The Newberry herald and news. (Newberry, S.C.) 1884-1903, 1888-12-27
The Murray Road Law.

Mr. Editor, when l threw out my
hook on the Murray Road Law | did
not intend that SO big a fish as the OBJ
server would bite ut 1t. But, however,
when you go fishing, you must always
pull at everything that bites.
AS the Observer has taken me up on
the Murray Road Law l suppose | will
have To explain myself. | stated in
letter to The Herald and News Of
Dec. 9TH, that | was not in favor Of Il
few individuals recommending the
passage OF laws over the people when
they don't want them; and with the
voice of the people Of my section-who
have the right TO say what kind of
road laws they want-I still stand in
the very same position; not that | de-
sire to enter into any controversy with
Observer, for | feel my incompe-
tency. But | have always had an
idea that when [ knew anything |
knew it just as we'll as anybody. /
will ask the Observer what class OF peo-
pie constitutes the Board of Trade. Is
1t the working class that has to keep
up the roads in the county? If 80,
they have the right to say what kind
Of road laws they want. The Observer
says each member, unless exempt by
the law, of the Board Of Trade has to
work the public road II days in the
year or pay Il Communication tax OF 81.
So they do. Bnt is it not u fact that
the money is all kept within the incor-
pOration Of the town to keep up the
public roads and streets within its linn
Its. While the country has made no
suggestions how the road law shall be
within the corporation of the town,
we claim that the town has no right to
say what kind Of Il road law We must
have in the country.
What about section eight of the
Murray Road Law 1t says every
hand in said county may compound
for his work by paying to the overseer
and taking his receipt in writing there
for the sum oftive dollars per annum,
which sum shall be returned by such
overseer, with monthly statement
| duly certified by affidavit showing of
i whom received, to the County Com
missioners, for the fireman's road fund
of the county, hereinafter provided for.
Now, think can show the Observer
that this section is not altogether the
| fair thing, and will take for a specimen
my section Of road. Suppose l work
~ hands; ~ pay and the other 10 are
not able. Then / turn the same
amount over to the County Commits
sioners. The law don't provide that
this amount shall come back to help
keep up my section any more than any
other section of road in the county.
Then would it be right for me to keep
up the whole section with these ten
hands that were not able to pay?
The Observer ER says the Board of
Trade consulted with the Board of
County Commissioners and many far
mers in the county. 1t concluded that
the Anderson County Road Law was
the best that had been devised, and
therefore recommended it for this coun-
ty. II / have not been misinformed,
there were some petitions that were to
be sent down to Prosperity to find out
the feelings of the people upon this
law. If there were such petitions on
foot what became Of them?
There is only one point in the Muir
ray Road Law that favor. That Is,
it doesn't say anything about sub
commissioners; and if our General AS
sembly will just do away with the
subs, and make the men who are paid
u do the work do it, we have just as
much road law as We need.
Very respectfully,
SOMETIMES.