Evening journal., 1900-07-14
The Tramps and the Railways
the Philadelphia Times.

From the Philadelphia Times.
The access which the rowing army
OF tramps have to the railway lines is
a source OF danger to life and property,
which has just been emphasized by
the extraordinary accident on the Balti-
more and Ohio railroad. A switch was
maliciously misset, probably for the
purpose Of plundering the wrecked
train.
For some reason that almost has the
quality of an Intervention OF Provi-
dence there was no loss Of life nor was
any property left exposed to the fiends
who thus, at the imminent risk of hun
dreds of lives, had sought an opportu-
nifty to steal.
OF course the dastards who carried
so nearly into execution their coward
ly plot have escaped and the prospect
OF their capture is faint enough il we
may judge by long list of precedents
wherein justice has failed in like cases
to secure it's prey. It is therefore, ap-
parent that II the safety OF the travel
ing public is to be secured, and prop
erty in transit is to be protected, the
mere pursuit of the perpetrators of
deeds that endanger both. or even their
insufficient safeguards.
But there is a way to do II, and the
law OF trespass is quite competent to
that end if vigorously enforced. The
tramps must be kept of the railway
lines altogether That this can be
done is shown by the fact that I'm con-
tinental countries and in Great Brit
ain Ii is done, and the railway COM
fc hn1I nf l.. a.
execution. No one not of the employ
ment Of the company should be allow
ed to enter the freight yards nor be
permitted upon the line Of the rails al
any point, and every employe of the
company should be given not only au-
thority to arrest all such persons and
to hale them before a magistrate, but
to do so should be made one Of their
most exacting duties.
The ordinary vagrant laws are spas.
modic in operation, inefficient in them.
selves or framed to protect localities
Besides, they often work the grossest
injustice to personal right and free
I dom, and men moving from place e
| place in search of work or on legiti
mate and lawful errands are arbitraril,
classed with vagabonds and punished
as such. while the bodies OF lawless
lazy ruffians parade the land begginl
and stealing. committing acts Of VIC
lence to persons and property, and ar
never or rarely interfered with by tn
law. The railway lines are thei
chosen channels of movement. an,
along them they make their desolatinl
progresses carrying terror through tn
country. II these men we're kept on tn
highways, the very labor of walkin
b would drive thousands Of them Z
work and force them to remain per
manently in one place to earn a living
The fact most notable about tn
tramps is that he never tramps. "A
rides When he gets hungry or sees
favorable locality. he drops OF IN
train and begs or steals for his imms
diate wants. and then. jumping th
! next freight, resumes his journey. Xii
i dred spirits meet and the daring an
q the reckless join hands to comm
. crime. Such can easily have been N
Z origin of the plot at Folsom on We,
nesday morning. II has been shown
a have had like origin in like cases b.
, fore. The railways have their remeC
). in their hands. and no other agent
! effectively as themselves can break 4
the tramp evil and at the same tim
, with real economy for themselves. pr
n tect their patrons and their property.