Atlanta semi-weekly journal. (Atlanta, Ga.) 1898-1920, 1902-11-13
lie PROPOSED RURAL PoLIcE.

One of the most interesting measures
that has been proposed at thisssession of
the legislature Is the bill by Hon. r. B.
Blackburn, Of Fulton, to establish a patrol
system in every county in Georgia, or,
in other words, rural police system.
Mr.. Blackburn's idea, OF course, is that
thoroughly organized force. of rural
police would go far toward keeping down
some OF the revolving crimes that are now
altogether too frequent. The knowledge
that the rural districts have police pro-
lection would. he Believes, deter many a
vicious person, and. certainly, it would
cause Offenders 70 be more easily appre-
hended.
Mr.. Blackburn Bill has received a very
strong endorsement from no less source
than the Baltimore Manufacturers
Record, paper that has always taken
an aetive interest III the material welfare
of the south The Record says Of it: :.
con another pase of this weeks issue
of the Manufacturers. Record is pub
Iished a succinct statement by Hon. R.
B. Blackburn, a member of the Georgia
assembly, explaining the purposes of the
bill which he has Introduced for the estab-
lishment of a state patrol in Georgia
AS already Indicated in these columns,
this measure is one of the most practical
and far-reaching introduced into south
ern legislative body in recent years. Mr..
Blackburn's statement only strengthens
the opinion based upon first knowledge
of the measure. For the good OF Georgia
and for the good of the south. following
Georgia's example. 1t is hoped that tho
measure may promptly become effective
law" 4t
The bill -proposesAto vest the appointing
power in the grand juries of the several
counties, and provides that seven citi-
zeris shall be named from each militia
district as patrolmen.
These patrolmen are to serve for twelve
months, and are to be excluded from road
duty during their respective terms, and
are to be compensated from the insolventl
cost fund of the state in manner and
form as is now provided for the pay OF
deputy sheriffs for the performance of
similar duties.
They will be subject to the call Of a
captain selected from their own number,
and shall be clothed with police powers,
it being prescribed that they shall patrol
their respective districts and arrest all
profigate, idle and suspicious persons,
and see that all such persons as may be
classed as Migrants shall be dealt with
as the law against vagrancy provides.
In explaining the purposes of his bill,
Mr.. Blackburn says:
Gin a word, the proposed measure de-
clares war on that class of criminals
known as Migrants, and offers to him who
works the safe enjoyment of all that he
earns.
with this patrol system in operation
many of the horrors incident to life III
the country will be dissipated; in fact,
nearly all crime starts in idleness. Let
him who is without means begin to idle,
and it is but a short step to the lane that
leads to every known vice and crime, and
the system that checks idleness saves the
citizen from this menace to his personal
and property rights, and this law, prop
.erly enforced, will eventually drive the
vagrant from our state"
The Journal has not studied the measure
sufficiently to be able to give it it's un-s
qualified endorsement, but it can see that
there is much merit in Mr.. Blackburn's
idea. 1t is, at least, to be hoped the
legislature will give it serious considera--
ton. There is no doubt of the fact that.
a remedy ought to be found for present
conditions. e