Juniata sentinel and Republican. [volume] (Mifflintown, Juniata County, Pa.) 1873-1955, 1881-03-23
CONMUNICATION.

AhEllt 1 Wv NNt4l-- -hAHANiA Ah'' a'a.A-
Editor Sentinel and RsyubIicla-Sir:
would like 10 say thai the most OF the peo-
Die that advocate a free bridge across the
river At Miaiiutown live at that place, and
the greater number of them are men who
nav small amount Of tax. They are chief
ly men WHO have stores, and so forth. They
believe that free bridge viii help them
II they are real estate owners. of course
their real estate would help 10 pay their
share Of tax, but II they are only shop
Keepers, they viii 20 scott free of paving
the burdensome tx, and also 60 scott free
over the bridge. They would be dead heads
in the fullest sense Of he term, doing moth
lug whatever for the privilege they enjoy in
rhe community. There IL no doubt that a
free bridge n VI .tilntown would be a dssi.-
able thing TO have, bat there are many de-
sirahle things that people would Ike to have.
but they cannot have them, for the reason
that 20 get them they woE,d have 10 impose
200 great burdens. No one obJ.cts to Nit
1intowu or Port Royal people having a free
bridge If they make It free and keep 1t free.
i Is q principle OF township government,
county government, state government, and
ratioual government. that whatever public
couyeuIeucrs can be kept up by private
PARTIES or corporations that there shall be
uo interference 10y government. It is a
principle of township, county. state and
national government that when public con
yruieuces must %. had, and where no p-i-
yaie parties or corporations VIII supply
.1sm. that II becomes tue dirty IT govern
ucu;-if il be- not too r0a---v h-ther Of
township, -n-a-r. State Jr nation. 10 sap
Ely ID, necessary convenience, and that Is
The reason uhy the township. and she couu-
" builds crc-.. bridges. The bridges must
be had by the 1e"-ie under the present state
% CIVILIZATION No private plrues 0s cor
rorarisuS can build them ard keep them up
on toll, because the travel is not frequent
enough. hence they become charges Ter the
general Vuu'ie. y it w-@ld Vay lr.va,e
PARTIES or corporations 10 build and keep up
such creek bridges at small toll rate, the
general taxpayers would see to it that the
general Ilu.ic would not be charged with
the expenses. II is not SO. how ever, where
roads converge 10 river crossings. There
st viii pay private parties or corporations to
build bridges and take their pay in a few
bridge. The private parties ur corporations
get their pay from such people as travel
over the bridges, just as railroad and other
corporations get their pay, and the general
public Is spared the burden of keeping such
.hiugs up, If indeed It would be able with
out actual contiscajiOn OF the earning, OF
The people to DO SO. 1t frequently occurs
IN community OF great business impor-
lance that the business OF the locality pools
interests, and buys a bridge. or bridges, and
makes them free bridges, getting their pay
off their customers that deal there. No
sound reason has been presented why the
county should assume a debt OF many thou
7ai4 = lfl a llHt " VI ll''' s't
across th- river. 1t is no argument 10 tell
the general taxpayer that it viii not cost
ham more to pay sI5,GO0 to $4,000, per
haps so 900, ana interest, and cost OF re-
pairs, and perhaps complete reconstruction
within a period OF dozen or twenty years,
than it will cost him occasionally to pay
.oIl for crossing the bridge. Il that could
oe an argument, iJ is entirely destroyed 10y
the same people thar Use it in the presence
OF the tax payer, gong to the people who
have no tax to pay and telling them that
they should b, 10 favor OF free bridge,
for it cannot affect them, as they have no
tax 10 pay. It Is 10 argument TO tell the
people that other counties have a large
bonded indebtrdnesS-uo more argument in
that than 10 tel a man that his ucighbor
has small pox. Ii may e4Se Llm up a nt,le
10 learn that his misery has company. II
'he free bridge people send petition up to
the Court it should be met by remousirauce.
Respectfully yours,
FAYETTE.