The Saint Paul globe. (St. Paul, Minn.) 1896-1905, 1897-03-16
TO CORRECT TRAMP EVIL.
Three Hours Spent In Discussing
the Bill. 81

The house spent three hours of ses--
sion in the discussion of a bill to cor
rect the tramp evil in the country The
Dill was prepared by a special commit
tee, pursuant to resolution introduced
by Mr.. Foss, of Grant county, AMI
bears the impress of the legal acumen
of Representative Johns, Of Ramsey.
The bill is similar in purport and
construction to the conventional city
ordinances. AS finally amended it
reads:
Any person., except blind ard other infrm
persons, who roam about from place to place
begging or soliciting aims or who are living
without labor or other visible means of sup
port, and who are commonly known as
tramps, who will not work when offered en-
ployment. at reasonable or ordinary wages,
shall be deemed Migrants. d
The act of begging or soliciting aims or
roaming about from place to place and Iodg-
ing in barns or other places not intended as
place for lodging for human beings shall
be prima facie evidence that such person is a
tramp or vagrant. Providing that whenever
such person shall prove that he is out of en-
pIoyment and is honestly in search Of en-
ployment 1T shall be complete defense to any
such charge of vagrancy.
The penalty fixed is $100 fine or nine
ty days in Jail.
Mr.. Johns made a humorous speech in
the introduction Of the debate He
said .'us farmers" wanted the bill and
lawyers in the state and was all right;
he had drawn it himself
The fight against the bill was led by
Mr.. Donnelly, who sought to amend
it so as to provide that any man hon
estly seeking for work should not be
amenable to its provisions. 1t was
upon this amendment that the house
Wrangled although it came up in sew
eral forms. l,..o
In his first speech upon the bill for
he made at least a half a dozen, Mr..
Donnelly said that certain great man
had once said that Christ was born in
manager so that poverty should no
longer be crime.
He argued that such a law, passed.
as introduced and without amendment
was brutal, unbecoming a Christian
nation such as this is in moral senti-
| ment, if not by law.
He spoke of CoXey'S army, and cited
Chicago clergyman, who had inves-
tigated them, as authority for the
statement that only three or four of
them were regular professional tramps.
the others We're found to be men who
would work If they could get it; they
were largely men of some education.
These were the men whom this bill
sought to brand as criminals.
What did they seek to do on their
wild goose trip to Washington? God
knows that was the poorest place in the
world to go to if they wanted a job
as some of our Republican friends who
are now place hunting have found out
They wanted them to put back the
money of the country to where it had
been before it was cut down half And
who were the men that had it Gu.
down? Not the American people. but
the bankers and the newspaper men;
and some of these bankers have since
! &ADsr~ - I
| they had done it before they brought
about this calamity.
Mr.. Grondahl favored the amend
ment, not for the same political rea-
sons as cited by Mr.. Donnelly. but be-
cause, in his personal dealings with
tramps, he had often found them gen.
tlemen and generous.
Mr.. Martin made a fiery speech for
| the amendment and against the pro-
visions of the bill, which sought to con-
fuse workmen out of work, with crimi-
nails, who simply lived off of society
without labor. In the conclusion of his
remarks, he said that he did not be-
licve a member on the s'fioor of the
house would dare to vote against the
amendment and then face his con-
| stituents.
| Mr.. Fosnes said he dared to vote
against the amendment. That was just
what his constituents wanted him to
do. He said the law as Mr. Donnelly
would amend 1t, void make it impos-
sible to secure a conviction before any
| court.
MIR. Shell also spoke against the
amendment. Mr.. Dahl attempted to
| overcome the objection made by Mr..
! Fosnes, so as to throw the burden of
proof that the defendant was actually
! in search of work and not profess
! Sional tramp, upon him. Half dozen
! other amendments similar in purport
! came up, but Mr.. Dahps- amendment
was first adopted. Subsequently Mr..
Abbott introduced an amendment
which provided that the law should
only apply to men who would not
work for reasonable Or ordinary wages,
which was adopted.
In this form the bill was recommend
| ed for passage. But the bill was ex-
| cepted from the chairman's report. Mr..
| Foss moved that 1t be placed back on
| general orders and another fight was
precipitated. when Mr. Feig, who had
been in the chair, attacked the amend
ments and those who advocated them,