The Morristown gazette. [volume] (Morristown, Tenn.) 1867-1920, 1877-06-27
About Roads.

As soon as the crops are laid by TIT
present season, the people all over Eas
Tennessee should turn their attention tC
the public roads of the country. The
last Legislature failed to pass any law
providing for making good roads, but
this failure should not deter or even dis
courage the people who are interested
in this matter and in whose hands the
whole subject rests at last. A general
spirit of enterprise among the men in
every neighborhood and willingness to
work few days for the public good,
will accomplish great deal even with
4 out road law. Let some energetic,
public-spirited man in each civil district,
as soon as wheat harvest is over and
corn laid by, take the level, go round
among the people, set his day for work,
invite the young men to join him, de-
| signate the roads to be repaired, take
hold with an earnest determination to
accomplish something, and the result
viii be astonishing.
All works of general improvement
must originate among the people. A
law upon the statute-bOok is dead
letter, unless it is sustained and APP
proved by popular sentiment, hence the
right way to get at this matter of max
ing good roads in our county is for the
common people to begin the enterprise,
get the work under way and then call
upon the Legislature to come forward
and perfect or finish the work by gen.
eral law whcih will force the lazy poor
man and the selfish rich man to each
bear his part of the common burden.
Our county roads, as a general thing,
are in a far worse condition now than
they were a quarter of century ago.
The statement of this fact is not by any
means a compliment to the people of
East Tennessee. Our farms are not in
as good plight as they were twenty-five
years ago. What is the cause of these
things? Nine men out of ten will re-
ply, oh, the war ruined usi Well, so it
did. But then a live, energetic people
ought not to stay ruined. Pluck and
vim and determined energy will repair
all the damages wrought by war. What
we need among our people is a cheerful
outlook for the future-a hearty accept
ance of poverty for the present, with
the full assurance that 1t as only for tie
present, and that in few years we are
determined to be as well off and as we'll
fixed for living comfortably and plea
sanity as any people in the world. God
has placed US in a good land. |
The climate is delightful, the water
pure, the soil productive. Nothing is |
needed now but faith in the never-fail- |
ing promises of that same God, together |
with manly energy and pluck, to make |
this mountain region bloom like gar
den.
The first thing for us to do in the way
Of improving our country is 20 make
good roads, and the way to accomplish
this is for US all to act together. Let
the rich and the poor, the old and the
young, the farmer, the merchant, the
mechanic, the trader, the professional
nan, each and all take an interest in this
natter, and let each one do what he can
% help on in this good work. 1t is an
job to clean out, smooth over
md make all the roads in this great
country pleasant highways, but per
everence will accomplish it. There
re people enough here to do the work.
They are willing to do it too. All that
s nece ssary is for some organized effort
o be made by the right men at the right
ime. The common people will respond,
nd the work will go forward to compile
ion. 1t would be a good idea to holr
'ublic meetings in every civil district
ONE time this summer, at which this
question of improving the public roads
ould be discussed and some plan adopt
d for the work to be done in that par
ocular district at as early day as pos
ible. This plan will bring the matter
,efore the people Immediately. Each
ivil district could improve its own
Dads. The work would be done with i
Tut costing anybody any money, and
bus a start would be made which would
esult eventually in giving the people
rst-rate highways over.which to travel
We hope the people will earnestly think
f this subject, and they viii not only
hink, but that they will also organize
nd go to work.