Port Tobacco times, and Charles County advertiser. (Port Tobacco, Md.) 1845-1898, 1883-07-13
Our Road System.

We are frequently asked the question,
"do you think we will succeed in having
the Page road system reinstated next win
tera" Upon this question we are not &C.
customed to commit ourselves. Our Gus
tomary answer is, shat depends" Upon
what does it depends 1t depends, we
believe, upon that which we fear does not
exist-the stamina and aggressiveness of
the taxpayers of the county.
The distinctive features of the Page
system" as will be remembered, consisted
of general superintendent Of public road
repairs, of skill and judgment as an engi-
neer, who had the personal supervision OF
one OF the corps, and the general superin-
tendence of the rest; and that the labor
for the public road service had to be gra.
tuitously and equally contributed by all
the male citizens of the county o. the pro-
per age, In this way the additional ex-
pense of employing skillful superinten-
dent was more than compensated by the
saving in the expenditure for labor, and
including the heavy outlay for tools, teams
and appliances, that system, with all the
good it accomplished, did not exceed, in
the few years it existed, the annual ex-
pense that is now incurred for the alleged
repairs to the public roads.
As we have heretofore explained, that
system was repealed through the exertisns
of few quixotic agitators, who JUS
titled their action on the ground that it
was in violation of constitutional rights
for the State to demand the labor OF indi-
viduals without compensation. No issue
was made before the people at an election
for the Assembly, between the taxpayers
and tax-eaters, concerning the repeal o!
the road system. The tax eaters prevailed
and the law was repealed. The present
system was substituted, whose bad results
everybody is willing to concede.
Now with regard to the reinstatement
of the page system" which everybody
all taxpayers at least-s.em to SD earnest
ly desire, that will require, we believe, the
united effort Of the tax payers OF the coun
ty. Although our neighbor. the Iadepen.
dent, which generally speaks for the Re.
publicaus of the county, has declared so
freely in favor of the Page system, we en-.
terrain some fears that the leaders of tina,
party will be found wanting in secending
the movement. There is no doub', how
ever, that the united efforts OF the tax-psy
ers could accomplish the desired result
First, by the united efforts of tn, ,ax-pay
ers and those in sympathy with them, u
Republican delegation to tn. Legislature
from this county could be fores.alled.-
Second, failing in this, the tax payers OF
the county, by sending petitions to the
Democratic Legislature, could secure the
reinstatement of a system of such grea,
desirsbility as a measure of local economy
But if the system really was, as claimed
by those who antagonize it, 10 conflic,
with the constitutional rights Of individ,
uals, then it would not be a judicious
movement to ask its Reinstatement, bu,
some other substitute for the present sys.
TEN ought to be determined upon and
asked.
We do not believe that the labor clause
in the former law was in conflict with the
constitution. We do not remember. a,
this writing, its exact provisions but we
believe that law could easily be framed
CO accomplish the result desired wishou,
infringing upon the private rights of in
dividuals. Perhaps law requiring the
labor Of individuals upon the roads and
making q refusal penal offence, might be
technically such an infringement. But il
could We believe, be in al propriety pro-
vided that any individual, who refused
thus to contribute day or two of labor
annually to the repair of the public high
ways, should be forbidden the use thereof
and any such defaulter could be made
liable to arrest as trespasser whenever
found upon the public highways, and sen.
fenced to ten or more days service on said
roads for such trespass. The State may
properly prescribe just and equitable con.
di'ions to the use of public property by
individuals, and this would be manifestly
such q condition 1t would also be effec.
tive in accomplishing the desired result