Evening journal., 1915-11-20
yAeRANTs- -NoLuNTARl AND NNoirNrAnr.

IL
is fundamentally wrong to encourage wiilful and
ha0itual idleness that leads to mendicancy
II is a crime AGAINST humanity TO penalize involun-
iary ideness even though such dleness lead 10 tenn
porary mendicancy.
The voluntary yagrant should be scorned and pua
ished '''
The involuntary yagrant who is the victim of mis-
fortune should be pitied and helped
ihose we think are principles which should rule in
our M1hcipa' Court and in Police Department IA
o''ns WIN the Vasrancy question. We may be wrong
IA assuming that attitude. We believe however. we
are right and that the average citizen of Wilmington
"iil approve the views above expressed
we have said it before. and we repeat IL nov, ,ht n
man VINO Is out of work VINO wants work Uho seaks
"oiA' VINO rails to get it and who spurred by an emptv
p'1Ae' ana an empty stomach, asks for helm should
ps ~ ue eye OF the law, position widely differ
en' from that occupied by the man who is ont Of VOL,
VINO does NOT want work, who dodees vo,l, ,,, -,
lousy fails TO get il and who spurred bv hunger tr
Is born OF laziness and animated by an anbtio a..
would do credit to aea. tick or any other parssit
pegs from his more industrious fellows
In a land Of opportunities such as we Ar,or,o...
possess where the man who is up today is down 10
morrow and the man who is down today is nm tomor-
row, 1t seems to that keen discrimination should no
exercised by the police and the courts in dealing with
cases Of vagrancy.
An involuntary vagrant has two great assets One is
tself-respect which is always an uplifting and sus
49,
good reputation which is always an uplifting and sus
Claiming force exercised from without II such a man
be arrested and sent TO prison TO street gang II
robs him OF his selfrespect and good name and mill
tates against his chances of obtaining employment es
peciay in these days when employers are so careful
in the selection Of their employees He is looked upon
as criminal and suffers all the penalties which So
tleiy usually visits OF that class Such a
sentence operates against his present and future
ln me securemen Of honest lucrative employment
and the enjoyment OF peace happiness and the conf
uehee and respect OF his ellowmen Although he has
committed no worse onense. after losing his lob tban
uAt oil asking for bread mi an empty stomach mr.
eAns 10 shelter himself against the wintry cold he s
'ahoeu as vagrant and a vagabond II is seldom,
Ne Is able TO escape the brand The bald peys
- MS conviction travels fast that the extenuatnp
sums'ance surrounding it never catches nm ,,ith a.
" not De forgotten that many of the worlds
ssss ana most useful and women have hoe,
.S1u0su 70 oegeary by misfortune that was hs,s
-" Sonfoi and that they have "come bactp ana a.
ieneu tne world by their professional r,,.,, w -
merei~i, Industrial mechanical and i;,a -, ~
laet' the history Of the world shows ,h, -1' ~
penury have walked hand-n-hand ana - ~ anu
tanning force Of sefrespect and good rer,ss 's
dragged thousands from slough Of l'S
a'cancy set them in high places and urit,en 49,
names indeliabIy upon hisiorys scroll
This is not emotionalism Il is nor a nls. 81, &,
voluntary yagrant and the constitutional loafer T. Il
Azrs4e