The herald., 1894-04-09
TRAMP TOURISTS.

AhAmF
The greater comfort, not to say abso.
lutte luxury, of outdoor loafing in this
state ss compared with the rest of the
country makes it a natural haven to-
wards which the trsmping fraternity
ter time are we liable to be overrun with
this class of climate refugees. They
come out here seeking a few months
rest and quiet, and when spring opens
up back east and they find themselves
refreshed and rejuvenated by their So
journ here. they are willing to return for
a while to their old haunts. They are a
dangerous element to society while here,
ever ready to encourage any kind OF
riotous agitation that may be sfoot. and
their trip out here and back is frAught
with danger to the travelling public, for
at any time some one or other of them,
maliciously inclined, is liable to take
oHense at being put off the train on
which he is stealing ride, and to take
revenge by burning bridge o. wrecking
q train.
The insufficiency of our present sys-
tenn OF dealing with vagrants has been
thoroughly demonstrated. No commu-
nifty cares to burden itself with the court
costs attendant upon the conviction of
man for vsgrsncy, nor with the expense
OF feeding and lodging him while be
serves his term ont after being convict
ed. While no community wants him at
liberty in their midst. neither does any
community want him as prisoner. He
is expensive to have around in any ca
pscty, and 80, like other classes OF aris-
tocracy, the tramp does about as he
plesses and is not molested by the off
GERS OF the law. Hs can almost ALWAYS
escape by promising to move on and not
come back again. But this trhing way
of dealing with tine question will no
longer answer. II ia becoming alto
gether too serious, and promises to be.
come more serious. II therefore falls
upon California, as the state most ex
posed to the tramp nuisance. to take the
lead in establishing some c0mprehen.
sive and effective plan for dealing with
these professional loaiers and petty
criminals.
We must have uniform state law,
enforced at the states expense, for as
has been said above, experience shows
that individual towns and counties Will
not burden themselves with convicting
and feeding the tramps. A comprehen.
sive and permanent plan for furnishing
work for the unemployed must be found,
not indeed at prices high enough to at
tract men from other parts OF the coun.
try, for that would simply aggraVs:e the
condition OF our labor market. The
wages would have to be low, very low,
but it would be perfectly practical ior
the state to systematically furnish work
to the unemployed at wages that would
allow them to get a little something to
eat and place to sleep while they
were looking for job where they were
wanted. This would enable the state to
distinguish between the man honestly
seeking work and the professional Ioafer.
The latter should be severely punished
put to work on the chain-gang in what
ever locality convicted, and his board
bill paid by the state.
Perhaps one of the most effective
methods OF attacking the tramping pro-
fession would be to stop their stealing
rides on the railroads. The man who
ia really seeking work generally travels
aioot, stopping ct the farm houses and
villages on the way in search OF Job.
But the tramp, despite his name, pre-
feTs to ride, and OF course there would
be very few of them ever cross the des-
ert and m Mountains that separate US from
the east if they had to walk. Let the
state pay Tor the conviction and subse-
quent support of all men caught stealing
q ride on the railroads, and the deputy
constables. eager for their fees, will not
allow many guilty men to escape. 1t
might be well to establish a spec ial
patrol at the three or four points where
the trsnseontinental railroads enter the
state, whose duty it would bs to clear
all westbound trains OF brakebea pas
b0ukSIos Auo duu Juo
form euch a perfect natural protection
against the tramping fraternity that
with little care in watching the rail-
roads we ought to be comparatively free
from tourist tramps.
California's peculiar danger is her
especial opportunity. AS sae is the
state most liable to be molested by
tramps unless she take precautions
against them, 40 let her be the fret to
adopt a comprehensive and effectual
method of dealing with them, method
that will give every man anxious to
work an opportunity to get something
to eat and place to sleep without
either begging or stealing, and that will
severely punish professional tramps
without any of the childish trlfling that
80 strongly characterizes our present
system Of dealing with them.
---------
IT lie not within the possibilities of the
case that congress- can do anything that
will directly and Immediately relieve
the wants of the unemployed who are
now trying to reach Washington in great
numbers. All congress can do is to en-