The Washington herald., 1908-06-26
THE TRAMP PROBLEM.
By THE OPTIMIsT.


Few sociological problems offer greater
difficulty in solution than that OF how 10
deal with the constantly increasing army
OF tramps Mr. Orlando +. Lewis. writ
ing in the Atlantic Monthly on the sub
ject. gives some startling figures as 10
the number OF tramps and offers certain
remedies. most of which have been tried
and found to be ineficacious.
There is. besides the economic side.
humanitarian phase of the problem which
complicates Il. II is all very well to say
that society should be protected against
the tramp and that some way should be
found to keep him from destroying rail
road property. and that he should be
put TO work. The truth of the matter
is that many of the tramps are unable
TO find work. We can hardly imagine
that men become tramps through
choice In most cases, as a matter Of
fact a man becomes a tramp because
he can find no employment in the com
munity OF which he is a member, and
20 moves on 10 try his fortune elsewhere
In many cases. OF course, the expert
ment is a disastrous one for the man
himself and for the commonwealth. In
the spirit OF adventure. and there is un-
doubtedly magic charm in the free
road, in spite OF its perils and discom-
forts. To men OF a certain type, OF
mind these perils and penalues. includ-
ing occasional Imprisonment, and some
times hunger. are regarded as less oner-
Gus than the burdens OF steady employ
ment and the responsibilities Of decent
citizenship
Trampdom is not without it's danger.
Tor during the period Of five years. be-
ginning with 1901. out OF some 5000 peo-
pie killed by the railroads 1884 were
tramps. one reformative measure that
has been suggested is TO make the rail-
roads which carry the tramps most un-
willingly II must be admitted. from place
to place, should be held responsible. But
already the railroads have TO pay pretty
dearly for tramps. II is tramps who set
fire 70 box cars and who sometimes
cause wrecks; and railroad employees who
try TO keep their trains clear frequently
have TO face death at the hands OF these
wanderers OF the road who often carry
dangerous weapons.
The plan of arresting tramps and sus-
pending sentence-giving them a certain
number OF hours in which 10 leave town
is a cowardly sort Of way OF shifting
the responsibility Of the tramp problem
onto the shoulders OF q neighbOr: and a
Jail sentence. without hard labor. pro-
visions tor which are seldom at hand
In country jails, is rather welcome than
otherwise 10 the tramp, who finds in the
jail sentence a few days Of recreation
and rest from the turmoil OF the road.
Nor does a workhoUse sentence. pro-
viding for hard labor for the tramp when
he Is caught. offer a III solution OF the
problem. II is manifest that such de-
vice is almost as selfish as moving the
tramp on. For although the county
which catches the tramp mas the benefit
Of few days free labor, the tramp gets
nothing for IL, not even sympathy, and
after his penal work is done he IS turn
ed loose. as penniless as he was before.
as homeless and as purposeless.
The ramps attitude toward life is
that he has as much right 10 live as any
one. II IS, OF course, an untrue premise.
Tor no one has a right to live who does
not justify that right by being Of some
II
. tramp. Is OF no use; each day he remains
a tramp makes him more OF moral de-
generate and Of less possible service TO
/ the commonwealth.
But there IS no solution TO the tramp
/ problem in going after it mercilessly.
After ALL tramps. even habitual tramps.
are human. and a great majority OF them
are strong men physically. some Of them
1 able mentally. In other words. in tramp
| dom there is a wealth Of raw material
that properly worked over and turned
/ in tho right direction, should be OF value
/ 20 the state The sociolOgist who at
tacks the problem from the humanitarian
side. who maintains firm belief that out
/ Of even such an evil as trampdom good
/ may be wrought, is the one who will
come nearest 70 solving the difficulty.