The Goodland republic. [volume] (Goodland, Kan.) 1891-1907, 1891-12-25
OUTOFWORK ACRIME
Hsz DsirO9s - Weckisg al Seeking
NRlsyAeat Seat - PEisea -
Vssrasfs---CriRs lncEeas-
Ing - nat Account.
RMBTPPORTD BY THOSB WHOABO
Ts Bs EsEa Up Means 70 IRcsr tie Dis
pleasars 81 the Powers That Be-.
Ia E4Rs Rich HOaere6 and the
lie Peer Are DamneA.

& -. Burchard in National View: In
this day Of increasing crime, of deep.
eninR and spreading poverty. one OF
the most common of all crimes Is al
most wholly overlooked by the gen
eral public and by those who write for
newspapers and periodicals.
refer to the crime OF being without
employment But yen say that this Is
no crime. True it is not spread upon
the statute books with pains and pen
alties attached, but it is what is far
worse, it Is the charge universally
brought against the unfortunate by
every body; they are convicted without
testimony or the aid of counsel. and
the sentence is q summary one from
which there is no appeal.
To all who are forced TO apply direct
" 20 strangers for work. and whose
appearance indicates that they have
not recently been large consumers of
wealth, the average answer of the av-
erage man or woman, couched in terms
more Or less polite, according TO the
habit Of each, is, You are q tramp.
Get out, or will call the pOlicer'
If man is on the street because he
has no home; if his clothing is poor
because he has no money to buy better;
il he does not move along quickly be-
cause he has no place to go TO, he is
sent down for thirty days with as little
ceremony as when an old hat is dumped
/ into the ash barrel. But he has one
- h.
people who cared not if he starved for
want of work, are obliged to pay in
in the way of taxes, a good rOuni sum
for his support
The great, careless, thoughtless
American public must soon attend TO =
very mpOFtant matter with which even
now they are brought face TO face.
This is the matter of providing work
| for those who are able and willing to
work, and this is not II charity. but as
a matter of business-of economics in
the truest sense of the word.
Given n human being of any descrip-
ton, man, woman or child, and this
individual must eitl er be killed-put
out of the way-Or else it must have
food. clothing and shelter. 1t must
have these things as a result of its own
| labor, or its must live upon the labor of
others. Every unemployed person in
| the United States is now actually liV-
ing upon the WORKERS. supported by
| those who toll. These persons are n
veritable army of tax gatherers; more
than that. they constitute q whole sys-
| tenn OF taxation, being at once assessors,
| collectors and consumers of the pro
duct: and the total amount of this tax
Is probably equal TO the aggregate of
| sill other forms of taxation.
| What we need above most other
things in this country Is = realizing
sense of the fact that every idle person
il actually supported by those who
labor. It cannot be exactly determined
which person bore the expense Of the
last meal of a particular tramp, but
the fact remains that all living things
| eat, and thereby consume wealth, and
that this consumption is q tax upon
producers as = whole; and that the tai
collected by Idleness is an enormous
one.
| Doubtless the general reader will say
that none but the good foI nothing and
vicious are unable TO find work Bat
how did you find that OutP Are YOU
quite sure that in every case when {
hundred people seek work there are
always . hundred places waiting fol
them; and if there are but seventy five
for the 100 applicants. what is 20 be
eOms of the other tWenty-fivee II thers
is work for all willing hands, then the
possessors of it should lose no time in
bringing it along Il Is 9 most mex
cusable. objectionable cruelty to keel
IL secluded.
But why should there be york enough
for everybody without any care o.
Olesight upon the part of anybody
What are the necessary antecedents o
getting employment
First-The seeker must find some
person with money In hand with which
20 pay wages. Il is needless TO remsri
that the possession Of actual spar
money is by no means universal.
Second-The seeker for work, having
found the POssasssr Of money, must b
able 20 convince that person that the
work which he IL able and willing 4
do will return to the employer = large
sum Of moneY than that which he ex
ponds In wages
| In view OF these facts IL IL any won
der that enforced idleness existss Tbs
only wonder Is that 50 many PersOB'
End work of any kind at all