The herald., 1894-12-09
AN EFFECT, NOT A CAUSE.

II the recent expressions on the matter !:
AN EFFECT, NOT A CAUSE.
EDITOR HERALD :-If every great daily
paper would follow the example set by
The HERALD and the Chicago Times, in
aevoting page In each issue to gen.
Irsl discussion OF the economic evils of
lhe day. publishing without fear or favor
lhe various opinions offered. there
would be more hope OF q peaceable So
lulion of the problem. and the press
might become the savior of modern civi.
lization, as we'll as its instructor.
1t is certainly plain that the dis
cussiou OF the tramp problem, without
any investigation or knowledge OF the
conditions producing the problem. ie an
Attempt 10 study and suppress q symp-
lom without investigation or knowledge
Of the disease. Chose pursuing this
course in medicine are called ''quacks"
and ''charlatsns." and, fortunately, are
greatly in the minority, but their proto-
types among writers on economic condi-
tions are 90 yet unclassitied. and. I'M
fortunately, are greatly in the ma
jority.)
The tramp must be studied 90 an Of
feet, not 10 . cause--a fallacy notice.
Rble in many OF your correspondents.
The tramp is even more than q logical
sequence OF our industrial methods he
10 . necessary adjunct 0i our economic
system. When the equilibrium be-
tween the necessities oil the producer
and the wants OF the consumer was
made to totter. the professional tramp
began his career.
The balance began to turn against the
producing element some Is wears ago,
and, as improved methods OF production
and labor.saving machinery have in
creased, the number oil trampa have
also increased in exact proportion.
Fifteen years ago the tramp was . cur
iosity ten years ago he was O subject Of
sarcasm and ridicule; five years ago he
was q nuisance; today he 10 menace to
society /; five years from now he will be
what?
The relation Of the tramp to improved
methods OF production IL 10 close As that
OF the shadow to the substance, and as
one increases the other necessarily fol-
lows, (unless men are educated to
patiently statve In the locality OF their
advice given by most observers.)
Taking the country as whole. there
is still plenty OF material for the Fourth
Of July Grafton and spread eagle meta
phors. The country never Was as
wealthy ~ at preseut. The commodi-
ties that constitute wealth, from wheat
TO necktie, were never 60 abundant.
In California alone 1000 tons of wheat
must be sent abroad to find consumers,
and the great elevators OF the east over
dow with grain until notice is sent that
no more will be received from the west
.ern farmer. And the same can be said
OF the warehouses and depots for manu-
featured commodities OF all kinds. Yet
In spite OF this unprecedented aggregate
Of wealth. the tramp 10 abroad in the
land and the army Of unemployed, that
already reaches millions, 10 increasing in
regular proportion from day to day and
and from month to month.
The superficial observer may wonder
at this and pseudo economist food the
press with comments on our wealth and
greatness 90 . nation, but the observer
who has studied our economic system
deep enough to appreciate the still cur
rent that flows beneath the surface,
yecognizss that this peculiar condition
IL inevitable, and that under our indus
trial system destitution and wealth
must increase, hand in hand.
The tramp and the millionaire are the
natural compliments one OF the other.
They are the opposite and equal arms of
che industrial balance. The creation Of
one implied the existence OF The other.
Show me b nation without the modern
tramp and the modern millionaire is
=. - -.
where 10 per cent OF the people control
less than so per cent OF Its wealth. and
Il will be one whore almshouses are not
needed and the producing classes are
beyond the fear Of destitution.
One OF your correspondents classified
tramps into three varieties. First, the
honest ones who were really seeking
work second, those who we're indiffer.
ent, and third, those who would not
work under any circumstances. We
think II the gentleman would examine
the genus tramp little closer he would
discover that his CLASH fications were but
different degrees OF the same individual:
IL is the positive, comparative and SUE
perlative degree of the same adjective.
when laboring man loses his perma-
nent position. being displaced by mod
ern machinery. he naturally seeks for
employment wherever hope may give
the slightest indication of success, but
the contumely OF society. the insults
constantly heaped upon him and the
thousand and one vicissitudes OF the
road, soon deaden his self-respect and
weaken his sense of moral RESPONSE
biiity, and, whereas. he was positive.
tramp, no now reaches the comparative
stage OF tramp. tramp, becoming indii-
derent 90 to whether he finds employ
ment or not. One or two arrests fol.
lowed BY incarceration in the county
jail, succeeded BY term of involuntary
labor in the chain gang, completes the
circle, and now his aelf-rssp pect and
moral responsibility being washed awav
forever be becomes . modern pariah
and outcast OF society, and in the super.
lative degree is tramp, tramp. tramp'
There can be no doubt that the trsmn
has increased rapidly in the last ieT
years, nor can there be the sliphtest
doubt that the increase will be propor-