The morning times., 1895-09-15
THE LAW OF THE TRAMP.
Professor McCook Finds Him the
Result of Natural Causes.

PROFESSOR McCOOk Finds Him the
Result of Natural Causes.
Professor McCook in the Boston Journal
sets forth what his Investigations con-
vince him are the causes of tramp" life
He says: 'There is no animal SO thor
oughly domesticated and tanned as to have
quite lost its taste for the original freedom
Even a canary bird, with an endless line of
Gagged ancestry, viii fly out, If it gets the
chance, ard refuse TO return, Though pro-
longed existence in the open air is 10 IL an
impossibility. And man is like bis brother
animals. He is pretty well broken in at
present, but he still wants to break out
now and then. A picnic OF short outing
suffices under normal circumstances But
more is required whenever the original
instinct has, by accident been brought
to the top again"
Professor McCook quotes from gentlemen
familiar with the life and habits of In
dians, who have written him in nswer to
inquiries whether converted Indians or
their offspring showed a well-defined
craving for savagery, SO called The an
swers, with one exception, show that this
tendency has been noticed, and it is usu-
ally manifest in the springtime. Continu-
ing, Professor NcCook says:
There is another law of human nature
responsible largely, as think. for vaga-
bondage. The average human animal, like
his brother the beast, has to be trained TO
work, and naturally prefers not to work
except on occasions. We read now and
then of people possessed with the mania
for work The word is, perhaps, closer to
the facts Of the case than is intended Such
people are probably abnormal People
work because they think they must in order
TO live. When they find, by an accident,
that they can get on without it, they cheer
fully resign themselves. Men lose their
Jobs from sickness or hard times, and find
themselves launched out into the world
with no savings, OF with 6 hoard which
diminishes rapidly for food, lodging, IL
ccntiousness, the theater, oftener for drink
By chance, by precept, no matter how, but
neasly always through nushy, softhearted
kindness, or Ill judged, mi sdf rected
charity, they make the discovery that they
can get enough to eat and drink and wear
and even 10 crafty the still grosser animal
instincts, together with a toIerable shelter
for the night, though doing nothing, or
nothing more serious than odd Jobs. And
in a large number of cases that discovery
is fatal
In 1873, and again in 1893. there have
been two times of great business depres-
sion, followed by gradual recovery. And
In each of these we have had a sudden and
great increase OF vagabondage, with a
subsequent falling off. But in neither case
has the former level been reached. In 1874
there was a daily rise in Massachusetts
in public lodging places from 241 to 422.
In 1893 there had been a subsistence to
37S, and then there was rise for 1894
to 621. Private information from the in
spector OF institutions shows that the rise
has not lost Its impetus. There is an addi-
ton OF 24.7 per cent. for 1895. There was
an almost identical rise of 81. A per cent
in 1875. In each case il was like stream
that had passed its banks The waters
continue to swell after the cause OF the Hood
has ceased, though at a diminished rate.
Next year We shall almost infalIbly
witness what folio wed after 1876. But it
is safe to predict that we shall never go back
to where we werein 1S92. Thenewrecruits
viii have found out that they can do well
enough where they are, and many OF them
wiz act accordingly. There are really only
two happy men in the world said bright
healthy looking vagabond to me one day,
the tramp and the millionaire and be
was partly right. But why am
so positive in my prediction that things
will repeat themselves in this decade?
SiInply beCause there is no reason to think
that the world will change much in respect
to the following things:
II. Prodigaity in flush times
"2. Foolish charity.
"3. Legal stimulation of chronic mis-
iemeanor.
"A. Toleration OF the drink nuisance.
This is the quadrilateral of yagabond-
age, within whose safe lines the tramp plays
hole and corner with public which affects
mpauence while it really feels tenderness.u