The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1881-03-09
The Public Roads - Aiken and StOl-
brand-A Blast from so. Z. H."

Edao,s Press and Banner:
Pcrusin. your advertising columns OF n late
date I observed q pcrclnrtory order subscribed
BY the chairman OF the newly ncdGcd county
"powcrs that be- directing the supervisors 0l
public high ways to devote six days OF iaborln
Repairing them by the tcnta Of March proNi.
mo, / have not the remotcst desire TO throw
n dampcr upon the good intentions Oh our CT
fcient public iunctiOraricS and | mean no OIL
fence to them by any means in spending my
humble opinion uror subjects pertaining to
the "public veal or woe. l only claim the
right of opinion. From SUCH IN order one
would readily infer that the public roads nave
been badly managed heretofore and arc now
in Il 'miserable fix ;" or the Commissioners
are going to try to pit them In far superior
condition than they have ever been. Rather
u reflection upon the recent retired board, but
perhaps not SO intended. l cannot speak at
large us to the state of the rM.dS in the coun-
ty. Very true. 81 much calling weather IN
the past has made them trough and tumble
rather inaccessible to wheels, but. ncvcrthe-
less. 7 hardy think there Is an absolute nm.
versal need prevailing, requiring, you might
say, six consecutive days OF work. am Il
lover of good smooth roads and / admire the
spirit that prompted such an order to ne IS
sued but | think extreme measures Should he
guarded against, especially. where they have
u direct tendency to conflict with the vital IN.
!crest of the tilier Of the soil. Time Is pre-
clous and money t. the farmer. re is iheiui-
chincry OF the world is kept in perpetual mo.
ton and distractions should be guarded
against. Unprecedented amount OF pro!ract-
ed inclement weather has deferred nm rom
making much progress rs yet in agricultural
pursuits and to require him To sacrifice SIX
days all ut once upon the public altar at TINS
push time" Of the year. even II there was a
pressing necessity prevailing: wou'd be In
ilicting greater dctrimcnt than intrinsic
worth TO the prosperity Of the people. The
order is unconditional. Wh"re Is the consist
ency, II Il road could be put in "ood travelling
repair in one or two days, why consume six
days at 1t? If the requisite number OF days
was purccled out in "brokcn doses through
the year at lcizure times. no word of com-
plant would be made. The laboring class has
not time now to make the roads assume a
graded or turnpike appearance. ], further
more, hardly, think this season or the year Is
an o%pportune time To work public roads thor
ouglly. Toe much mud. | am presumptious
enough TO make the following suggestion:
Let one or two daysnow be expended In clean
Ing out the bitches and "patching' the roldS
up SO that they will answer the public pur,
pose until ~"laying by" time about Augusta
which Is better in u two-fold senSe-Suits the
farmers time the best and is the best time of
the year to work roads.
Hope is entertained by lovers OF Democrat
ic reign that Stolbrand's cargo OF testimony
to dislodge Aiken from his election will be Of
no avail. Aikcn's watchful counsel Will
doubtless spare no efforts In controVert1ng
every foul evidence that may be gathered up
from ienorant-prejudiccd negroes to defeat
him. Our body polite carnot well afford to
lose their able and efficient representative IN
Congress under false pretcnces. such an
event would be a calamity to our party. Re,
publicans North would eXult at the idea and
will contribute every means TO bring about
such n result. They have learned in the
midable adversary and will not tolerate his
carcass to be run over by q set o. unprinci-
pied would-be domineers. He is q terror to
evil-doers and stands, as 1t were, upon the
ul""Fk III defence Oh southern f's g. =. Fl.