Catoctin clarion. [volume] (Mechanicstown, Md.) 1871-1940, 1891-09-24
That HOiiim AN .Sechrist Road.

One of the parties interested i'll the above
celebrated case" having read what we had
to say about the matter in our last issue, pro.
pounds to US number of questions, as fol.
lows:
Do YOU know anything of the merits or
dement's of this case:
Where do you get your "thousands of dol
lars cost: ~
Are taxpayers not entitled to roads?
He also announces the following general
proposition:
A. an editor you should know facts before
you express an opinion.
There can be no reason conceived Why we
should wish to do injustice in this matter:
We have no personal acquaintance with any
ofthccontes: ants in this road war, have never
transacted business with them, nor in any
way come in contact with them; we are
therefore wholly free from bias and have
neither cause nor desire to do other than the
ialrest justice.
As to the general proposition then, we will
confess that we were not acquainted with
Nof the facts when we expressed our "p'n'
ion, but were in possession OF sufficient to
warrant us in referring to the matter In the
terms that we did the additional facts since
obtained warrant us in repeating and emphs'
sizing all that we said last week.
We are no,o pretty thoroughly acquainted
with the merits and dement's OF the case
and while we unhcs,ta,ingly answer Eyes to
the question, "are taxpayers not entitled to
roa,ls," we insist upon 1t that there is vast
difference between taxpayers getting the
roads and roads getting the taxpayers; thus
far in the Hotfman-Scchrist controversy
there is no road, but an immense amount OF
t,x.eating has resulted. Wedo not question
the right of these people to road IN that
section, but we insist upon 1t that they have
no right to ask the county to pay for these
road case trials, when ii is lncontestib'y the
fact that the chronic disagreement between
these parties renders the way to settlement
Ivy any power mundane and finite, zone OF
those things that no fellow can find out" II
is this expensive thrusting forward or a re-
frac,ory and unylelding obstnacy that we
,leprccate and when we explain that begin
ming ten veaf. ago, every Board of County
Commissioners has been called upon to give
their time to this matter and that erery year
since 1896 has witnessed q trial Of this road
case that in 1891 it will be before the Board
tuice; that seren sets ofExamincrs have re-
ported on the case that it has been IN the
Circuit Court on appeal from the Board OF
County Commissioners t,oice; that In one OF
these cases alone the costs of the Appeal, the
Examiners, Surveyor, advertising &c
amounted to upwards of $3.50; that between
200 and 800 witnesses have been summoned
in these cases !: all this direct besides the adj
ditional vexations attendant upon matter
that has come to be looked upon as period
ical and unqucnchable Phoenix, that burns
itself ND on the pyre of the county treasury
relying upon the pyre's like quality OF re-
Mobilization, for a place wherein TO re'igh'
again and again its nosome ashes.
one thousand dollars will not replace thu
cost Of this road controversy, nor haye W.
done any injustice to these people.
If Won have need of road land we are
Wiling TO conccde that point get togethe
like reasonable men, settle your differences
amicably and IN business like way ant
then, acting in unison, ask for the road fol
low thus advice and you will be benefited
not harmed, by our interference.
We should explain here that the fact tina
another road petitioners notice by these peo
ple "a NJ present time beng published, pre-
pnra'ory 10 ao"th"r"on'"1', was ~" o'"'''''
de or frat reference TO mis- matter