The Guthrie daily leader. [volume] (Guthrie, Okla.) 1893-1996, 1893-12-06
PITIES THE TRAMP.
SENSATIONAL LETTER ny
GOVERNOR LEwELLINo.
AN ORDER TO POLICE BOARDS.
The Kansas Governor Thinks the TN
employed are Too Harshty Dealt
With by tho Municipalities OF
The state, and Asks That
tho ''Rock Pile" and "BuII
Pen" BE Abolished.

TOPEKA, Kan, Dec 5.-Governol
Lewelling yesterday gave out one OF
the most remarkable circular letters
ever issued by "a state executive. The
letter is addressed to all board al
police commissioners i'm the state. and
is as follows:
EXECUTIVE LETTER
To All Boards OF Police Commissioners;
IN iho reign OF Elizabeth the highways
were M ed With the throngs OF the unem.
pioNcu poor, who were made to move on and
were sometimes brutally hipped. sometimes
summary nanged. - sturdy viRraut in.
eorrisible va abonds' In France, Just pre-.
NlOus 10 g re oiutton, the punis hment of ne.
IN poor and out OF work was for the first OF.
tense term OF years in the gai
leys for the second orense, the sai
monopoly OF labor savius mAchfn-
cry and it's devotion toselhsh instead OF social
use, have rendered more and more hum IN h..
lhgs superhuous. until we have stan ling
army OF the unemployed NUMBERING even in
ihe most prosperous times not less than l.
OJOODO able-boIicd men. yet. until recently il
was the prevailing notion. as il is vet the No
tlon OF All but the work peop g themselves and
lhose OF other classes iven to thinking that
whosoeYer, being able bodied ana willing to
Mork can always hnd WORK to do: and section
5'l or the general ST tutes OF 1859 is "A d race
iul reminder now sdva q even in Kansas has
been our treatment OF the most unhappy of
our human brothers.
The man out OF work and penniless is nv
Lhls ,leglsiatlon cassed with confidence
men Under this statute aud city ordin an IS
OF similar import thousands OF men guiltv of
no crime but poverty. intent upon n crime
@ put tnat OF scekln employment, have Ian
Ruished in the city prisons OF Kansas or per.
formed unrequited toll on rock piles ns
municipal slaves because ignorance of eco.
nomic cOnoit ons had made US rucI Tho
victims have been the poor and hunblc TO-
whom police courts are couits OF last resort -
tney cannot give bond and appeal They have
been unheeded aud unc red Tor by the busv
worlG which wastes no time VS. ting prisoners
IN lails. They nave been too poor to liti ATE
with their oppressors and thus no voice from
this under word of human woe has eyer
reached the ear OF an appellate court because
keeper
But those who 81, i4 t4o seats of noVor aro
bound by the highest obligation to espe..i lliv
regard the cause of the oppressed and helpless
poor, me hrst duty OF government is to the
weak Power becomes iendish IL il be not the
protector and sure reliance OF the friendless
TO whose complaints all other ears are dull
" Y my duty TO see that the laws are faith.
tutohal prov lsion that no instru-
mentaliy OF tho state shall deny
TO- 70. any person within its iurisdio-
ana VINO needs 10 be told that equal protection
OF the laws does not prevail where inns in.
human vagraney law is entorcedy 1t separates
men INTO two distinct classes differentiated
as those who are pennilcss and those who are
not, and declares the former criminals Only
! ne ltilor are entitled 10 the liberty guaran.
teed by the constitution To he found in a
city without visible means OF ipport or
some leWtinate business" is the involuntary
condition OF some millions at this n.ment
ana under the law we proceed to punish them
Tor being victims TO conditions which we as "A
people, have forced up them.
II have noticed in police court reports that
sleeping In box car Is among the varieties
OF TINS henious crime OF being poor Some
poli.e judges have usurped sovereis IN power
not permitted the highe functonaries nf the
Of IND
trial conditions have been peremptorily 'or.
dered TO leave town
The right to go freely from place to place
In search OF employment. or even obedience to
a mere whim, is part OF that personal liberty
guaranteed by the constitution of the United /
states to every human being on American
soil Even voluntary idlcnes- g., not forbid
den. II IA Diogenes prefer ovcriy IL a Col.
umbus choose hunger and the III ,covery OF a |
by engaging in some legitimate business
i am aware OF no power in the le egislature or
IN city councils TO deny him the right to seek
IN his own way, 80 long as he harms
no other person.
III men commit ononses. let them he ar
rested and punished, whether ri'h or poor but
let simple poverty cease to be crime
In some cities IL is provided by ordinance
that II police court fines are not paid or se.
cured the culprit shall be compelled to work
out the amount "A a munic pal slave and rock
piles ana bull pens are provided for the en-
forcemeut OF these ordinance, And so il an .
pears that this slavery is not imposed AS a
pun shment, but solely AS a means OF collect.
ing "A debt
such city ordinances are in hagrant viola /
tion OF constitutional prohibitions The rock I
pie ana the hull pen would never have been .
used IN detraudin the friendlc,S and poor
Let these twin relies OF the departed auction.
block era cease TO dis race the cities of Kan.
sas And let the dawn OF Christmas div find
'he rock pile, the bull pen and the crime OF
being homeless and poor obsolete in all the
sites OF Kansas governed 10y the metropolitan .
police act
1t Is confidently expected that their own
regard for constitutional liberty and their
human impu ses will induce police commits.
sioners TO carry out the Epirit as well us me
letter OF The fore DING su gestions
Il. ID LEwELIlNG, Governor"