New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1897-09-20
tina is able to stand alone end win creu'
among the nations of The world.
ENCOTRIGING TRINPH.

The usually peaceful country districts OF Mon
roe County have recently been the scene OF large
number of violent assaults and even murders
The endemic OF rural crime which has attracted
so much attention in New -Englanl has broken
out in Western New-York. and is partly TO DC
attributed TO the same causes. the viiiaee
hQodum has found police power 10 TIE Sol''e'
thing he need not fear. and has not s'rupled 10
maltreat any lonely farmer who has III an! WI!
Incurred his dspleasurc. II is also sah that inc
extreme regard for personal rights eNhip'eu y!
IN. magistrates of Rochester has discouraged
the activities of the police of that city III dealing
with suspicious characters to tie point that
ruflians find II n convenient harbor from when
TO set out on excursions to the country districts.
where their actual deprcdations are not likely 10
ne detected How far this complaint is justified
il is difficult to determine. but there certain!
mas been an increase in the sort OF crime 10
which the tramp aud loafcr are particularly al
dcted.
one rural neghborlo0d IN the county comes
to our notice with testimony TO the tramps par
in the disorder and an impressive example "
how not to treat these travelling gentry Tor 'he
public COOL In common with other couh'r! MS
ircis this section has Eel, the wave OF pros
pcrity The wheat and bean crops It's staple
products are unusually fine. The farmers are
better off than they have been for several years
and ether people are correSpondlngly comfort
able Yet in spit, Of the demand for labor the
expenditure for the poor has been larger! ID
creased That increase has been due IT, IN" con
science and kind heart of po0rinas'cr. Inc
town has no woodward or other con'rivanr" 10
make pa,ipcrS contribute 10 their own living or
prove their wOrihncss. Instead of assuming IN
the absence Of facilities for testing thai All
,ramps arc worthless and should be- denied help.
and thereby pr;haIs wronging some worthy per
son. this poormaSter has thought II right 10 i''h
any hungry man. Therefore every tramp VINO
applied has had supper AZ the village nm I"r
which The county paid As Il result that par
ticrlrr town has been a paradis" FOR traihpS
known far and wide among ihe followers ~ tha'
profession. In former years no woman iehr'i
10 walk along the country roads nj nighi. Tor no
sort Of violence worse than In" robbery oI al
orchard or clothcslinc was to h. feared Bn
now things are changed. and even men are eau
tio,iS when IN lonely roads after dark. \ pfy-
stefan who has for years driven about at nlgh
without thought Of danger has recently met with
two attempts 10 hold him up. and other p"opl"
have been mocsted by persons sprlngng ny III
the road and attempting 10 seize The horses
brides These were not perhaps serious Al
tempts mt highway robbery. and none of them
have succeeded. but they show the presence "f
ruflians in the neighhorhood. and old residents
say they are strangers drawn there 10y the HI
cral hospitality Of the poormaStcr.
That official il not much 10 he blamed lie
prefers to err IN the side Of charity II he must
err al ALL and his ncghborS generally commend
his good intentions. and blame their own bad
system more than his Lack ~ Judgment. But
they are becoming convinced that they must
devise n new scheme Of poor relief and are
talking Of establishing woodward where the
fuel which m" town supplies 10 It's resident poor
shall he prepared by the tramps who seek H.
bounty ThIs no worthy man viii lie left To
suffer while the vagabOndS who infcst the
region will find il no longer desirable haven
II is to he hoped that this plan VIII he adopted
II has been tried in Massachusetts with mar cd
success. and experience in Western New> or
demonstrates the evil Of encouraging tromps.
We have been extremely slow in this state 10
realize the dangers of mistaken kindness. ana
II would be valuable lesson in administration
To have rigid sitting policy applied IN place
whore the unfortunate results Of indiscrmnatc
almsgiving are so apparent.