily! Every crime OF the
decalogue is written against the WORD Tramp.
And yet, are there not enough good men TO
arrange life so that our homes may be safe
shelter for us? There is something amazing
70 every thoughtful woman In the lndlffer-
ence with which men, who make and exc
cue the laws and who alone can cure and
prevent this evil, are allowing our country
10 be overrun with these laZzaronl. Ihey
tndanger our homes and our lives; and even
more, they endanger the stability Of those
Institutions which are our pride and our
glory and which alone can insure the per-
petulty of our republic.
Will the fathers and brothers, husbands
and friends, who have been selected to
legislate Tor us, make some laws, which are
not merely 10 be eDgrossed on parchment
and forgotten, but laws that are TO be exc
cuted ard to protect us in life, liberty and
the pursuit Of happiness.
san francisco, NoU. 18Th. THE BAcHELETTE
W0MAN'S LIBERAL FEDERATION.
The Objects and the Work of IN English
Society in England.
Editor Womdn's Column Morning Call:
This is the name of an English woman's