Elko independent. [volume] (Elko, Nev.) 1915-current, 1915-08-10
WHO Is TO BLAME
FOL THE TRAMPSY

ONE DAY last week the press dis
patches contained the news that two
tramps were being guarded in Jail up
In Oregon. A woman, the wife Of a
railway superintendent, had been
found In the road bound and gagged
and In a critical condition.
This Is a sad state of affairs. No
community is safe from a crime of
this sort. Tramps pass through Elko
by the hundreds. At Battle Noun
tain n day last week rs tramps got
aboard a freight.
The train conductor told them to get
on and ride, all hat wanted to go
east. The Southern Pacific is helping
to move these tramps out of the state.
There Is no work in Nevada for them
and men are wanted back in the mid
die west for the harvest. Twenty
from this n train stopped wei in
Elko.
These tramps are becoming a great
menace. Some of them are profess
sional and wont work. But all are a
source Of evil to the state. They
breed crime. disease and poverty. No
woman is safe from assault while
these nomads roam the country. Your
wife, your daughter. may be the next
victim.
Who is to blame for all this? Is
there no remedy? We have piled up
in this country zoo billions in wealth.
When we had half Of that sum we had
no tramps. When we get 400 billions
Of wealth will we also double the num-
Der Of tramps?
Europe has already spent some ten
billions OF dollars in a war that is
a result OF economic conditions. This
vast expenditure is made to find a So
luton to its problems. But Europe
at least has no tramps at the pres
ent time. The war gives employment
TO all its people.
Must the United States get into war
before it can find employment for it's
citizens? This country could spend
all that the war is costing Europe and
still hardly feel the burden. We paid
out half a billion dollars on the Pana-
ma canal and it was only by reading
1t In the press that we knew we had
carried such burden
How. much better ii would be for
this country to set aside q half billion
or n billion dollars and get rid of the
tramps. Put them in asylums or hos
pitfalls or penitentiaries but do not let
them roam broadcast over the land
beating their way on the railroads and
begging people blind.
In San Francisco meetings are be-
ing held and two plans are suggested
to cure unemployment One is to en-
list the men in the army and navy.
The other is for the government to
spend a large sun building roads.
But nothing is likely to come of this
movement and for this reason. We
have a government of politicians. And
we will always have bad government
as long as the politicians run it.
There are many problems of govern
ment that need solution but no politi-
clan will ever solve them. The only
aim Of a politician is to elect himself
% office. He never asks is this right,
but will 1t get the votes?
Elko has two substantial banks.
But whoever stops to ask II the d.
rectors OF those banks are republicans
or democrats? What would become
Of those banks II the cashier or the
president had to be elected on a po-
litical platform?
Those bank officials are given their
positions because they are business
men and not politicians. And in the
same way we should choose business
men for congress. If we had q con-
Bress OF business men this tramp evil
would not last for a single year.
Great as is the tramp evil the men.
ace Of the politician Is still greater.
But how shall we get rid of the poll
ticians? The answer is simple. Every
man who asks to be sent to congress
or makes a campaign for the office
should be sent instead to an asylum
or a penitentiary.
California has already made a start
to do away with the politician. A law
was passed by the last legislature for.
bidding party designations on the
state ticket. Tho law has been refer.
red to the people and comes up at the
next election. II is a beginning in the
right direction and should be ratified.