Oxford Democrat. [volume] (Paris, Me.) 1833-1933, 1898-03-22
THE TRAMP QUESTION.
WHAT THE STATE OF GEORGIA DOES
WITH vAaRANTs.-THEY USE THE
ROADS. GEORGIA MAKES THEN I'M
PROVE THE ROADS.
PERRY, GA Jan. II, 1893.

| Ennis oA Suu. iS, io"o'
Editor Democrat:
In the Portland Press Of recent date
read an article copied from your paper
entitled, "Discussion Of the Tramp Ques-
ton iu Oxford County Court Room" "
From the article infer that the tramp
Ia persona non grsts In oxford County,
and from the testimony Of Mr.. King aud
the gentlemen from Bethel and Wood.
stock, l conclude that quite burden Is
imposed on the citizens Of the county TO
fe~d and lodge n large body OF xmbula-
tory villsips who prefer begging, theft
aud robbery to honest effort To procure
food, aud who live In violation OF the
law Of God, which says, distinctly and
definitely. "whoso will not work, neither
shsll he eat"
l think every person who feeds a
tramp, by the act, declares that God :
law Ia bad, and ne will do all he can Ia
prevent its enforcement. Ii this IL not
true, what Ia the truth In the mstter: :
Why not In considering this matter
le,v- sentiment out, and ace II some sen
sihle conclu. ion could not be reached ~
To how To treat this Increasing evil: IL
Ia sentiment that IL really to blame for
the ~hole and entire evil.
know th,t IL IA hard to be hungry.
pity the hungry man. feed the hungry
nan becsuse | pity him, and my pity
sud the pity awakened In the hearts of
nv fellow fool., has done the heggsr'
business and made him y tramp for life
for We hsve proved To him that there are
fools enough In the community Who will
feed him from sentiment, 50 there is NO
need of hia working.
In feeding one have brought upon
mysrlf an army of lazy vsgsboads, for
TN. one that Ted from sentiment puts a
mark on my gate post or nv door which
the whole army recOgniz-, so that ~h"n
number two comes To my door he COINS
ia confidence that he shall be fed. Have
| not established n precedent: And thr
ta-nti-th man that comes, comes with y
vest, right In my provisions; and II !
sm beginning TO ace what n fool have
r--n. and refuse him, h- gets even With
m-- by setting my barn on fire, aud h"
thinks he his done righ'-snd don't
know but he has.
The fir.t article OF the tramp creed i.
that the world owes him = living.
Every body thst gives To n beggAr, votes
Ia the sfiirma'iye on this proposition,
aud has NO right to compl.in when tn"
creditor lives On what he en- lay his
hands on. No nan ever begs "a long as
there Is a spark OF manhood left In him,
aud II Il the rule that he that Will beg,
will steal.
Now don't get the idea from what |
have said that don't believe 10 charity,
for I do, and in a liberal charity too !;
but believe that no man or woman has
any right to give without knowing that
the person 10 whom they give IL one Of
the deserving poor, and proper subj ct
OF charity. Every meal and every nickel
you give TO y tramp is given at the ex-
pense OF the deserving poor OF your own
town, whose needs, and whose deserv-
ing. you personally know.
Right here want to tell an incident
from nv own experience. In 1869 had
desk room In an Office on the second floor,
front, Of the building on the lower corner
Of Maiden Lane and Broadway In New
York city. IL WAS the Office OF The
smith & Rand Powder Co. In going
out TO lunch one day In summer with
Mr.. Rand, We passed beggsr, man
Who had lost both legs nearly up to his
body. He moved around by lifting him
self with his arms upon wooden blocks
held In his hands. His hat sat before him
upon the pavement to receive the aims
that were given him, aud he looked up ut
the p,ssers with very solicitous look.
As We passed l dropped piece OF
| money into the hat. Mr.. X. put out his
I, nd 10 arrest nv hand ~ he saw me
IN Ike IN. motion TO give, but he WAS too
late tn prevent me. OF course looked
up NJ him to ace what he meant. He re-
piled hy saying, "YOu can't sfford 10
give him anything, do you know what
he Ia WORTH Ofcourse also ssid, NO"
well" Mr. X. replied, ''he is worth
more than two hundred thousand dol
lArs. know Of ten brown stone houses
thst he owns up town that rent st from
one to two thousand dollars each per
yesr." This seemed 10 me incredible,
but Mr. Il assured me that he knew II
and told m- he would give me the streets
and numbers OF the houses.
A few days after this, while st my
desk, Mr.. X. called me TO come 10 the
window; pointing across the street he
showed me nv brggar talking tn fine-
lv dressed lady who WAS stoOplng over
TO converse with him. "whO do you
suppose that lady is?" said Mr.. X.
didn't know. at Is your beggar's wife,
said Mr. r. ''Do you know thst?" said
II. ~ do" said Mr.. X.
| Here was beggsr worth more than
two hundred thousand dollars, and With
wife dressed as such fortune war.
rauted, collecting from fifty TO one
hundred dollars per day from such SEN
timental fools rs l WAS. Who hasn''
been bitten by such beggars? How car
any man steel his heart against such
distress? Few men can and sm sorry
that any can. I am sorry for the man
whose heart is so hard that he cannot
feel snOther's sfiiictiou, all ask Ia such
discrimination In giving As to prevent
GOd-given charity encouraging Incidence
and vice.
What means then can be found to
soste this growing evil-this multitudi.
nous army which is rsvagiDg our cOun'
try, asking charity and asssulting the
giyer, being fed and plundering the
feeder, stealing when helped. taking
vengeance when refused? Can any meas
ure of relief be too harsh? Has any
measure of relief been found 10 any
humane treatment OF the tramp: II
words and grass will do no good, why
not try stones? You all know the farm
er's experience with the boys in hi;
orchard.
don't know what the laws OF Maine
have done to keep out trsmps, but Dc
know What Houston County, Georgia
has done, and the testimony OF its In
habitants Is that they seldom see 4
tramp, not more than one or two in I
year. The code Of the state OF Georgia
act OF 1891, Vol. 3, p. l35, Art. 10, Sec
453, defines vsgrancy thus:
/. Persons wandering or strolling about II
idleness, who are able TO work and have n
property TO support them.
II. Persons leading an immoral or pronigat
ffe, who have no property 70 support them an
who are able 70 work and do not work
The act Of 1895 provides:
Any person may arrest q vagrsnt and hav
him bound over to the court Of the county hsvin
Jurisdiction Of misdemeanors, and he shall b
punished rs for misdemeanor, etc.
In Georgis, misdemesnOr, petty larce
nv and other minor crimes are punishe,
by sentence to the Chain Gang.
The authority for the formation OF tn
Chain Gang Il found In the Genera
Road Law Of 1891. No. 754, entitled, "a
Act TO give the Commissioners Of Road
! and Revenues, or the Ordinary or Count
Judge, as the case may be, In eacl
, county, the power and authority to Ia.
out, open. change or discontinue th
public roads, and to work, and hav'