Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1931-05-22
A New Vagrancy Law.

For many years the police officials
have urged a new vagrancy law, en-
abling them to round up and bring into
court members of that vast army OF
suspicious characters" against whom
there is no other tangible evidence OF
law violation. The same sort Of law has
been enacted by some of the States. 1t
undoubtedly gives the police something
to fall back upon when other cause for
action is lacking.
The latest bill, introduced by Senator
Capper, made little progress at the
Capitol. It was generally criticized be-
cause It night be abused and innocent
persons suffer. The bill does go pretty
far. It uses the common law definition
of vagrant as starting point, and
writes new one that could cover nearly
everything under the sun. All persons
known to be burglars, pickpockets,
thieves, confidence operators unable
to give a good account of themselves,
found lettering in or around any place
of public resort or assembly, or upon
any highway, or in any place of bust
ness or entrance thereto :. all persons
who do not have sufficient means to
maintain themselves or themselves and
their families, and who live idly and
without employment, and who are able
to work and refuse to work all per-
sons, not insane, who wander in and
about or lodge in market houses. market
places, wharves, docks, depots, in public
buildings, vacant houses, outhouses,
barracks, barns, sheds, cars, or in any
open place without having any lawful
occupation Any person, over the
age of twenty-one years, able to work
and who does not work, and has no
property sufficient for his support, and
has not some visible and known means
of a fair, honest and reputable livelihood"
all these are Migrants under the pro-
posed law, and subject to imprisonment
for ninety days. The court is permitted
to exercise necessary discretion in the
acceptance of personal bond, etc.
OF course, the proposed law is as
broad as the ocean. It has to be to give
the police the authority they now lack,
and the need for which, on occasion, is
most evident. And Of course. it is pos
sible for anybody to sit down and pick
it to pieces by raising the question Of
all the dreadful things that might hap
pen If the police and the courts went
crazy. And, Of course, it is always nee
essary to study carefully every proposed
law in order that traditional guarantees
Of personal liberty viii not be destroyed.
But If the police need such weapon
as a new vagrancy law to safeguard the
vast majority Of peaceable and law
abiding citizens. it is the duty Of our
legislators, no matter what pressure Of
other work confronts them, to sit down
and fashion such a weapon. The rea-
son Washington lacks adequate legisla-
ton to deal with gun-to:ers, phony Sc
curity dealers, rascals in the real estate
field and the class of potential GRIM
inals represented under the broad term
Of vagrancy Is not because such laws
1nterpcse constitutional objections, or
that they are not favored In principle
by honest citizens. It is because those
who possess the exclusive power to make
the laws have such hard time finding
the time to do It. The threat of pos
sible objection CT an impending con-
troyersy is sometimes enough to choke
o bill TO death as soon as it is born.