The Jeffersonian. [volume] (Atlanta, Ga.) 1907-1917, 1911-12-14
PAGE TWELVE
"Farm- Life Conditions i'm the
South
CONCLUDED FROM PAGE NINE.)
CONCLUDED FROM PAGE NINE.)


Protestant churches were seen falling into de-
cav, or abandoned long since to bats and brick
bats. In one village the investigators found
two disused Protestant churches, one active
Catholic church, and fourteen saloons, all
within the distance of quarter of mile
In another town they found a Presbyterian
church used as barn, a Baptist church aban-
doned, two Methodist churches almost ex-
tinct, and Baptist seminary used as a Cath
Ollie church; while on the Erie canal for eight
miles were found scattered hamlets containing
altogether considerable population with no
religious services Of any kind from one years
end to another. And the report states that
these five counties are fairly representative of
the rural districts of New York state
''Similar studies have since been made of
country-life conditions in all the New Eng
land states, in Ohio and Pennsylvania, and re-
Gently in the State of Illinois. Rev M B
McNutt reported last July to the Rural Life
Conference in lansing Mich. that there were
ten thousand dead rural churches in Illinois;
ten thousand more about to die; and five hun
dred already Abandoned"
Isn't that fearful state of things?
We Protestants maintain 10000 schools in
foreign lands, to say nothing Of the thousands
of missionaries and churches; yet according
to Prof. Branson, every one of those schools
are needed right here at home. And where
could missionary workers find fields that SO
grievously need them?
Prof. Branson proceeds to demonstrate that
similar conditions prevail in the South.
Taking up the subject of the growing pow
erty among the country people, he says:
''Decreosing Farm Oacnershap and Increas-
eng Tenancy And this leads me to say that
other economic cause is threatening the use
fulneSS OF the country church, even its very
existence. 1t is the steadily decreasing ratio
of farms occupied and titled by the men that
own them. The increase of landless farmers
IN Georgia is alarming. In 1900, three Of ev-
cry five farms in our state were cultivated by
tenants; in 1910 the ratio was two in every
three; IN forty-fve counties, seven in every
ten; In fourteen counties, eight in every ten :;
and IN one county, nine IN every ten.
Imagine, ii you can. the social outlook for
farm civilization in sixty of our counties
where seven or more farmers in every ten are
landless and homeless. And the problem is
further complicated by the fact that this pop-
ulation is transient, for the most part They
are brief sOiourners in the community. In the
best communities. the entire tenant popula-
ton changes almost wholly every three years
Upon an average, IN the entire South three
of every four renters move every year to new
places in other neighborhoods or counties.
"But the dwindling ratio of farm and
home-ownership is not peculiar to Georgia.
1t is true of almost every state in the Union.
In 1900, almost exactly one-half of all the
people of the United States were landess and
homeless, and the number of those that have
no stake in the land grows alarningly greater
from decade to decade"
Professor Branson then mentions the pitt
fully small salaries paid to country preachers.