The Saint Paul globe. (St. Paul, Minn.) 1896-1905, 1897-11-05
METHODS OF REFORM
ARE DISCUSSED BY DELEGATES TO
THE CHARITIES AND COR
RECTION CONFERENCE.
HOW TO DEAL WITH TRAMPS.
AN INTERESTING PAPER READ
BY NJ. j. DOWLING-TRADES
FOR CONVICTS.
NEXT CONVENTION SALTWATER.
Committee Will BE Named Later
Robbery at Brainerd-News of
the Northwest.


ST. CLOUD, Mimi, Nov. 4.-Dele-
gates to the charities and correction
conference were entertained at the re-
formatory this afternoon, where Supt.
Houlton read paper on the Reform
atory System" During the discussion
DR.. S. G. Smith, Of ST. Paul. said that
quarrying and cutting Of stone was the
last thing that convicts should be en-
ployed at The quarry, he said, ought
to be sunk to the bottomless pit. In
mates should be put to work In shops
learning trades that would be useful
to them when they gained freedom.
The same plan should be followed mere
as at Elmira, N. Y, where prooucts
were not placed on the market. w nat
we want" said Mr.. Smith, lis not
products, but men. Most OF the III
mates are city boys and they cannot
be made farmers" This evening the
conference listened to paper by hon.
James B. Heg, of the Wisconsin Board
of Control on "Wisconsin's System Tor
the Insane" The discussion showed
that the conference was very faVoraply
impressed with the system IN vogue
in Wisconsin. The committee has de-
cided to recommend Saltwater as the
place for the next convention.
The morning session began at
o'clock, the meeting Of the Minnesota
Prison association being postponed I'M
til tomorrow morning on account or
the absence Of L. F. Hubbard. Secfe-
tarv Hart spoke on "Jails and LOCK-
ups" severely criticiZing present pullu-
ings, but saying there was nope LOT
Improvement generally The organlza-
ton of charities in small cities was
the theme of an address by Supt' >. D.
Parr, of St Cloud. In the SUBSEQUENT
discussion, S. G.. Smith, of st. Faui'
said that it was time to call halt on
indiscriminate charity. M. J. DoWllhs'
of Renville, read a paper on " nat
Shall Be Done With Tramps MI
Bowling said in part:
81 have observed that the tramp is more
numerous when times are prosperous IL a.
when people suffering from Dusiiie ooS,r u
preston 1t follows, as matter OIL cOuiao,
that the tramp thrves on the unwlilihs heSs
of American women to turn away q nuh tI,s
man from their kitchen door we iave
viewed with cGmplacency ana even u ~
the tramp element of society. SO long as Cns
tramp confined his actions TO requests III
food old clothes, a place for sheItef ana lhe
freedom of the lines of travel the American
people were content to accept the sliuatloh'
hut when thugs thieves and CRIMINALS Ssn-
orally recognized this condition OF the pupilc
mind, and began to take adVahtase VI IL w
assuming the role of the tramp, the American
people began to view seriously the problem.
lin my Judgment, the tramp question can
be solved by removing the opportunity now
open to them, first, by persuading our GU,
zens to refuse the tramp food, clothes ana
shelter without first eXacting from MN an
exchange of labor; second, by the enactmenl
of laws by the state the provisions OF wnicn
shall require all men without visible means
of existence to labor upon the highways ana
public grounds under police SUPERVISION, 1or
a daily wage that will supply the pare ileces-
stiles of life; the enactment of a law grant
Ing the war department the right 10 ioTclDly
enlist into the regular army all abie-Dodled
men without visible means OF support ana
leading a life which warrants the enilStlhg
officer to consider them tramps the enact
ment of state laws for the care and deten-
ton of all tramps physically or mentally
unable to provide for themselves with the
neceesaries of life. 1t can be summed up In
this proposition: If a man who can work,
will not should he be permitted to live upon
the work of others?' | believe that the an
swer to this question would today be NO by
all who have been the architects Of their own
homes.
about one year ago the sheriff of Renviile
county called meeting of representative
men from the eleven villages in Renville
county for the purpose of discussing the sub
ject which l have attempted to open up for
your discussion. This meeting resulted in
the enactment of ordinances approprlatlnS
small sums of money for the care and main
tenance OF tramps showing IL willingness to
work Tickets were printed by the village
authorities and distributed to every family,
with the request that to each tramp applying
for food one OF these tickets be given. The
ticket itself was order upon the village
marshal for one meal or one nights lodg-
ing at the option of the holder. The tramp,
upon presenting this ticket to the marshal,
was to be placed at work upon the streets of
the village for two hours, after which he
would be fed. The end sought for was at
tot, hut of in no m
was found that the tramp invariably took the
first train that would get him beyond the
limits of Renville county. In the village OF
Morton over 100 tickets were given to tramps,
and vet the marshal received but one. Morton
is only few miles from Redwood Falls, in
another county. During the past summer
Morton has been neglected by the tramps,
while the authorities of Redwood Falls report
a greater number of tranps than ever be-
fore"
President Clark named his committees as
follows
Committee on Time and Place-David C.
Bell. Minneapolis; Henry Wolfer, Saltwater;
w. H. McChella. st. Cloud; Miss Grace john
son. Red Wing; Mrs. ]. NJ. Parker, Red Wing.
Resolutions-Hon. ]. B. Wakefield Blue
Earth City: George P. Latin, Albert Lea; E.
G. Butts saltwater.
Rules-James F. Jackson, ST. Paul; An
drew Olson, Saltwater; G. D. Belden, Aus
tin.
tonna; Louis Pfund, Ada; F. A. Whittier,
Minneapolis; Supt ]. j. Dowell, Farbault;
George G.. Cowie, St. Paul.
The executive committee and officers for
the next conference will probably be an