The weekly Floridian. [volume] (Tallahassee, Fla.) 1867-19??, 1888-12-25
OTHER CONDITIONS THAT CONFRONT Us.
PUBLIC ROARS.

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made better. How can this be accom-
plshed The road laws of the State re-
| auire that all able bodied males over the
age of eighteen and under forty-tive-
ministers in charge of congregations ex-
cepted-shall work six days in each year
on the public highways in the road dis
trict of which they are residents. In
! some portions of Florida there is a sentl-
ment-a growing one, too-that one step
| in the direction of better roads would be
to repeal these statutes The next step In
the same direction would be the enact
ment of law providing for TIL levying
of a sufficient road tax-the letting Of the
working of the roads out by contract, I'M
der the direction of county road COM
missioner, who should be acompetent civil
engineer, to be appointed or elected. If
this plan should fail to secure good roads,
it at least has one feature to commend it,
the responsibility for bad roads could be
readily traced to the negligent party and
a legal remedy sought and enforced
whereas, under the present do-as-you-
please-system of road working no one, it
seems, is responsible for ,he condition of
the public roads-at least we know of no
one who has ever been held to an account
for bad roads in his district.
AS sample of the inadequacy OF our
road working system, we give the follow
ing, as told us by responsible person:
A portion of public road, not one hun
dred and eleven miles from the Capital
City, required extra and immediate work.
Those liable to road duty in the district
were summoned to appear on said road
on certain day to repair the highway.
Only few men reported for duty. How
ever, those present did the work in short
while 1t was the duty of the road SUI
pervisor to report the delinquents TO
magistrate to be dealt with as the law di:
reefs. But it appears that this duty was
not performed, but colored man called
upon said delinquents, and demanded
from white citizens Sl.0O each, and from
colored 800 or 80 cents, As he could get.
This was hush money" paid to avoid
being reported and fined, and the collec-
tor of this I" hush money" put the cash
in his pocket.
Surely there is something defective in
system that makes the preparation of
such high-handed outrage a possibility.
In addition to the levying Of black mail
in this particular case, there remains the
startling tact that persons, having will
fully neglected lawful duty, are willing
to purchase immunity from the penalty
imposed by law for that neglect. One
dozen men work six days on the roads,
as required bv law, and half that number,
who fail to report for duty, can evade a
public duty, and escape punishment by
paving fifty cents or *l.OO to a person
who should be in the penitentiary. Be-
sides this double crime there is marked
injustice to those who have performed
road working six days-time worth
Sc to each, to say nothing Of the
inconvenience the performance of this
duty may have caused them. The
good citizen performs his duty
perhaps at great sacrifice; the
INSCRIPTIONS man, for small contr-
button Of money, and no Inconvenience,
may ignore lawful duty, and escape
punishment for double crime.
A law, or system OF duty prescribed
! bv statute to be observed by citizens,
/ that allows good citizens who obey its
! mandates TO rest under an injustice, while
it permits those who disregard its require
ments TO 90 UNPUBLISHED, and at the same
time affords opportunity for black -maii,
is, to put it very mildly, sadly defective.
Adjustment OF the present road-wo' king
system and the levying of a road tax,
certainly ought to lie more acceptable to
the people, inasmuch as taxation would
more equitably distribute the burden and
undoubtedly result in better roads than
We now have.
Special Legislation.
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