The Princeton union., 1891-04-23
the almshouse, where she rightfully be-
longed; but she was thrust in there
with her child amid

longed; but she was thrust in there
with her child amid
THE MOST ABANDONED WRETCHEs. @
of the town. Many OF the offenders in
that prison sleeping on the floor, with
nothing but a vermin- covered blanket
over them.
Again, in your effort to arrest this
plague OF crime you need to consider
Enthusiastically officials. ssWoe unto
thee, o land, when thy king is a child,
and thy princes drink in the morning. y
1t is a great calamity to city when
bad men get into public authority
Why was it that in New York there
was such unparalleled crime between
1866 and 1871? 1t was because the
judges of police in that city, at that
time, for the most part, were as
CORRUPT AS THE VAGABONDs
that came before them for trial.
Those were the days Of high carnival
for election frauds, assassination and
forgery. We had all kinds of rings.
There was one man during those years
that got $l29,OOO in one year for
serving the public. In a few years it
was estimated that there were $780,
900, 900 OF public treasure squander-
ed In those times the criminal had
only to wink to the Judge, OF his law
yer would wink for him, and the ques-
tion was decided for the defendant.
OF the 5000 people arrested in that
city in one year, only 5000 were pun
ished.
Again: In your effort to arrest this
plague OF crime, you need to consider
the idle population. OF course, I do
not refer to people who are getting
old, or to the sick, or to those who
cannot get work; but I tell you to
look out for those athletic men and
women who willnot work. When the
French noblemen was asked why he
kept busy when he had so large a
property, he said, II kept on engrav-
ing so I may not hang myself" I do
not care who the manis. you cannot
afford to be idle. 1t is from the idle
classes that the criminal classes are
made up. Character, like water, gets
putrid if it stands too long. Who can
wonder that in this world, where there
is SO much to do, and all the hosts of
earth and heaven and hell are plung-
ing into the conflict, and angels are
flying, and God is at work, and the
universe is aquake with the marching
and counter marching, that God let's
His indignation fall upon a man who
chooses idleness? avewatched these
donothings who spend their time
stroking their beard, and retouching
their toilet, and criticizing industrious
people,; and pass their days and nights
in barrooms and club houses, loung-
ing and smoking and chewing and
card playing. They are not only
useless, but they are dangerous. How
hard it is for them to while away the
hours! Alas for them! If they do not
know how to while away an hour,
what will they do when they have all
eternity on their hands? These men
for awhile smoke the best cigars, and
wear the best clothes, and move in
the highest spheres; but have noticed
that very soon they come down to the
prison, the almshouse, or stop at the
gallows. ..} -.
Again: Among the uprooting classes
| place the oppressed poor. Poverty
to a certain extent is Christening, but
after that, when it drives a man to
the wall, and he hears his children cry
in vain for bread, it sometimes makes
him desperate. I think that there are
thousands of honest men lacerated in
to vagabondism. There are men
crushed under burdens for which they
are not half paid. While there is no
excuse for criminality, even in oppres-
sion, state it as a simple fact, that
much of the scoundrelism of the COM
munity is consequent upon ill-treat-
ment. There ar+ many men and wo-
men battered and bruised and stung
until the hour of despair has come,
and they stand with the ferocity of a
wild beast which, pursued until it can
run no longer, turns round, foaming
and bleeding, to fight the hounds.
In this cluster of cities, whose cry OF
want | interpret, there are said to be,
as far as can figure it up from there
ports, about 100000 honest poor
who are dependent upon individual,
city and state charities. If all their
voices could come up at once it would
be a groan that would shake the
foundations Of the city and bring all
earth and heaven to the rescue. But
for the most part it suffers unexpress-
ed. 1t sits in silence, gnashing its
teeth and
SUCKING THE BLOOD
of it's own arteries, waiting for the
| Judgment day. Oh, I should not
wonder if on that day it would be
found out that some of us had some
things that belonged to them; some
extra garment which might havemade
them comfortable in cold weather
some bread thrust into the ASH barre
that might have appeased their hun
ger for a little while; some washed
candle or gas-j Jet that might have
kindled up their darkness; come efresct
on the ceiling that would have giver
them a roof; some jewel which, brought
to that orphan girl in time, migh1
have kept her from being crowded of
the precipices of an unclean life; som,
New Testament that would have told
them OF Him who 'came to seek ant
save that which was lost" Oh, thi
wave Of vagrancy and hunger ant
nakedness that dashes against ou
front doorstep! If the roofs of all tn
| houses Of destitution could be liftet
I