The Saint Paul globe. (St. Paul, Minn.) 1896-1905, 1896-08-08
TRAMP REGULATION.

The prevalence of the tramp evil In
west calls for the adoption of
a new policy in dealing with the chronic
deadbeat The necessity for this has
| been growing obviously for years past,
and ever since individuals and commune
! tiles began the fatal, temporizing pol
Icy of passing the vagrant on to the
next neighbor in order to get rid of
him. No surer policy for cultiyating
the genus tramp could have been
adopted. 1t came to it's flower In the
after city set forth substantial viands
at the approach of the ragged regi-
ment, and even made considerable cash
subscriptions as a bride to persuade
these marauders to move on. Thus they
were enabled to pass from one part
Of the country to the other, and thus
otherwise honest and Industrious men
were seduced from their regular en-
ployment by the prospect of whole
companies marching from point to
point, doing nothing and having moth
ing but idleness in view, and yet be-
ing well fed and treated on the way.
The cities which provide free lodging
In their police headquarters for va
grants have done their share to in
crease the evil. The village authorities
in general take the same course. The
railroad companies, that are harassed
during all the year except the severe
winter months by bands Of hoboes
VINO demand free transportation or
take 1t by force, have also encouraged
the tramp habit by yielding to it.
The time has eventually come when
1T Is necessary to take different stand.
The Northern Pacific has made a be-
ginning by sending out armed guards
who clear its right of way of the OBJ
Jectlonable characters. They are thus
thrown back upon the public highways
ana upon the people of the various
towns, and become an unbearable mi
sance
Inc problem is no new one. If
it were, if different governments had
not been engaged in dealing with va
grancy for some four or five hundred
years past, the foolishness of encourag-
ing it would not be so manifest. But
nothing is better established by the ex-
perience of different nations in history
than that you. cannot pander to that
form OF human weakness which con-
sists in desire to obtain living with
out labor. 1t is too universal. The mo-
ment that you tolerate it you have such
an increase in the idle Migrants that
a community is threatened with being
reduced to the condition where one
half its members must work all the
time in order that they may support
the other half who do not work at all.
Just as long as there is tolerance the
tramp habit will increase. The remedy.
on the other hand, is equally well set
tied. There is but one cure, and it is
always effective The work test is the
ways are among these wanderers, a
few men who are really unfortunate
instead of vicious, and who would be
glad to support themselves If they
could have employment, the work test
separates them from the others and
enables them to be provided for. AS to
the rest, the mere predatory creatures,
who despise labor and propose to live
at the expense of their fellows, the
choice between laboring for a living
and being placed in confinement with
labor added will soon clear them from
our infested villages, streets and pub
lie roads.
Those roads, indeed, are just the
place for them, but in a different ca
pacity from that of Migrants. It would
be a godsend to the state in more ways
than one if every able-bodied tramp,
who could not give an account of him
self and was not willing to work,
should be put at work upon the public
highways for at least thirty days ev-
| cry time that he might be apprehend-
authorized to put such q regulation
| into effect we could make great prog
| ress in road Improvement at the same
time that the country was cleared of
| the idle men who are now making life
| in the country burden, and spreading
| a reign Of terror among the small vii
| lagos and isolated farm houses of the
state. The evil is a great and growing
one, and we cannot take hold of it too
promptly or effectually.