The Saline County journal. [volume] (Salina, Kan.) 1871-1893, 1891-10-15
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resolved to ask the fellow few
questions concerning his condition.
and rs nearly as il can be called to
mind this IL the conversation that
took place:
"wby are you tramp"
"For about the same reason that
you work at your own business, cap
tain"
"How long have you been q
trsnip?"
II ran away from school sixteen
years ago In York State, and took
the road"
do you ever work when you can
get out OF it?"
NAV, / live my own way, go
where I-please, and don't ask any
odds.',
How long do you expect to re-
main tramp"
"TiiI get stiff, / reckon. some
day, II 1 don't get chawed up in q
railroad wreck, the coroner may find
me in some river. Whenever get
real sick I'il finish the job before l
go to a hospital"
"What are your political beliefs ?"
"Mei Count me for old Blaine. 1
read the papers, boss, aud let me
give you a tip. He's the biggest old
mark ina the world"
"Did you take The road because
you were thrown out of work, on &C
count Of family troubles, or from
! choice ?"
"Because / wanted Ia. Never had
any family, aud never worked in my
life il 1 could help it. Say boss,
can't you give TELLER a quarter?"
That is substantially the CONVEX
satiOn that took place, and We have
no doubt the fellows answers were
truthful. According TO his own
| statement he did not become tramp
because Of any fault in existing So
cial or political customs, but because
OF pure cussedness. He is q type OF
thousands, who are standing
menance to society, and belongs to q
class that should be exterminated
for the good OF society. HE class is
| not q new one-nOr q creation Of our
system of finance, or the administra-
ton of il as old John Davis contends,
with an air OF authority. Tramps,
vsgabonds, or what ever name they
| 20 by, as q class are as old as history
itself. You read about the first
tramp in the first few chapters in
In the bible. They ought to be done
away with, of course, but nobody
ever yet invented method Of doing
IL.
Last week in his personal organ,
the Congressman from this district
reiterated the old aud oft-refuted lie
about the Republican party being
directly responsible for the existence
OF tramps, and In very lengthy and
vehement article says: "Whst this
country now needs is more money
and less tdres for the people, with
shorter hours and better pay for
laborers." His agitation was caused
by the citation of All instance where
In q farmer failed to secure harvest
hands at big wages out of herd Of
q tramps. Because the fellows
would not work he blsmes the old
parties for it. Last fall the writer
of these lines needed man to per-
form some manual labor. The Job
was less than two hours long, and AS
the work was hard IS cents was Of
fered. More than twenty able
bodied men were approached but not
one would work, although with bard
ly an exception they were living off
the city and county, stealing at
night, and gambling or frittering
away their money whenever they
got any. Most of them are down on
the roll OF the citizens alliance OF
this town, and there was not a one
whose vote could not be bought.
Does Congressman John Davis mean
to say that the moral condition of
these men Is attributable to any
"wicked policy of contraction" ex-
cept the dwarfing of their own moral
sensibilities of their own volition?
And then about the quotation Of
his High Mightiness, was there ever
8 time when hours of labor were
shorter than now? Was there ever
Q time when wages were higher, on
the average than now2 Was there
ever time when the purchasing pow
er Of the workingman's dollar was
greater than IL il now? Was there
ever a time when the per capita Of
cash Of Geary Tor Davis county, In
bank at Junction City was as great
as now? Was there ever q time
when debts Of all kinds were being
paid at as rapid rate as now? Were
taxes ever so low in proportion to
public expenditures as now? III so,
please state when, where and under
what circumstances? No running
off the track on something else,
please answer to the point?