The Daily Ardmoreite. [volume] (Ardmore, Okla.) 1893-current, 1907-09-30
THE CURSE OF vAoRANcY.

At the recent meeting of the
National Prison association, Mr.. Or
lando +. Lewis made an address upon
the vagrant evil that is attracting at
tention. Economically. he regards II
unfortunate and necessary that 50
many thousands OF able.bodied men
should be permitted to live in the
country without work, and he attrlb.
utes the fact to the leniency aud
Indifference OF the public. There is
no lack OF opportunity for any able.
bodied man willing to work. MIR.
Powderly estimates that 1000. 900
men, not already employed, can find
| profitable labor In the United States
at this time. aud yet despite this
fact. tens of thousands OF vagrants
roam the country at will.
Among the remedies for the va.
grant evil proposed by Mr.. Lewis are
the following: bodied vagrants
must work or be imprisoned at hard
labor The sentences OF yagrants
should be cumulative. Towns lodging
vagrants should provide for them "A
separate house, or. II they are lodged
at the almshouse, separate and dis.
tinct quarters. Migrants should not
lockups. A municipal lodging house
should be established In all cities
having a vagrancy problem. Migrants
trespassing on railroads should be
arrested and imprisoned at hard la.
Dor. Greater cooperation Is neces-
sary between towns and railroads In
prosecuting vagrants. The costs OF
the prosecution and maintenance OF
yagrants should be made state
charge. At least one compulsory Ia.
Dor colony tor habitual yagrants.
with indeterminate sentence. should
be established In each state. In each
community there should be the
chance for the vagrant to earn by n
WI NtHA Ndlt III
lodging and meals"
Boiled down, the cure for vagran.
cy Is work. and II man without
visible means OF support will not
work voluntarily, then the public
must compel him to work and pay
his way through life. Manifestly. va
grants have to eat 20 live and the
burden of their maintenance In idle
ness falls upon somebody. by devils.
ing systematic plan forpublic con
/ troll of this wasted energy, many
| evils may be averted. chief of wniCi
is the universal trespasslng upon
railroad properties. resulting In the
death of many thousands of tramps
every year,
Just how many atrocious crimes
are the outgrowth OF yagrancy, can
not be estimated. In the South many
of the murders and outrages upon
women are committed by strolling ne
groes, and the white vagrant of the
North Is not less industrious In
crime. even though his ofllenses may
not assume such atroclous aspects as
the crime' common to the negro va
grants OF the South.
There has been much legislation
enacted with view to curbing va
! grancy. but none OF these laws
seems effective because of the diff.
Guilty of securing their general en-.
forcement.
/ The subject is Of sufficient import.
ancc to warrant continued efforts in
this direction. Doubtless, Mr.. Lewis
plan may not be adaptable every.
where. but his suggestions are worth
consideration. Here in the South
where negro yagrants are numerous
and the need Oh good roads is so
pronounced, some system might be
devised to compel the hordes of trif-
ling negroes to build good roads
Every Southern city is familiar with
the negro idlers who show up at the
kitchen doors OF industrious citizens
for the meal which the negro cook
passes out TO their dusky aud leis.
urely lords, and a system that would
relieve householders OF this drain up.
on their resources would be crate.
I f,,1iY up.ic,,,.J Dnat
-O$o-
Secreary Taft has been to Japan
before; but 1t is not a bad idea to
let the Japs see him again.