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｛5｝ barely enough to keep them all alive； and； after the hardships
of the cold season； he was again in desperate straits for work。
〃The boss had all but agreed to take him on for some sort of
unskilled labor； when； struck by the cadaverous look of the man； he
told him to bare his arm。 Up went the sleeve of his coat and his
ragged flannel shirt； exposing a naked arm with the muscles nearly
gone； and the blue…white transparent skin stretched over sinews and
the outlines of the bones。 Pitiful beyond words was his effort to
give a semblance of strength to the biceps which rose faintly to the
upward movement of the forearm。 But the boss sent him off with an
oath and a contemptuous laugh； and I watched the fellow as he turned
down the street； facing the fact of his starving family with a
despair at his heart which only mortal man can feel and no mortal
tongue can speak。〃
Concerning habitat； Mr。 Jacob Riis has stated that in New York City；
in the block bounded by Stanton； Houston； Attorney； and Ridge
streets； the size of which is 200 by 300； there is a warren of 2244
human beings。
In the block bounded by Sixty…first and Sixty…second streets； and
Amsterdam and West End avenues； are over four thousand human
creatures；quite a comfortable New England village to crowd into
one city block。
The Rev。 Dr。 Behrends； speaking of the block bounded by Canal；
Hester； Eldridge； and Forsyth streets； says： 〃In a room 12 by 8 and
5。5 feet high； it was found that nine persons slept and prepared
their food。 。 。 。 In another room； located in a dark cellar； without
screens or partitions； were together two men with their wives and a
girl of fourteen； two single men and a boy of seventeen； two women
and four boys；nine； ten； eleven； and fifteen years old；fourteen
persons in all。〃
Here humanity rots。 Its victims； with grim humor； call it 〃tenant…
house rot。〃 Or； as a legislative report puts it： 〃Here infantile
life unfolds its bud； but perishes before its first anniversary。
Here youth is ugly with loathsome disease； and the deformities which
follow physical degeneration。〃
These are the men and women who are what they are because they were
not better born； or because they happened to be unluckily born in
time and space。 Gauged by the needs of the system； they are weak
and worthless。 The hospital and the pauper's grave await them； and
they offer no encouragement to the mediocre worker who has failed
higher up in the industrial structure。 Such a worker； conscious
that he has failed； conscious from the hard fact that he cannot
obtain work in the higher employments； finds several courses open to
him。 He may come down and be a beast in the social pit； for
instance； but if he be of a certain caliber； the effect of the
social pit will be to discourage him from work。 In his blood a
rebellion will quicken； and he will elect to become either a felon
or a tramp。
If he have fought the hard fight he is not unacquainted with the
lure of the 〃road。〃 When out of work and still undiscouraged； he
has been forced to 〃hit the road〃 between large cities in his quest
for a job。 He has loafed； seen the country and green things；
laughed in joy； lain on his back and listened to the birds singing
overhead； unannoyed by factory whistles and bosses' harsh commands；
and； most significant of all； HE HAS LIVED！ That is the point！ He
has not starved to death。 Not only has he been care…free and happy；
but he has lived！ And from the knowledge that he has idled and is
still alive； he achieves a new outlook on life； and the more he
experiences the unenviable lot of the poor worker； the more the
blandishments of the 〃road〃 take hold of him。 And finally he flings
his challenge in the face of society； imposes a valorous boycott on
all work； and joins the far…wanderers of Hoboland； the gypsy folk of
this latter day。
But the tramp does not usually come from the slums。 His place of
birth is ordinarily a bit above； and sometimes a very great bit
above。 A confessed failure； he yet refuses to accept the
punishment； and swerves aside from the slum to vagabondage。 The
average beast in the social pit is either too much of a beast； or
too much of a slave to the bourgeois ethics and ideals of his
masters； to manifest this flicker of rebellion。 But the social pit；
out of its discouragement and viciousness； breeds criminals； men who
prefer being beasts of prey to being beasts of work。 And the
mediocre criminal； in turn； the unfit and inefficient criminal； is
discouraged by the strong arm of the law and goes over to trampdom。
These men； the discouraged worker and the discouraged criminal；
voluntarily withdraw themselves from the struggle for work。
Industry does not need them。 There are no factories shut down
through lack of labor； no projected railroads unbuilt for want of
pick…and…shovel men。 Women are still glad to toil for a dollar a
week； and men and boys to clamor and fight for work at the factory
gates。 No one misses these discouraged men； and in going away they
have made it somewhat easier for those that remain。
So the case stands thus： There being more men than there is work
for men to do； a surplus labor army inevitably results。 The surplus
labor army is an economic necessity； without it； present society
would fall to pieces。 Into the surplus labor army are herded the
mediocre； the inefficient； the unfit； and those incapable of
satisfying the industrial needs of the system。 The struggle for
work between the members of the surplus labor army is sordid and
savage； and at the bottom of the social pit the struggle is vicious
and beastly。 This struggle tends to discouragement； and the victims
of this discouragement are the criminal and the tramp。 The tramp is
not an economic necessity such as the surplus labor army； but he is
the by…product of an economic necessity。
The 〃road〃 is one of the safety…valves through which the waste of
the social organism is given off。 And BEING GIVEN OFF constitutes
the negative function of the tramp。 Society； as at present
organized； makes much waste of human life。 This waste must be
eliminated。 Chloroform or electrocution would be a simple； merciful
solution of this problem of elimination； but the ruling ethics；
while permitting the human waste； will not permit a humane
elimination of that waste。 This paradox demonstrates the
irreconcilability of theoretical ethics and industrial need。
And so the tramp becomes self…eliminating。 And not only self！
Since he is manifestly unfit for things as they are； and since kind
is prone to beget kind； it is necessary that his kind cease with
him； that his progeny shall not be； that he play the eunuch's part
in this twentieth century after Christ。 And he plays it。 He does
not breed。 Sterility is his portion； as it is the portion of the
woman on the street。 They might have been mates； but society has
decreed otherwise。
An