Fort Worth daily gazette. (Fort Worth, Tex.) 1882-1891, 1890-09-08
STATE RANGER SERVICE.
Time 1t Was supplanted by More Elective
State Militia Organization.
ARLENE TEX. Sent & 1890

ABILENE, TEX, Sept. 3. 1890
To the Gazette.
Now that the candidates for the state
legislature are all before the people. it
might be well to discuss through the
press come of the needed legislation that
will claim the attention of the next rep
reseutative body. AS a policy the Demo-
cracy should strive to carry out what
they have always claimed: The
most effective service in all de-
partments of government for the
least money; economy in fact backed by
good judgment. The state of Texas has
for the Hast fifteen or more years sup
ported state ranger service at q consid-
able expense. This service in the past
has been necessity, at least until the
past year; but now under the militia
laws we have the state guard, composed
of the best material to be found, who
are subject to the commands of the state
executive at any time their services are
required. The volunteer guards,
or militia, are not Oh the pay rolls
of the state except when il actual SER
vice. They are so dispersed over the
state at present that company of them
can be placed at any point in the state
within twenty-four hours from date OF
orders and the public peace cam be en-
forced by them just as effectively as by
the state rangers. The volunteer guards
receive no pay from the state, but are
required to go into camp once year for
instruction. Is this not a hardship on
the patriotic young men OF our state? In
compliance with these requirements they
evince more patriotism than does our
state itself, and thus prove themselves
worthy of more favorable consideration
at the hands of the state. An appropri-
alton was made by the Twenty-first leg
islatuTe of some S25 900 or $50 600 for the
maintenance of the state ranger service.
This money is expended in the payment
of wages and for camp supplies to be
used by men who nine tenths of the time
are idle and loafing around the frontier
towns of the state while their wages and
expenses go steadily on. The time has
past when there is a necessity for this
regular service and the time for better
organization of q volunteer service avail
able when necessity demands it is upon
US. The state militia service under
proper encouragement from the state
government would soon be the pride of
our state. Let the state government
furnish them to the extent of paying for
tnelr uniforms RrnOry rent auQ paying
them for the tins when in actual service,
at state encamp Eents. One-fourth of
the amount necessary for the main
tenance of the state rangers will do all
OF this and will tend to encourage
the organization of other companies
and make q still more effective service.
This idea suggests itself from a thorough
knowledge of the conditions of the West
ern frontier aud the service of the state
rangers, and 1 shall be glad TO see the
Twenty legislature pass meas
ure doing away with the state ranger
service and making q handsome appro-
priation for the state militia, to be used
in making that body more effect, and
available when required in any part of
the state. A measure OF this kind would
meet the approval of large majority Of
Western Texas, where the demand for
state rangers has been greatest. The |
sheriffs Of Texas are fully able TO enforce |
the laws in any portion of the state, ex-
eept in cases of riot and strikes, at !
which times the volunteer guard could be |
called into service for such time as might |
be necessary TO restore peace.
RALoT.