The Findlay Jeffersonian. [volume] (Findlay, Hancock County, Ohio) 1870-1881, 1876-03-17
edge them by showing his willingness 70


be specially taxed to pike these roads for
the public good
But there are still further benefits ac-
cTuing TO A. by reason OF these roads,
and when he comes to pay his taxes, he
becomes painfully aware of it from the
fact that he finds them from 10 to 25
per cent. higher than neighbor B's.-
BIS farm intrinsicalIy is just as valuable
as As, but be does not pay as much tax
as a, by from 10 to 25 per cent, and
still enjoys the benefit of these roads,
but furnishes no ground for roads, but
on the contrary has his whole 100 acres
under lis own control and for his own
Use. is not compiled To keep up extra
fences fOI the benefit of the public, enjoys
comparative security from the moIesta-
tiOns of tramPs and peddlers, and lives in
secluded happiness from many public
annoyanees that \. is constantly harass-
ed with.
And yet Mr.. Brown would have a.
specially taxed for the improvement of
these reads, and liarps about ''the injus-
tice of compelling all to contribute, " etc.
o. consistency, thou art jewel. 1t is
admitted that all cannot be equally
benefited by this proposed improve
ment, =" but it is hot admitted that all
would be equally taxed, even by the pro-
posed plan, to improve our roads.
''The building of large edifice in
Findlay, AT the cost of 1900, 900, D." if pub
lie edilice in the shape of Court House
or Jail, might in no way directly benefit
many of US, and still it is pretty certain
that every tax payer in the county would
be compelled to contribute" according
to his ability. So this part of Mr..
Browns argument, if of any weight at
all, is against him. He says ''the bridge
iund is levied upon the entire county," :"
and yet there are tax payers in the coun-
ty that are not directly benefited by
any bridges. Still they are compelled
to contribute" to build bridges every
year.
If were not ac;uated by the purest
of motives in favOring this aggressive
measure" ;" and being in the best of hu-
NOR about it, might get huffy at the
sly innuendos of Mr.. b. and say he
ought to be ashamed" to impute to an
antagonist such motives as he has i'm
puted to me, for the sake of making a
point against this measure
am asked whether / favor the piking
of all our roads, or only or only a part of
them. / would say that am in favor
of anything within the bounds of reason
to extricate myself with all others from
the deplorable condition in which we
are by reason of our miserable mud
roads. 1t would not be judicious to un-
dertake to pike all our roads at once, but
there must be a beginning somewhere,
and know of no better place to begin
at than just where it is needed the most,
and that point is at the termini of the
pixies already started and radiating from
Findlay, then keep extending on the
main roads first, and finally finishing up
on such as are not travelled so much.
Mr.. b. asks me to tell what is included
in the term Heading roads," etc.
would say that | don't know what he
includes i'll that term, for it is no term
of mine, but his own. But if he wishes
70 know where our main roads begin
ard end, can tell him. The majority
of them begin at Findlay and end at the
county line, and every mile of them
ought to be piked from one end to the
other, and will further say they aoiU
be piked, but not till the shor' sighted
policy referred to in a former article,
shall give way to something more liber-
al and progressive.
Bnt, if the proposed plan will not suit
the opponents of improved roads, am
willing they shall have the benefit of any
other they may be able to suggest, but
let US build good roads and get ourselves
out of the mud, and we will thereby put
money in our pockets and honor on our
heads, so that we need not be ashamed
to have strangers come among us and be
roproaciIed by our children, when we are
gone, for our lack of taste and enter
prise in this direction.
The plan of each township piking its
own ronds being now under discussion,
We shall see what the opponents of the
two mill proposition have TO say for this.
Mr.. Brown, being their mouth piece, will
be so kind as to tell us whether this
plan will suit them; whether they think
it at all feasible, and If so whether they
consider it equitable, in short tell us in
plain English whether you are for, or
against, improved roads. Thus far you
have advanced no good reason for your
opposition 20 these improvements, ex-
cept the one Of expense, and that is no
reason at all, unless you can prove that
the resulting benefits would not be COM
mensurate with the expense / hope
you will view this matter from an impair
tial standpoint, and then give your can
did conclusion, aud stop wasting time
and paper in picking flaws and invent
ing ilimsy excuses. G.. w. p.