The times dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1903-1914, 1904-09-02
q n n h "a ~ n. u
eous society and should be rest ftct.

Y It might he we'll for the y pres on To
have a committee OF home pr otectlOn9
Ii, each maeisterial district or voting
Precinct, to whom report might be mode
OF Iilsoitlerly persons, Migrants, etc
and who would see that the law, II my
for such cases. is enforced or take
steps they might deem hes.iE
for the public cool. The fact that such
"a committee exist would Itself have
a good effect. This plan might 10 abused
III some few Instances, but the remedy
would not likely be worse than the dis
ease, and Y might prevent worse abuses
of the law. 81 z IA !.
4 would like to see tho wnole matter
discussed In the papers, that we rasy.
geo what Is best to be done. True, this
Is presidential year, but the first dut?
o. the men OF ourscountty Is to tli- de-
fenceless members OF their families. Tile
conduct OF class Of our people las s:e-
come 4unbearable. A stop must be Pvt
to II IN some way; and while rilde,t
measures should be used han they have
BEEN, we must do something Else with
those who will not be Reached by them.
Surely some Just laws can b. devised
which will greatly help to limit tile
evil referred to, II they are rig ILL., Ell
forced. To neglect this will be = wrong
tic all parties concerned. lAliaES.
In the cities large sums OF n,sr, i, y sre
expended each year for police pro.ec-
ton, and the prime object Of 4 police
force is to prevent crime rather than
to arrest crimlnas and bring them to
justice. That is the whole theory of tito
law. The law. does not punish criminals.
In spirit OF revenge, but as means
OF warning others to refrain from crime.
AS our correspondent 1 says, we pay too
much attention to the punishment OF
The criminal and too little 70 tho pre-
ventlon OF crime. I. T4s
In rural districts there should be 2
sufficient and well-equipped police fofc'.,,
always ready for work ana always OH.
the alert. our correspondent suggests
that there might b y II. each community
il vigilance commit &c. That would do
good, but there would be danger that
such committee would take the law
into Its own hands, and mob Nio.cnce Is
no cure for lawlessness. Yet there is
a practical thought to us In the sus--
gestion which our correspondent makes.
1T seems to us that II would be most
desirable for a number Of citizens II In
each community to volunteer ana offer
their services to the government as Pc
5cial policemen without charge. In this
way the members Of the vigilnnce COM
ln,ittee would BE officers OF the law, wc,ild
be authorized to make arrests and br1ng,f
criminals to justice. Yet the mere fact
that they were clothed W n tho
authority OF law and were representa-
ftwes Of the law. would have the effect
TO make them conservative anu to pre-s
vent them from rting to any sort
o. mob violence. In other langua -. It.
seems to us that the need in the rural
districts IS for policemen who vii, look
out for the criminal and apprehend ham
and bring him into the court HOT for
on impromptu court to try and punish
criminals when n apprehended. With H a.
large and SUFFICIENT police tUrel. such
as we have suggested. in each rural
district crime you'd be reduced TO q
minimum and there would be- feeling
% safety among the men, women and
children which would more than con't,eii-.
safe for any ex penditure Of effort OIL the
.parto the citizens constitutir the force.
It would require sacrifice. but the Sit
uation demands sacrifice. Thsies M st h.t
some means Of protecting s.he 4 FENCE
less women Of zthes South from: the beasts
who prowl around and keepsithen: In
mortal terror. It is not enough - CO tch5
the beast and Stay him after lie .,-irle
las been committed; the need or the
5times&fs for some sure means OF pre-
venting the beast from comm3tt..: his
acts OF deyiltry. 81
4 We do not mean to outline q denn;.e$
plan. but to make general sug gektlon,
the details Of which may be worked,
out by those who understand the situ-
alton. Ii "a q
fsy4 E6f5} =--=----=-=hP } 80 SgSss53
A correspondent Of the News Leader
calls attention to the condition OF the
grass in the plot around the Lee monu-
.ment. Tho plot has been Enclosed by an
iron railing, the stand OF grass is first.
rate, and. With attention. could DO made
a beauty-spot. AS 1t Is. the entire situa-
ton Is picture Of neglect and is an
offense TO every admirer Of General Lee
We hope that this reminder Will be al
that is necessary to bring the desired
result :6 Eiti5, 7. Is
e. -t ia Il z
89 We arc distressed to hear Of the death
OF Judge Isaac n. Christian, Of Charles
City county. He was o fine old Virginia
gentleman, high-mindcd, chivalrous and
patriotic, He was aiman5iof Influence
in his community, and his influence was
always exerted for good. HeFwas a rood
friend OF this newspaper, and we are
indebted to him for much kind and valu-
able service (
Esssi ,3{lR --=------ %ss3t el53$s,
"A correspondent writing from Manila
says: wild chickens are everywhere In
the Philippines and watermelons grow
wild In every province We have a suspi-
cion that the correspondent is In the Sc
cret service OF some immigration society