The times dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1903-1914, 1904-09-06
Rural Protection.

Rural Protection.
We are gratiAed to observe that the sug--.
gestion recently made in these columns
that the rural districts OF the South should
s have better police attention is attracting
1 notice. In reply to q recent article In this
Il paper, We have received the following
communication:
I Editor OF The T1aes-Dis
Sir,-Your editorial Of the I'd, Quot7 x
X 'Citizen's" wise suggestions on the su b.
Il ject of Better Protection to Country
people and property is, timely Il beg you
Il to continue to invite the views Of Virgin
n ians as to this, In my opinion, the most
Important subject that bears now upon
the social and material good Of Virgin a.
You truthfully saygswe& need prevention
( OF crime and depredation-som me power
similar to your city police. Imagine your
city with no police force, only the Slaw1,
4 to punish criminals! OF course. the
country don't need such constant police
protection as a city,Abut does need some
legally authorized power to whom the
helpless can appeal for protection to per-
son and property-some one author
lied to halt, aS question and, If proper,
arrest suspicious characters The
truth cannot be denied that in
the country there is no protection
from assault and depreciation. That is,
" no one authorized to prevent 1t at all, and
the consequence Is that the larger por-.
+ ton OF yirginia's best people have moved
e to the cities, and their healthfM, valuable,
\ beautiful homes left TO thriftless tenants
and for sale at from $ to $40 per acre
& Why do you want to bury me? Is the
question the wife a SKIS her husband when
he mentions going to the country TO- i've
4 One cent per acre taxes would give us a
mounted patrol to scour he district ad
libitum,'' and would in a few years add
one dollar per acre to the val ue$ of very.
much OF Wirginia's land That S EShy
Virginia don't I'LL up. No country !, roa1 us
at all: no protection from assault and.
az trespass =. -,
fAshe Cake. Va.
AS sair in the previous article we
do not undertake to outline specific
II plan, but only to make suggestions Of a
4 general character. But we are convinced
that the counties OF Virginia and Of other
Southern States must eventually tax
themselves to provide the means OF, em-
ploying competent .polck force, Each
county should have a sufficient number
OF patrolmen to keep evil-doers In awe
trade. II citizens will volunteer and agree
to give their services for nothing, so
much the better. IT was customary in
other days for almost every town to have
volunteer fire brigade, and 1t may be
that citizens will volunteer in this SER
Mce Of protection. But Nwhether they vol
unteer or not, each and every couny
should have well-equipped and compe-
ent police force. and the sooner the bet
X ter. hi.
We have learned valuable lesson in
the matter OF protection from fire. We
have learned that the sensible thing to
, do Is TO use all the means at hand to
prevent fire. and those cities which COM
ply with the scientific regulations Of in
. surance companies get the lowest rate
OF insurance. We should apply tho same
principle in fighting the beast in human
form who prowls around and does mis-.
chief, We should employ all the means
possible to apprehend him in advance
and not wait until some horrible crime
has been committed and then metz ou
punishment.
When one Of these brutes has commit
ted a nameless crime men are only tot
willing to organize and search for hin
until they capture him, and | oftel
happens that they deal with them am
there without Judge or jury. How mucl
better II would be for men to use dill
gence in advance 10 prevent the crime
In great measure this can be accom-,
pllsl,ed With the right sort OF work an,
organization; j: may be expensive:
win certainly involve some addiliona
cost, but money could not be better ex
pended, Such movement would be 4
the interest OF safety, In the in
terest OF law order, II not 1
the interest Of economy. We verify be
lieye that It would be cheaper to expen
money in preventing crime than in ia
fees and expensive trials.
II is an intalely and Interesting an
important subject, and we should iii
81 to have II thoroughly discussed throuR
our columns
E{s -------rr-.--9----
One Beneficent War.
War Is horrible, and as the world b