The advocate., 1895-11-27
MUST WE CARRY GUNsg
u Topeka Full Of CriminAlsG- Startling
Record OF Crime.

The record Of robbsries. burgleries and
hcid-aps that have occurred In Topeka In the
past few weeks iS simply startling
Three ladies have been robbed on the street
IN broad daylight, On unusually large number
of robberisa have taken place, besides che
boldest kind Of hold-up.
ThRt there is large number Of idle people
IN the city 10 well known. Among these
people are many criminals. II Is doubtful II
any considerable number would work ifthsy
could hnd anything to do. Several days ago
She santa Fe officials offered work to fifty col
oEed people at sL2S per day at Reading, Kas,
and the company could find no men willing
70 go.
From this class Of citizens comes the GRIM
inAls, and IL 10 problem to decide what is to
bo done TO keep their ranks from being rein
forced.
30 far the police have failed to make any
arrests, and the situation grows more alarm
ing day by day.--Topskq Capital, November 49,
The above statement, 40 far as It re.
lstes to the Increase Of robberies in
this city, is correct. We quote the
article Of the Capital In full, includ.
ing the headlines, because it suggests
q few thoughts that may be oppor-
tunely expressed In this connection.
1) 1t Is 9 fact that has become 80
notorious of late as to be matter of
common observation that while the
present police force never fails to see
every little boy and girl who rides O
bicycle on the sidewalk in violation Of
the city ordinance, no matter In how
obscure q corner Of the city, no mem.
ber Of the force has yet been able to
discover one Of the burglars or foot.
pads who have been for months oper.
ating successfully upon the most
public streets. The theory of the po.
lice seems to be that their vigilance is
TO be measured, not by the crime they
prevent and the security they afford to
life and property, but by the number
Of arrests they make, the amount Of |
fines they collect and the amount Of
what they term vsgsbond labor they
can put upon the rock pile.
(2) It is undoubtedly true, also, that
that "there Is a large number Of idlO
people In the city" It is possible that
some Of these are not overscrupulous
concerning the means they employ to
secure the neCesssries Of life. ItCould
hardly be expected that they would be.
IL ID improbable, however, that the
burGlaries that have been committed
are the work Of these classes. The
skill which has characterized them In.
dicates Q degree of experience not to
be expected Of these idlers. 1t is pre-.
suming q great deal for the Capital to
attribute all the devilment that Is
being done to them, especially when 1t
speaks without any knowledge Of the
facts. It's presumption, also, that "no
considerable number Of them would
work II they could and anything to
do, 10 purely gratuitous. 1t is an in.
suit to honest men whose idleness is
enforced by existing conditions. 1t is
stated as g justification Of this infer
ence that the Santa Fe Officials g few
days ago offered work to fifty colored
people at Sl.25 per day at Reading,
Kas., and the company could find no
men willing to 90. We are not con-
Yersant with the facts in this partlCu-
lar case, bat the methods Of the Santa
Fe Railroad Company are SO we'll IN.