Clarksville weekly chronicle. (Clarksville, Tenn.) 1873-1890, 1885-02-21
ABOUT WORKING ROADS.


! To the Chronicle:
Although it may be useless con-
summation of time, and productive OF
/ nothing good nor great, yet [ cannot
withhold few brief remarks upon
the all important subject OF working
roads. In the first place. am one OF
those unfortunates who by the sweat
OF the brow from manual exercises
live and try to have my being, and be-
iieve that | can truly represent the
wishes of all in this vicinity who are
subject to working roads. I believe
the present system of working the
roads is so many days or fine of not
less than one dollar per day, and this
is where the interrogation comes in.
Is the road benefited by the fine? If
so, where and when and how is it?
No, sir, the roads are gone over (not
worked) the allotted number of days,
and the fine is gone over too ito Fish
ers." Now, we don't want anything of
this kind, but we do want to be taxed
without exemption, the young man in
his homage or the old man in his
dotage. We are constrained to believe
that man who has arrived at the
beautiful age of fifty derives as much
benefit from good roads as anybody
else, "and if he will dance let him pay
the fiddler" We do not want to ac-
cuse, vilify, censure, calumniate, inn
peach, defame, detract, asperse or ar
raign falsely, but under the present
system we are bound to practice falla-
cy, because if have to go on the road
to work, and my neighbor shakes his
pocket-book at the Ovreseer and bids
HIM defiance, l tell you there is some
very queer notions runs through my
head about Mr.. Neighbor, and / don't
feel well any part of that day, SO it is
with any other man on the road, and
the consequence is the roads are not
half worked. Let us be taxed white
and black, bond and free, do away
with road commissioners and let the
County courts appoint overseers to
have the roads worked, and it made a
duty for magistrates of each district
to see that it is we'll done OF course
the overseers are expected to be am
ply remunerated for their services,
but not exempt from tax. We cry
out Idr, Tar; everybody from the
ages of eighteen to one hundred years,
let them not get too old to pay tax
for roads any more than to vote their
sentiments. We would say to the
farmers who will not support these
views, that they are blinded to their
own interests and are totally made
quate for the business, and should try
and install themselves into different
channel for a livelihood; for l have
never yet known the roads to be work
ed at time when the product of the
country did not need its greatest at
tentlon, and when the labor of one
hand for a single day was not worth at
least five dollars. o! Temporal, o.
Mores; when shall ignorance be driv-
en- from its threshold, and in its place
put the majestic form OF wisdom
When it is, then will the evils of our
country pass away as darkness before
the receding sun. Let the advantages
and disadvantages of this question, be
thoroughly brought to bear upon the
minds of our representatives, and let
them act accordingly is the sincere
desire of your humble servant,
GEO. WASHINGTON CRENsHAw GRANT.
Montgomery Mills, Montgomery Co.
Tenn, Feb. 18th, 1885.