Yorkville enquirer. [volume] (Yorkville, S.C.) 1855-2006, 1908-09-22
SECURITY ON THE FARM.
There Is Great Need For an Efficient
system of Rural Police.

System Of Rural Police.
Bishop Warren A. Gambler in Atlanta
Journal:
It is of the utmost Importance that
Georgia encourage her people to live
in the country and cultivate their farms
the interests of the state, from highest
to lowest, suffer.
Material interests suffer, for when
the tides of population set toward The
town the tendency is to draw away
from the farms the most intelligent
classes and leave in the rural districts
the least capable people who stay be-
hind because they cannot get away
riorates agriculture.
But higher things than soils and
crops suffer. The country school Is
damaged The number of pupils being
reduced, the reward of the teacher is
proportionately diminished, and the
best teachers cannot be had.
The country church also suffers
And that means the ministry Is de-
pleted; for city churches produce few
preachers, and when the churches OF
the rural districts are not prosperous
religion suffers in both town and
country. Whatever may or may not
be true of other countries, it is a fact
in the United States that the rural
churches are the strongholds Of Chris
tianity
For these and other reasons it is i'm
portant to encourage the people to
live in the country, and it is good
omen for the future that conditions in
the rural regions of the south have
greatly improved during the last ten
years. While the movement cityward
has not been wholly arrested, it is not
nearly so strong as it was some years
ago.
Rural schools have improved, and
are still improving.
Rural free delivery of mails has also
done much for the Improvement OF
country life. Papers and books are
circulated as never before. The schools
tend to create thirst for reading, and
rural free delivery does much to satisfy
that thirst. The country people read
more and know more than ever before
in the history Of our southern section
The politicians will do well to note this
fact. Fooling the people is a much
more difficult thing than formerly, and
every year it will become more diff
cult.
The long distance telephone also Is
penetrating the country. While I was
at a campmeeting some weeks ago
heard an intelligent and prosperous
young farmer telephoning from his
tent to his county town. That meant
much. He is in touch with the great
outside world without having to live
in it. He is in speaking distance with
it, and yet escapes much of its con-
taminating influence.
But there is one more thing needed
to make rural life in Georgia and the
south inviting. Rural police for the
safety Of the women and children Is
needed. 1t would cost something to
provide such protection, but 1t would
be worth far more than it would cost
If men felt that their families would
be absolutely safe while they were
away from their homes toiling in the
fields, many would engage in agricul-
ture who do not now seek that noble
vocation.
guards are scattered throughout the
rural districts, and, despite their faults
they are a great safeguard to homes OF
the country people.
Two or three mounted officers In
each militia district would be an un-
speakable comfort to our country peo-
pie. The very fact that there were
such officers about would prevent much
disorder They would forestall far
more crime than they would be called
on to punish Vicious tramps and
brutal negroes would be held in whole
some fear. Illicit sale Of intoxicants
would be rendered too unsafe to be
profitable, and that hateful menace tc
the safety of women and children In
the country would be effectually put
away. Now one Of the most diabolical
results of liquor selling falls on the
people in the country, because they are
without adequate protection by officers
Of the law.
Until some such defense Of the rural
home is provided much that has been
done to make country life attractive
will go for nought. Good roads, good
schools, rural free delivery Of mails
and the long distance telephone have
done much; but without the added ad-
vantage of security to the home they
will fall short Of making agriculture as
inviting as it should be and as it would
be if men felt their wives and children
were perfectly safe while they were alb
sent in the fields.
Moreover the convict questions would
be less perplexing If we had rural po-
lice. Crime would be diminished and
criminals would not be so abundant
Incurably criminal men would not be
inclined to tarry in a state where they
would be so easily overtaken and ar
rested in their misdeeds. If we had
mounted officers moving daily through
out the rural districts we would not
need so many wardens and whipping
bosses to run our penal system.
The increase in land-values conse-
quent upon increased security in ruraI
life would go far towards providing the
taxes required to pay for rural police.
If then our country people would
adopt more generally the plan Of viii
lage farming, we would have almost
ideal conditions. Our farmers live toe
far from each other 1t is better to
go two miles to ones work than to
live two miles from ones neighbor. In
no other country in the world Is farm
ing life so isolated as it is in the south
Neither in Europe nor Asia is such the
case. Farmers live in villages and
hamlets in those lands, and they are
thus of mutual protection and pleasure
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