The citizen. (Honesdale, Pa.) 1908-1914, 1909-12-10
RAGAMUFF|N TRUST
THE VERY LATEST
Max Nordau, Celebrated Sociol-
ogist Tells How One Hobo
Formed Syndicate of Tramps
A REMARKABLE NIGHT SCENE
scuffllns, Fighting Place Holders for
the steinheil Trial Brought to Or
der by a Superior Man In soleless
Shoes and BrimIess Hat.


Shoes and Brlmless Hat.
Paris, France.-The famous Stein
he'll murder trial offered one of the
most convincing proofs Of the organ
izing forces Of humanity-those forces
that have worked out mans civiliza-
tion-that has come under recent no
tice.
According to the French law, court
proceedings at q criminal trial are
public. Therefore the first conner, the
man in the street, must be admitted
SO long as there Is room in the hall.
As a matter Of fact, admittance is only
allowed by written orders issued by
the presiding judge. However, to sat
tsfy the law, there Is at the back Of
the hall, behind barriers, a reserved
place, where from 100 to 120 persons
can stand. To this place people are
admitted without entrance tickets.
Poor devils, unemployed workmen,
homeless vagabonds, make use of this
fact to stand before the law courts
and wait till the door is opened-not
because they wish to be present at
the proceedings, but to sell their
places. This Is in Paris a regular
business. It is carried on before all
the theatres when popular pieces are
played; before all the bans at public
subscriptions, to which the people
come in crowds.
Even on the evening before the first
days proceedings they came pouring
in before the law courts and held out
steadfastly till the following noon,
eighteen hours on the wet pavement,
under the rain and in a cutting No
vember wind.
The first hours were horrible-the
poor devils pushed and kicked; they
fought for the places nearest to the
entrance; they shouted and abused
one another; anyone who for one mo-
ment allowed his energy or attention
to slacken was ruthlessly pushed
aside-it was a continual uproar.
Then there arose in the scum of the
population of the great city the super
ior man who resolutely took the COM
mon interest in hand-the civilizer,
the law-giver. He taught the rioting
ragamuffins order and discipline. He
gave directions and all obeyed be-
cause they understood Immediately
that it was for their good.
He tore piece of paper into little
scraps, wrote on each a number and
gave one to every place-keeper pres
ent. All agreed to respect the num-
bers. Now the pushing was superfiu
Gus. His place was assured to every
one. The numbers stood under the
collective guarantee. 1t was no long
er necessary to continually be ready
to defend their rights with their fists.
They could sit down on the pavement
seek resting place on the street
benches nearby. Cooperation had
taken the place of murderous COM
petition. 1t was the triumph of an
organizer in soleless shoes and brim-
less hat.
When, the following noon, the pur-
chasers appeared, the first numbers
offered their wares peacefully, and so
on until the last customer was satis-
fed.
The disciplined vagabonds in front
of the Law Courts became exclusive
on the second night. They felt them
selves as being a close association.
They had privilege to defend. They
let no outsider in. They constituted
themselves in a trust. And when a
night bird who had not been present
at the founding wished to shuttle into
the row Of the numbered they all
turned in a body against him and
thrust him back.
The law of the reformer in rags re-
ceived official sanction. The police
sided with the syndicate. In their
eyes the syndicate represented &C
quired right and the police regarded
1t as their right to defend this, always
and everywhere against attack. Thus
within a few hours there grew out of
a free calling an inaccessible trade
and the open space in the judgment
hall a ground of exploitation for the
few.
There you have the whole universal
history on a small scale. The same
human fundamental qualities that
made out of the shirtless riffrah OF
starvelings an orderly but also an in
tolerant guild have out of hordes
made nations, have built States, Gre
ated all the institutions of civilization
Baby In Well, Pulled Up by Bucket
- I'll NawAk kIx,