The home journal. (Winchester, Tenn.) 1858-188?, 1883-01-31
Road Law.

"""t " nuke suggestion to onl
legislators in regard to the present road
law, which is praised by some. cursed
by some, and which the Home journal
considers cumbersome batch of ridicu
lous inefficacy, Here is our suggestion
Pass law giving each county a RIGHT To
levy just as heavy tax as it chooses for
the purpose of keeping its public roads
IN good condition. Pass another law
creating Road Inspector, to be elected
by the voters of said county, and to re.
celve such salary as the County Court
may designate, say $500 or 81 900 per
annum. Make him liable for non.nor
formanee Of his duty. which should be
10 60 all over the county every month
or oftener, and see what roads need fix.
ing, and employ hands to fix them, civ.
ing them orders upon the County Trus.
tee for their pay.
This is simple, butt will prove effect.
i've. Then We will have ,cilling hands
to work our roads. We will have good
roads, such as will please the eyes of
men who come to settle here. Macaulav
never uttered more sense in as few words
as when he said "Of all inventions
the alphabet and printing press alone
excepted, those inventions which abridge
distance have done most for the civiliza.
lion of our species. Every improve.
nent OF the means of locomotion benc.
its mankind morally and intellectually,
Is well as materially" There is no
question as to the benefit to Franklin
'onnty III material point of view if we
'ad better roads. Our lands would be
worth several dollars per acre more than
low, and n tax upon them would for
he purpose of keeping up good roads
,eally prove blessing, financially, to
he owner And in the Interchange of
he various productions of nature and
rt, prices would be far less. The farm.
+ could afford to sell his "stuf" for
luch less if the roads did not REQUIRE
i'm to Use one or two mules or horses
lore in hauling, to say nothing of the
ear and tear and "breaking down"
he merchant could afford to give better
argains, and our market would be
lore frequently supplied with articles
hitch consumers who cannot buy large
60 crazy about when the roads pre-.
ent their reception.
How is it now in our county? We
cast Of our civilization, good schools,
&c. But upon all routes from Winches- .
n, except by the abused railroads, we
ave at this time of year deep ruts, pre-
pitous dcscents, and the width of pub
roads in many places too narrow for !
70 wheeled vehicles to pass There is
'ud to the right, mud to the left, mud
the centre, and no firm ground above
le general quagmirc.
Now, what is the cause of this bad
nss of our roads? Simply the defect {
eness of the law which requires the !
utuitOus labor of persons to work the
'ads" who do not opn any real estate.
re all our legislators fools, that they !
lnnot see where the trouble lies We
not so believe, and we hope they will
1t treat our suggestion, at the outset
this article, with contempt. We tell
lem that this law which forces persons S
work public roads is a relic of the ..
lys when England was worse off in the !
'ad matter than-even Franklin coun-
;. In fact, most of our abominable
VS. are relics Of barbarism aud super !
ition. And blessed be the State of /
enncssee for giving aid to turnpikes,
neither she ever pays her turnpike
,nds or not. The bonds issued for
ch purpose evinccd good sense OH the
'rt of her Legislature, and we are tru-
sorry Franklin county did not "come
for some aid in this respect. !.
But, will the members Of the Legisla- !,
re take kindly our suggestion 3? We !;
'pe so. If they will only reflect that u u
If people are bearing much absurd :.
xation because they are accustomed to it, ,,
ey will, if true men, not hesitate to /
Wy new inpost which will, if prop =
ly expended, make them more popu- :,
r than ever when the roads are in bet i
r condition. Time will make all =
ings right, as Byron says, and we say y
you all, Heed the suggestion of the '
ONE Journal. .