The herald., 1897-06-16
The Unemployed in Illinois

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The Unemployed in Illinois
To the Editor of the Los Angeles Her
ald-Last fall. when Illinois was in po-
litical travail, the Hanna couponers
sent post haste for Bob Ingersoll. Bourke
Cochran and After-Dinner "Choncie," a
trio of monopolistic lawyers, to tell the
people out at Lincoln's home how to
vote. Bob and Boork" exhorted
them to heave hard on their imaginations
and cast all sail for the port of confidence.
relying entirely on the plutocratic gold
cure.
"Choncie" told them the prescription
was a dernier resort, but they had better
take it, in order to start the freight trains.
AT this present writing here is a con-
dition that camps on the trail of these
three campaign counsellors:
mot many of the Illinois towns en-
force the vagrancy laws, owing to the
fact that there are so many unemployed
that it has become impossible to care for
the men placed under arrest, without
heavy burden to the municipalities. The
cost of feeding them has grown to such
figure that the authorities long ago
abandoned the custom of locking them
up, and have adopted system of help
ing them on to the next town."
OF course Bob and Boorke don't care
three raps in Hoboken about the unem-
ployed, but "Chonce" does, for here
comes the status that gums up the way
bills:
THE freight trains of the trunk lines
running into st. Louis frequently look
like passenger trains at present because
n fha nj, har pf ra m, hoy hri ", tn
said Mr. Petit. II have seen as many
as fifty men beating their way on a
single freight train of the Baltimore &
Ohio Southwestern. Their numbers have
become so great that the trainmen are
afraid to molest them. and on the local
freights allow them to work out their
fare in helping to load and unload freight
at the way stations, and with the switch
ing. Not many of these men are regular
tramps or are on the road from choice,
but are rather victims of circumstances.
l talked with a great many who have
been in half the large cities of the country
looking for work without success. For
the most part they are men who are will
ing to turn their hands to anything that
will bring them a livelihood Among
them found large percentage of skilled
workmen, who have not had regular en-
ployment since the hard times began in
'92 when the mills commenced to shut
down and the avenues Of trade were
gradually closed.
LAS an evidence that many Of these
men will work if employment is to be
found, I learned that a great number Of
them started in the south a month or
more ago and have slowly been working
their way north by picking strawberries.
AS the crop comes on further north they
move with it, and in this way they have
been able to keep body and soul to-
gether, without begging or depending
upon the communities through which
they pass for a livelihood"
Single gold standard slavery may bloat
up corporation lawyer and pad out the
trousers of trust attorney, but it hol-
lows the cheeks and palsies the limbs of
those who must wear its chains.
Say! If you had wife whose heart
Had fed your own for a score of years,
And never moment walked apart
From all your griefs and hopes and fears.
And now in that faithful bosom had grown
A little life that was part of your own,
And hunger narrowed them through and
through,
For Gods sake, tell me, what would you
do?
Dollars by thousands stacked away
HarvestS rotting in barn and she'd
Silks and ribbons and fine display
And children crying for lack of bread!
Wealth and Famine are hand In hand,
Making the tour of heartsick land;
Half of the country's future veal
Crushed by the presents selfish heel!
ALICE P. YOERICK.
Los Angeles, June 10. 1897.