The Washington times., 1908-12-06
HORDE OF MIGRANTS
A NATIONAL MENACE
Sc Declares Pastor Van
Schaick in Sermon on
Homeless Men.
OTHER NATIONS
SOLVE PROBLEM
Our Treatment of Half Million
Without Homes UnScientifc,
Says Preacher.

The tramp question Is not a local
nuisance; it has become a great na-
tional menace declared the Rev. John
Van Schaick, jr., in a strong sermon,
preached this morning IN the Church Of
Our Father, on ''The Question of the
Homeless Man
1t is a problem. on the solution Of
which other nations have been engaged
for years. and which we have treated
lightly and in an Unscientiic manner.
Here in the District OF Columbia an in
ebriate farm has been asked for. Moth
ing is more needed. But, why not make
il large enough 10 take in all classes
of vagrants?'
Nor did the preacher confine himself
TO a. mere statement Of the menacing
nature Of the problem. He showed how
II was being met in foreign countries
by a system Of government, semi-self-
supporting farms, upon which tramps
are placed and where they are made de-
cent citizens
Almost startling his congregation by
declaring that there are at the present
time a half million homeless men in the
United States. he continued:
Form Bread Lines.
They form in the bread lines of
cities. They crowd the municipal
lodging houses and missions. They
fill the workhouse for the winter
We see them sitting in benches in
Inc park. sleeping in areas and door
ways at night, or begging at our homes
or on the streets. The problem before
us today is what to do with the home
less man. on the streets we nave given
him a little money and let him go In
the courts. we have suspended sentence
If ne would leave town. In the work
house, we have held him thirty. sixty or
ninety days, done him some good prob
ably, ana then turned him loose wi n
out home and without help. Recently,
however we have been waking up to
the fact that the tramp is not simply
local nuisance, but that he has oe-
come great national menace.
1T is a serious problem, and our eff
forts 10 deal with it have been very
feeble and imperfect
II. We alleviate the acute distress Of
the Vagrant by public or private char
lty. but there comes the guilty con-
kind.
80. BY imprisonment we remove him
from society, but we know we do not
reform. and we suspect often from what
We hear, that, shut up, ne becomes a
teacher of his vices to others.
''5 We move him on, but truth comes
back 70 us that at large he is costly
and dangerous to society And so we
have done nothing because we have not
known what to do or because we knew
enough to fear we would make a bad
matter worse.
Vagrancy Facts.
with the particular problem we find
that other nations have been engaged
for years. They have had 10 come to
us for help about Juvenile courts. the
probation system, social settlements and
many other things We may well 20 70
them FOR facts about vagraHcv. We find
that In some European countries va
granCv is absolutely abolished They
recognize that the vagrant is patient
TO be treated as well as an offender TO
be punished They put him in a farm
colony. They get him into contact with
, the soil. He is away from Temptation.
He has regular work. He lives an or
Gerly life He learns agriculture or
forestry, or building or something else
His body is built up. His brain is made
Gear. His will is strengthened His
sentence is indeterminate. He is kept
until cured. While he Is being cured
ne earns his own way or a cOnsidera bic
part Of it, When he comes out he is
helped into the ranks of regular employ
nent
For years the judges of the Police
Court of the District Of Columbia have
been asking for an inebriate farm
Nothing is more needed. Without III We
constructively with the inebriate But
we ought to make II large enough to
take IN all classes of vagTants. whether
lle NdgranGy be due 10 drink or 70
something else.
The problem is not simply local 1t
Is national Broad knowledge will lead
10 the broad view. and the broad view
viii lead TO action called for by the
need.
For ages we have been dealing with
The vagrant IN the church. In many
missions we are dealing with him TODAY.
/ doubt If the results obtained are com
mensurate with the effort expended
Undoubtedly some OF the things done
In the name Of religion have cOmDli-
Gated the problem. The cheap LODGING
the bread line. the soup kitchen. draw
the vagrant to the CITY.
Ihe call of God today is the can
not only 10 be a good neighbor. but IN
be a good citizen, and to join with other
men IN getting social machinery to
adequately help the homeless