Hutchinson gazette. [volume] (Hutchinson, Kan.) 1895-1902, 1896-04-16

At a public meeting in Fond du Lac
Wis, on the tramp question, the fol-
lowing two views on the unfortunate
poor, are reported:
Victor L. Berger, editor of the Wis
consin Vorwaerts, socialistic daily OF
Milwaukee, was introduced and said:
I'VE ought not to condemn the tramp
until we hear his side of the case, and
l will present 1t this afternoon. Six
teen years ago l came very near being
a tramp myself Coming over from a
German university, l thought l would
be gobbled as a professor, but l wasn't.
| couldn't even obtain position as
bookkeeper, and finally l became por-
ter in q hotel. After a few days l was
let out for couldn't do the work sat
isfactorily. l was willing to work. but
couldn't find t. 1 tramped for 300
miles, and was on the verge of beconl-
ing a 'hobob, notwithstanding my
knowledge of Latin, French and
Greek"
General E. S. Bragg delivered an ad-
dress, witty in the beginning, but seri-
GUS in its closing. He confined himself
to the professional tramp. The speak
er turned to the members Of the Fond
du Lac common council, seated on the
platform, and said they were breeders
of professional tramps, as they were
appropriating $4,000 year for the
support Of "hoboes." The speaker ad
vised compulsory labor for tramps, and
when that failed, to use more stringent
measures. Five or ten lashes, with an
application of salt and water to keep
them from catching cold, will rid coun-
ties Of tramps, and the question of how
much the sheriff, the policeman and
justices shall receive will not come up.
This General" Bragg has been draw
ing from the public more than all the
tramps in Fond du Lac. He has been
in congress helping make laws that
made the tramp. He has always been a
consumer of labor's products and never
producing anything. If the tramps
were not better men than he, If they
were as bloodthirsty as he, they would
recommend the lamp post for all such
as he. But being better, being infin-
itely kinder and more charitable, they
do not exhibit his bloodthirsty and bru-
tai characteristics. Only fiends, only
the most degraded and vicious fiends,
could advocate decorating human flesh
and then applying salt. A Comanche
Indian was never more brutal. If all
the people were as useless, were as non
productive as this Bragg, where would
the food clothing and shelter come
from? The kings and mobiles, always
robbers and tyrants, ever exhibited the
same feeling toward the masses whose
labor supported them In luxury and
uselessness. Shame on such exhibit
items of brutality. The tramps are and
have always been more useful members
Of society than the class of people who
draw big salaries, live in fine houses
and do no useful work. 1t would be
just retribution for Bragg in his per
son or that Of his children, to be I'M
fortunate and have the lash and salt
he advocates for others applied while
they piteously begged for labor which
would be denied them as it is now de-
MED the tramps. My mother was wont
to tell me I'VE are born but not buried
yet, and the future may make great
changes in our conditions" 1t is bet
ter to err on the side of the unfortunate
than against them.-Appeal To Reason.