The Opelousas journal. [volume] (Opelousas, La.) 1868-1878, 1872-08-31
The Pnblic Road Law.

Mr.. EDlToR-Is it not strange at this time,
when the cry Of reform is heard from every
party i'll regard to what has been done for the
last few years III the State Legislature, not one
has raised his voice yet against one Of our par
ish laws, (the most perniciousI, which was in
vigor many years before 1868. We refer to the
public road law of this parish, which we con-
slider unjust, arbitrary, unconstitutional and in
effective.
We consider it unjust, because it subjects q GER
tain class Of people to work on the public road,
whilst another class equally interested in their
improvements are exempt.
We consider it arbitrary, because it gives au-
thOrity to individuals, which should only belong
under martial law and a military government. |
We consider it unconstitutional, because it
imposes a tax of twelve days work on A, who is
forty years old, whilst B who is forty
five is exempt. Twelve days in one year! Now,
who can tell us the value of these twelve daystO
hard working farmer2 Who will tell their
value to a poor labOrer, who has but his two
arms, to provide his own and fam1y's daily
brcad7 In two or three days Il farmer may
lose his crop; III two or three days lie may save
it; no consistent farmer will deny this fact.
Then if he is forged out Of his field for three,
Ave, eight or twBlve days. at the moment his
crop should be worked, what will become OF
it? The fruits of a whole years toll may be
lost within that time
According to some minds it matters not at
whose expense the system is kept up, provided
they have nothing to pay, which is as much ia
for one TO say:
What in the name of Luciferd do I care whether
my neighbor and his family have to do ten,
twelve days OF a month without bread! Whether
he has to steal to provide ,'bsistence for his
family! Whether he is sent to the penitentiary
Tor four or five years and his family left to
| starvc, provided I have enough to throw away,
! and our good law makers spare q few dollars to
my pocket!
The fact Of the law having been enacted by a
legislative body Of this parish, having not yet
been protested, and the Bthbb0rnness with
which some of it's partisans hold to it, go far to
prove its endorsement by a large part Of the
citizens Of this parish. Some say: How shall we
do should the system be changed2 The taxes
are already heavy and they wOuldsbe increased;
a great many people travel the roads and pay
no taxes; we could not stand that! Is there
any wisdom or charity in such arguments We
doubt very much; we see none. For example,
if A is forty years old and the owner OF five
thousand dollars worth Of taxable property, at
the actual rate of taxation, the taxes on his
property would be about two hundred dollars,
and twelve days road work ut one and Il half
dollars Il day would bring the amount Of his
taxes TO two hundred and eighteen dollars
whilst i, who OWNS the same amount Of taxable
property, but is not guilty Of being under forty
five years of age, pays only two hundred dol
llars. Is it fair3 Charge one nne per cent more
taxes than another simply because he is a few
years younger Is there more wisdom in the
above case, than there is in making a poor hard
working man who owns nothing, pay eighteen
dollars and upwards Of taxes in a year9
If it is hard for a property holder to pay fou1
per cent taxes on the value of his property, how
b ia it on a DOOR laborer who earns each day hut
his own and family's daily bread, to sacrifice
twelve days of that bread to improve a road fol
which he may have no earthly uses
We consider it ineffective and we cannot ex
pect to have good roads by its provisions. II
J. some places where the work is slight and re
quires a short time to perform it, it may do wei
? enough; but on those sections that are so bad al
to require from six to twelve days work i'll
year, it is next to an impossibility to getefficien
work done, it requires a large body OF labOrer
2 to perform the work, and We consider it al
: easier task to bring q large company of raw
/ recruits in support of Il doubtful cause, into
! hot battle in good order, than it is for q roa'
: oyerseer to get efficient work from a large bod!
of road lab0rers.
We cannot and should not expect to hay
I good roads under the present system, and it is
! notorious fact that a good many people from
! other States have come to this parish toexalnin
"a the country, intending to purchase farm lam
and settle in the parishif suited, were suited /
every respect with the nature and aspect of tn
country, but they would not settle, they sale
on account Of the abominable condition Of til
roads. asen -s.
1t is another notorious fact, that flrst-class Il
IT borers employed on farms in this parish to III
n q crop, upon being summoned to work On tn
l. public roads, left their crops, and the parish
saying they would not live in n community wheE
10 such laws existed.
Why should we maintain q Law which sunius
arbitrary, unconstitutional and inefectiyea +.
a And why should we maintain n law whie
e drives and keeps away capital and labor, whe
ID both are so much in needs
III We have endeavored to demonstrate in Il
Il shortest and plainest way, the injustice an
er weakness of this law. 1t is in our judgment
I we may be greatly mistaken and wrong;
h. that case we would willingly acknowledge OIL
le errors. should it be conclusively demonstrate
ne to us that We are wrong. But should we not
or wrong, it would be a great satisfaction to US
at see our representatives to the General Assemb
b, take the matter in hand and have a more equl
of able system established, but they should not t.
ng to cure the measles with the smallpox, 1.
es they should not replace a bad law by a wor
IN one, as our parish legislators have done.
rs AUREL ARNAUD.
&C Gros Chevreuil Prairie, August 26, 1872
d, 81