The times. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1897-1901, 1900-01-15

eral crooks" have been caught in this
over to the police departments of towns
where they are badly wanted.
| 1t may be argued that this system does
away with individual charity and that the
old-fashioned way of allowing charitably
inclined citizens to feed the tramp is
preferable on the grounds of humanity.
When all charities are in the hands of a
city or an association, there is sometimes
danger that those who most need help will
be neglected because they shrink from the
catechism through which applicants for
aid are put by the charity bureaus. But
the Atchsor system does not pretend 20
include the city poor. i applies only to
the regular hobo" who is usually pleni-
full in railroad centres. small and great,
because he can reach them easily and get
away with equal ease II he does anything
he should not. To the greater number of
these men the Atchison plan will be no
hardship. though il may be more distaste-
full than the old fashioned .plan. And 1t
will certainly take a great burden off the
individual citizen.
II is not hard for any one who Is philan-
thropically inclined to find use for all the
money he can spare. He can find people
within very small radius who need things
done for them. and unless he is a very rich
man. before he has finished doing these
things his money will be used up. The
beneficiaries will be people whose circum-
stances he need not take much time to in
yostigate. He will not need to hunt for
strangers and get acquainted with them.
Unless he is singularly destitute OF friends
and acquaintance he will fad on slight
enquiry. that one of his friends employs a
laundress whose drunken husband does not
support her, that another knows a widow
who is trying hard to support and educate
a brood of small children. and that some
body else is acquainted with a superan-
nuated old lady who has to lint herself in
coal flannel. and food in orde.' TO pay her
rent. 1t will not be long before he has on
his books dozen more or less dependent
members of society who would all suffer
keenly from want and Illness without his
aid If he is really anxious TO be charita-
Bile, therefore. it is not necessary that he
should provide an able bodied tramp with
two or three meals and run the chance OF
the tramp's stealing some OF his valuables.
II may be argued. however. that one
must not do kind act merely because it is
pleasant, but should seek the more de-
graded and unpleasant objects of benevo-
lence. Even in doing this. however, it is |
just as well to be somewhat economical of |
time. strength, and money. We should at I
least try to be sure that our money Will |
not help TO degrade the recipient still fur
Their instead of doing him good. The tramp |
problem is one Of the toughest in the whole /
arithmetic Of modern society. The police |
deal with It as effectively as ANY one. be-
cause many of them are men who have
been in hard luck themselves, and they /
can distinguish the discouraged workman
without job from the habitual vsga-
bond who would rather prey on society
than work for his living 1t is quite
safe, as a general thing. to allow them TO
handle the tramp problem rather than to
cave individual citizens TO do it.