The only remedy for the twentieth century tramp and habitual criminal is either to cure them, exile them or kill them. What shall it be? Perhaps the better and more humane method would be to colonize them until permanently reformed and cured. But while locked up they should be compelled to work for their living. The obstinate criminal is a dangerous character. He lives on crime; his hand is against every man, and naturally in the interest of self protection every man is against him. It can be said of the unreformed criminal what the frontier man says of the Indian—”dead Injun, good Injun.” Nor should petty thieves, paupers or tramps be allowed to go at large under any circumstances. They are social parasites and the State and city authorities should place them where they can be cured of their insane, lazy notions and made to work for a living or be permanently locked up. They have no more right to be at large than lepers or yellow fever patients, as they defile all with whom they come in contact. A well known prison authority told me a short time ago that hundreds of men and women in this city go and return from prison like the swinging of a pendulum, and they are hardly out of prison before they are back in the toils again. What shall be done with them? That is the question which our authorities are called upon to answer. The cost of crime in this city is enormous and, sad to say, is on the increase, and nothing is done to make our prison population share the expenses of their own keep; although it is well known that in deference to our Labor Leaders more than half the prisoners in the country are idle most of the time. We would suggest that the inmates of this colony be classified in the following manner. 1. The diseased. Segregate them by themselves in a charity hospital until cured. 2. The aged and infirm. Send them to the Almshouse. 3. The able-bodied criminal rounder. Lock him up till cured. It is dangerous to keep him at large. But make him work for his living. 4. The chronic tramp and idler. Lock him up and make him work for his living. 5. The habitual drunkard. This man should be confined in a hospital till cured, and afterwards put to work. ------------------------------------------------------------------------ CHAPTER XXXVII THE COST OF CRIME IN GREATER NEW YORK