The Saint Paul globe. (St. Paul, Minn.) 1896-1905, 1900-10-07
TRAAPS WHO L|YE H|GH'
AGENT GATES DISCUSSES THE
PAUPER TOURISTS AT THE
STATE CONFER ENCE
STATUTES NEED A CHANGE
Voters Should Impress on Their Leg
islatOrs the Necessity for Rene
dial Measures to Reach
the EVIL.

ties before the Winona conference of
| charities and corrections last week
When pauper can travel from Maine
to California, getting not only his living
from the communities through which he
travels. but also his railway transporta-
ton, something is radically wrong This
year woman has been able to travel
over several states at will in this man
her. This is partly because of improper
laws and party because of lax enforce
ment Of laws. Most of our states have
legal settlement laws, but they vary the
time necessary to acquire a legal settle
ment from three months to five years.
The majority Of states, however have
fixed the time at one year, and this
should be uniform in all. Every person
undoubtedly has a legal settlement in
some place, but owing to the nomadic
condition of many of our people, this is
sometimes difficult to determine. In
some of the countries of Europe inhabi-
tants are required to register in the town
in which they live, and when person
changes his place of abode he must take
a certificate from the town where he
has acquired his legal settlement to the
new community and present it. to the
town authorities there. and If he fails
to do so he is subject to penalty. Under
is kept. and it Is easy to determine
persons legal settlement
There are two classes of migratory
paupers-thoSe who have become paupers
from necessity or misfortune and the Sc
who are paupers from choice. These two
classes require different treatment The
one usually applies for aid to the regu-
lar constituted authorities: the other
generally begs from door to door. When
q fn Mt mis-
fortune applies to the town authorities
for aid, it should be their duty to fur
nish that aid at once, then ascertain the
party's place of legal settlement and
remove him to that place. No pauper
through misfortune should be permitted
to travel at all except back to his place
of legal settlement 1t is a grave. wrong
to every one concerned to furnish trans
portation for a pauper to the next town.
Tt is this system that permits this class
of paupeGs to travel at will. They tel a
story of having friends in some other
town who might assist them, if they We're
there, The story. of course, is false. The
authorities know that it is false, but 1t
furnishes them an excuse to get rid OF
what they think may be an undesirable
burden Instead Of this, 1t is their duty
to fathcm the PERSONS history. and do
one of two thinas-either return him to
the place from whence he came, or re-
turn him to his place of legal settlement
and this question will never be settled
until this pernicious practice Is. stopped.
It is the policy of the state board of
corrections and charities. to investigate
cases of this kind, and assist in ascer-
tanning the legal residence. Our law
contemplate5 that such cases shall be
deported by the state board but SO far
the Legislature las not seen fit to apprQ-
piiate the money H1undoubtedly fWoult
do so if then different. nfunfcipalitI ties OF
this state would urge the matter upon
their REPRESENTATIVES. If these Paupers
were returned at state expense there
would be no inducement to send them
along to the next town. II all our
states would adopt the same policy; this
class of paupers would cease travelling:
We have a second class. however, thar
require different treatmeht-tlle person
who is a beggar or pauper from clioice,
able to work but unwilling to work. the
so-called tramp In hard times there Is
an excuse for this class. but at present
none whatever, yet the tramp nuisance
does not seem to be diminishing. 1t IS
estimated that there are now over 100000
in this country and they are costing the
people lover see, 600, GOO annually to support
them Whatever the cause which
brought these people into this life, they
find it fascinating, and are willing to
continue 1t. Their ranks are being con-
stantly recruited from boys Of the city,
the truant, the incorrigible, and, the
young rowdy, who are frequently willing
to. become. apprentices of the older men
on the road Vagrancy has been
chronic disease in Europe since the last
century, and in many parts still Hour
tshes Whipping and imprisonment
have not cured it.
But yagpancy is not an incurable dis
ease. There is a remedy, simple and
effective, which should be given in large
doses. 1t is work. Why not enfoice
the principle 'if any will not work.
neither shall he eat?'' We snail then
solve the tramp question.
1t is useless to commit tramp to idle
ness in a county Jail Many now commit
petty offenses for the purpose of getting
into county pail to spend the winter
season. In this state last year a tramp,
was. sentenced to thirty days in the
county pail, and when leaving the court
room cursed the judge for not making it
ninety If this sentence had been, to
good work house or stone yard, the thirty
days would probably have been long
enough
Begging should be made a crime. If
"a person becomes a pauper from misfor-
tune. he should be cared for by the mu-
nicipality, and not be sent forth to beg.
The tramp should be punished for beg
ging by confinement in a workhouse. In
order to provide for the very small class
who may be honestly hunting labor,
every city and village should provide a
place where any person who applies for
lodging or a meal can be accommodated
SM1 pay for the same in labor. This
ha$ been tried with success in Germany.
and also by several villages In Mime
soto. 1t is practical. and will not cost
the village much, If anything, because
they are supposed to exact enough labor
from the man to pay for the lodging or
meal AT any rate. even if it does cost
a little 1t is the right kind of charity.
When these are provided the law against
vagrancy should be vigorously applied,
and every able bodied man found begging
punished
There is another feature of the German
system worthy of our imitation. If
resident of a community is unable to
obtain work to support his family, he
applies to the public authorities, and 1t
becomes their duty to find him labor by
which he can support his family. This
is also the right kind of charity It is
my belief that If these few simple pro-
visions were enforced that the travelling
pauper would soon be only renaissance
Famous Baby Scholar.
An exauisitely printed ard bound little
volume has just been ISSUED from the
press of Messrs. Laird & Lee, OF Chi
cage 1t is entitled Viola Olerich, the