Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1898-05-14
INEVITABLE RESPONSIBILITY.

As noted in our issue OF yesterday,
an officer Of the Young Mems Business
| Association, of this city, has received
from a friend in Philadelphia letter,
in which the following occurs.
IL want to congratulate you on your
effort TO get the tramp ordinance passed.
and regret very much that 1t was not
successful Enclosed find clipping out
Of Philadelphia paper of this date.
May be some Of those who voted against
YOU will open their eyes some fine morn
ing and find that a few Of their posses
sions have tramped Off"
The newspaper clipping referred to is
a column and a quarter article from the
Philadelphia Evening Telegraph. warning
the South that tramps and thieves Of
every degree are flocking from the
northern centres of population to this
section. The objective points Of these
worthless are known to be the big mill
tary camps, which will prove veritable
Klondikes, but the police authorities of
Philadelphia say the tourists are for the
most part travelling slowly, and may be
expected to commit en- route depredations
i'm all the large cities.
Since the idea of making Richmond one
Of the places for general mobilization Of
troops seems to have been abandoned,
for the present at least it is fair to
assume that our city will not rise to the
dignity of being a final objective point
of the movement. But we may count
with confidence upon Richmond's being
one of the favorite stopping-over places.
The refusal Of the Council to pass the
tramp ordinance was an invitation TO
abide with US at their pleasure. not only
to those tramps who arc not thieves,
but simply nuisances, but to the vaga-
bond and the thieving class generally.
And we may rest assured that all these
classes will accept our hospitality with
alacrty
Speaking especially of the dlstnctively
thieving tourists, the Telegraph's article
says:
Among the criminals known to have
gone South during the past week from
this and other large eastern cities are
dozens Of the most daring and adroit bur
glars that eSer used jimmy. Ordinary
house-breakers. 'second-story' men who
can climb porches with the nimbleness
of a cat, safe-blowers, who are continu-
ally lodging the police, and the audacious
sneak-thief, have all apparently joined
forces, and have taken their flight south
ward. The track of these law-breakers
who have come from distant cities Is
marked by crimes, and by the deeds com
mitted en- route is the crack of the thieves
followed by the police"
OF course, when our police have know
ledge that stranger within our gates
belongs to any one of the fraternities
mentioned in the paragraph quoted from
the Telegraph he will be picked up. But
in the absence OF such knowledge they
will have to be very careful. 1t would
not do for them to make mistakes that
would dscredit the immunity We have
guaranteed tramps, and which leads the
telegraph to sneer--and most unjustly.
as far as Richmond is concerned-at the
weakness Of the southern police" Than
the Telegraph's article no stronger evil
dence could be adduced TO show that
the Council committed the gravest sort
of blunder In turning down the tramp
ordinance. in urging its passage, the
Young Mems Business Association an
just such dangers as threaten
us. The passage of the ordinance wo1ld
have resulted not only in the tramps
giving Richmond a wide berth, but in
a similar course on the part of a much
worse class that is now moving South |
If anticipatiOns regarding this matter |
shall be realized, a most unenviable re- |
sponsiblity will rest on those chareea- |
BILE with the defeat of the ordinance