Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1897-11-18
A Proper Subject for Consideration BY The
State Grange.

tncfOugniy aroused over tHe SoHeAAiANo
non-enforcement of the tramp law. ID
the people of the cities and larger W.
lagos, with their day and night police
forces ana the protection that comes.
from the. close community OF homes.
this question does rot assume the. i'm
peftance that it does to- the farmers
of the State. Such people have no fear
of violence, and few of them own barns
on whose hay mows hoboes may sleep
and smoke or chicken roosts which
they may raid. To them tramps are
little more than a nuisance. With the
farmer it is far different. To him
tramps are a positive menace. Often
times his home is mere or less remote
from neighbors. and While at his work.
out of call, he is obliged to leave his
wife and children exposed to the inso-
lence ana insults of every professional
vagrant, who may chance along. His
barns afford frequent lodgings for
knights of the road. and more than one
mysterious fire, if the facts >were
known. could be traced to their pipes.
More than this, his crops, his orchard,
and his hen house are often forced to
contribute to the livelihood Of these
worthless creatures. Nature abhors
professional tramp. for he is several
l.
should such fellows be permitted year
afser year to menace our farming COM
muniies, and winter in our county
jails at the expense OF. our taxpayers?
Why hasn't our tramp law been en-
forced? 1t is well that the oranges
should take this matter up and inves-
tigate it. Possibly reasons may be
discovered for the present condition CT
affairs that do not appear on the sur
| face. 1t is pleasing to note, after
many days, increasing evidences of the
| fact that the farmers of Maine are
necessity of more effective measures
for Kidding our State of the tramp evil.
At a recent meeting of the Oxford
county commissioners eighteen oranges
Of the Oxford Pomona Grange APP
pear through their representative.
Hon. J. A. Roberts, to advocate the
establishment of a stone yard for
tramps at the county JAIL Mr.. Rob-
erts devoted an hour to a very able
presentation Of the views of these
oranges. He called forcible attention
| to the fact that professional tramps
had. become a most serious menace in
the rural districts, not only to farm
| property, but, oftentimes to women
and children in isolated residences, and
he voiced the feeling of the farmers of
oxford in requesting that some prac-
tical measures be taken toarid the
county of their presence. We trust
that, the movement thus ably started
may not be permitted to rest with
| Oxford county, but that Mr.. Roberts
4 ton at the annual meeting of the State
Grange The time has come for organ
: ization cn this matter, and, with or
ganization, practical results will GER
tainly be obtained. We believe thor
cughly that certain changes should be
made in our present tramp law, and
we have already outlined in 5&these
columns our views as to what some of
them should he. We would advocate
a. A States prison term, at hard
labor. for all professional tramps.---.--- =.
Any man who voluntarily adopts a
life of vagrancy, ceases to be pro-
ductive member CT society, and be-
comes a nuisance and a menace to the
community is criminal and should
, be treated as such. ,-ft r->, =. r.
ca A provision of law requiring
, every tramp sentenced to county jai
to be photographed and measured by
the BertMlon system-such records tc
} be carefully classified and preserved
!. for purposes Of reference at our county
iails.
CD A provision of law holding al
persons VINO have been sentenced
twice or three times to county jails a!
tramps, to be professional trannps, ant
subject to the penalty therefor.
We know Of one tramp who for abou
!. twenty consecutive years passed hi
;, winters in our county jails at the ex
pense of Maine taxpayers. Unde'
such a law as above advocated h
would on his second or third sentenc
have been held as a professional
It tramp. The records, of the variou
# county jails would have supplied al
IS the evidence necessary to establish hi
IT identity and secure his conviction, an,
IT he would have been sentenced to tn
lr State prison at Thomaston for tern
,e Of years at hard labor. That woul.
r have been the end Of him, at least $