The Bennington evening banner. (Bennington, Vt.) 19??-1961, 1914-04-18
Rural Lawlessness

nifty for Improvement. Nermonters
have not been ready TO believe that
the truth Is so bad as has been pic
tured, and probably justly 50. Per
haps the critics have restored 10 the
tactics OF over-emphasis so that they
would be listened 10. This Is a part
OF the undertaking art which has
now lost its cunning. and the people
will pay attention TO the facts and
ignore the added inaccuracies.
Il isn't TO be expected that the
back districts in any OF the New Eng
land states are much different from
these existing In the sister common
wealths. Therefore, Il is not uninter
esting 10 consider letter written 10
The Springfield Republican by one
who has lived In the back towns"
but who has retained the standard o.
comparison used In the more congest
ed districts. This man. prefacing his
remarks by saying that his obserya.
tions are the fruit OF 20 years OF lly-
ing in the back country OF Massachu-
sets. declares that the main reason
for the diminishing OF agricultural
production and decrease OF popula-
ton In rural New England is the fail
ure to provide proper police protee-
tion lie states his proposition in
part rs follows:
Il own two farms there OF 400
acres OF as fne land as can be found
anywhere in New England. and tho
main cause OF the rapid decline OF
the value OF that property and the
loss OF population in that section is
the absolute disregard OF the state
OF Massachusetts OF the rights Of the
people OF such sections to a fairly adj
equate police protection. When /
come to look back upon my 20 years
residence in that section | am as
founded at the record of the states
neglect OF so large a section Of its ter
ritory and people. Earnest appeals
from the people OF that section
brought generally some sarcastic re-
spouse or no response at all. or II
thieves or desperadoes were convict
ed the sentences imposed were so RI
diculously light as only to be laugh
ed at by the convicted. and even
these light sentences were in most
cases shortened by pardon, leaving
the criminal to return triumphant TO
his old haunts to get even with
those who testified against him. and
to Immediately resume stealing and
threatening the community with shot
gun and revolver
zone villain varied his stealing
with assaulting schoolgirls on the
way to school. He got a short SEN
tence, and was soon back again at
his old tricks; fortunately for us he
crossed the Connecticut state line
and tried the game. and for some
years now he has been in Wethers-
field prison. Connecticut protects its
citizens. Massachusetts appears to
be most inclined to protect its Grim
inals and let its citizens go without
protection. have lived with my
family in ireland and-in England in
the back country, also in Canada.
and in some OF our Western states in
the rural districts. In all OF those
places my family felt safe because
police protection gave us confidence,
but in Massachusetts in the back
country there is practically no protec
ton; no wonder women and children
do not feel safe there and urge to
move away where they do feel safe.
This is not my individual view
whole communities would confirm
what state"
The Republican puts enough faith
in the letter to call its readers at
tention to it and to discuss the mat
ter editorially. What Vermonters
are interested in is. Does this state
offer a parallel picture in its back
districts? Are there rural oommuni-
ties in Vermont where "criminality
makes itself feared and is not ade-
quately suppressed" Does the farm
err get the right sort of protection.
Are the constables alert and force
full in the discharge of their duties ?
These are pertinent questions if
what the critics Of Vermonts rural
back hill districts say is in any sub
stantial measure correct. In order
to present such picture as they
have painted there must be open and
frequent violation of the law. Are
the proper efforts made to enforce
the law? Is crime condoned in the
country that is punished in the city?
Has the time come when the state
must save these hill towns from
themselves? The Messenger cannot
subscribe 10 the belief that condi-
ditions are so bad as they have been
pictured, but it feels that there is am
pie warrant for concern and thinks
ii would be more to the point to face
the situation boldly than to shrug
our shoulders and pass by on the 9th
err side-St Adams Messenger.
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