The south Kentuckian. [volume] (Hopkinsville, Ky.) 1879-1883, 1879-05-20
TURNP1KEs.

BEVERLY, KY, May 10th, 1879.
Ed. sctahKentuclian: &
From perusing your pap@ we have
noticed that your zeal Tor the public
good has caused you to open your col
unns to the general public that the
wants and wishes of all may be un-
derstood, and have not confined your
self to the publication OF such matter
as happens 10 suit your individual
views. Therefore we have conclud-
cd to send you II communication from
this point upon the subject OF turn
pixies generally, aud upon the pro-
posed Hopkinsville and Beverly turn
pike specially. And we wish 10 say
en- passaab that the paper that pub
fishes q part and suppresses part of
such matter as is intended 10 express
the views OF the people as a whole, rs
not an accurate representative of the
public and cannot have promise of q
permanent success.
Hitherto 80 far as we have been
able to observe the agitation of the
turn pike question has not proceeded
from the masses of the people upon
whom the burden gift will eventual
ly rest, but has been confined 10 Ell
Their would-be contractors or would
be stockholders, who, no doubt, hon
esily think that they may furnish 10
the travelling public q cheap and
comfortable road over which 10 tray-
ell, and at the same lime find prof.
table place for the investment of their
surplus capital, besides greatly in
creasing the value OF the lands lying
adjacent to the roads which they pro-
pose to build. These parties would
indeed be public benefactors il the
splendid results which they claim
for these roads could be July real
lied, but from an examination of the
subject with our limited information,
we are constrained TO believe that
turnpike roads constructed and man
aged under such auspices as have
been proposed would never secure to
the travelling public the benefits so
earnestly Inscribed to them. In the
series or articles that have been pub
lished recently advocating pixies and
particularly the onef proposed from
lIopkinsy;leto this point, the writer
endeayored TO show that these roads
would pay to the stakeholder prof
il ranging from TO Is per cent. upon
his investment, aud in like measure
benefit the general public by asaving
OF wear of stock and breakago of We
hicles, aud in addition 10 that increase
the market value OF their lands. As
long as he confined himself TO that
phase of his subject that applied TO
the would-b stock holders, his argu-
ments were no doubt very satisfac-
tory TO himselfa and to them, but when
he came to tell OF the trsnscendent
benefits that would rebound TO the
public, his reservations were less
pointed and his reasoning less
cogent. During eight months out Of
twelve of each year we would not
exchange our dirt road for any pike,
even if it were furnished to US free Of
charge, and TO be compelled to pay
toll over pike for twelve months,
when we only need il for -four, does
not TO us seem just. 1t is a well
known fact that the amount Of dam
age 10 stock and vehicles from trav-
cling over pike during the eight
months above mentioned is far great
er than the Same would be over dirt
road during the same time, and il it
is claimed tina, the damage Is greater
over the the dirt road during the four
months, who will say what the dit
ference is,and in favor of which road {?
Then the plea that the market value
OF the lands would be increased is
but a poor ono. To increase the
market value of land without increas-
ing its productiveness is but 10 in
crease the amount of tax to be paid
upon the land without any cores
ponding benefit unless we all desired
TO emigrate, and even then we would
have TO pay the same for land bought
on other pixies. If the pike could by
any kind of conjuration or NEGRO
NANCY increase The productiyencss
OF the land, we would hail It
with delight, but not for a mere in
crease of market value.
After the stock is all taken and the
company applyto the County Court
for permission TO block up the road,
the only plea that we can see that
they have for making the request
might be couched in the following Ian
guage: ave, few, ask of you, the
guardians of the interests ofthe pub
lie, to deed to us this common heri-
tage ofthe people-the public road
that we may make profitable in
vestment of our surplus capital where
it will be a source of uninterrupted
income to us and our heirs 10 the re-
hottest generations. All because we
have the money and desire to invest
itp
, tits tosbe hoped that the County
Geurt twin never deed away our road
to any stock company, and the mag
istrete who SO belrays the trust con-
fided to hima as TO vote FOR such O
measure will never occupy the posi-
tion Of magistrate again. nor any
other position of public trust by oui
votes. That q magistrate should
have q mind Of his own with respect
to his individual affairs is not only Q
pa amount right, but on imperative
uuty, but that he should subordinate