The Washington times., 1904-12-16
TTamps Not All Criminals.

TO the Editor Of The Washington Times:
MANS nEumauity TO man makes
countless thousands mourn
Ever since the Gth instant / have
carried "a copy OF your newsy and
interesting paper in my pocket hop
ing To get time To write you touching
the subject of an editorial of that date
under the caption of Rights of Pow
ert3, and to ask you 10 republish It
i'm -ull IL is more applicable if pos
sible, TO this city than 20 New York
Pore never uttered or penned a more
pathetic truism than the quoted line in
my caption.
L am so constituted that whenever
see man ia the gutter or in trouble
from any cause and unable To help him
sell, my first impulse is TO lend him "A
helping hand 20 lift him up and put
HIM on his feet In my business look
ing back many years. ] have from time
to lime taken home with me man and
given employment. whom / had found
Eonaeless. hungry, ragged and penuiless.
And ] have 80 reason TO regret having
contributed 10 such untortunates Al
most any man is liable 10 become in
the course oi his life what we call a
tramp. Only last year when / wanted
"a naan 10 work on my suburban home 1
found young man who was glad of the
opportunity aJ any price. He was an
eN-soldier of the Spanish war and had
an honorable discharge. / found him
at one of she numerous temporary
homes in Washington where such men
seeking shelter and food find their way.
He proved 10 be one OF the best men ]
ever had-honest industrious and in
every way trustworthy He was worth
so much more than ] coald AFFORD TO
give him that ] procured him a place
in the Navy Yard. / have another one
at present that / took out OF "A similar
home. Eut doubtless. there are many
eXceptio1s-such as are apparently un-
wcrthv Of an effort TO reclaim. ! would.
however, give the boys a chance.
w. LEE WHITE
Flora! Hin, Minnesota Avenue. ID. -
Following Is the editorial the republl-
cation Of which Is requested.
Rights of Poverty.
she other night the police Of New
York city arrested twenty-five men FOR
the ofIensc OF being poor. To be poor is
annoying 10 the individual. but il annoys
/ bis environment as wen, and herein is
+ the crime. That poverty can be cured
I by the act of regarding its victim as a
er mlnal is get To- Dee demonstrated.
I Worthy men have experienced the mis-
/ chance of hunger Persons never guilty
( of "a dishonest act have felt the winds OF
\ winter strike through a shabby coat.
I such people have even had the temerity
q Go seek work. Ignoring the simpler
I method OF letting the police take them
I iu.
AnybOfE in any measure familiar with
l New York kIUWs that there are thou
I sands OF men there in abject want OF
/ course, proportion OF them are delib-
Z crate idlers Others are on the alert
/ Tor chance 10 work and do not find
/ the chance. Even the Weil-dressed. re-
/ sIectabie looking citizen who has 10 look
] tur position VIII meet with rebuff
{ ai almost every place at which he may
/ telL lie viii not be ciVilly Informed
/ that nothing Is epru, but viii eucOuut-
. "a an atmosphere exactly as hostile as
/ though he were begging coin OF Il
favor
/ The men arrested had applied for lodg-
T ing iu "a municipal resort maintained
F. for the accommodation OF such uufOrtu-
mates. The charge is that they had ap-
piled for The third time during "A month,
I tH- privilege being limited 20 two nights
I Perhaps theory exists that the home
/ less individual with q bed two nights
/ OuJ OF thirty can spend the other TWEEN
/ tI-elght lu d park, Dut weather cUudi-
uuus initiate against this. The extreme
l1- poor man has no rights. ~ he applies
Jo charity for "a bed. "a call Is sent in
I tor the police. II he is caught shivering
u sheltered hallway or an empty box
% Jail with him. ~ he boldly makes
use of hotel recommendations for which
Fe cannot pay, the law h. ready 10 seize
/ him
/ There remains 90 poverty the right O.
jump into the river. unless thts, being
cold as the rest of the world. happens
/ tB be frozen.