Daily tobacco leaf-chronicle. (Clarksville, Tenn.) 1890-1895, 1891-04-13

against the protest of both the Senate
aud people.
FREE BRIDGES AND TURNPIKEs.
A Bridge Over the Cumberland and a
Turnpike for Every Public Road.
The Knox county court has taken
hold of the public road question in
the right way. That county has APP
pointed three commissioners under
the law, and is going in to turnpike
the county roads, and three good
practical business men compose the
commission, who are to have charge
of the whole matter Moreover, the
county has bought out the toll pixies
and toll bridges, making every road
into Knoxville a free turnpike, and
no city is increasing faster in wealth
and population, which also makes
the country people prosperous.
1t is time for the magistrates OF
Montgomery county to wake up on
this question. 1t is a penny wise
and pound foolish policy on the part
of both the county court and city
authorities to keep the people fenced
out from their main trading market,
where they can both sell and buy to
the best advantage. The south side
people have been kept poor every
since GAINESVILLE was market, pay
ing ferriage and hauling over rough
roads, wearing out more roads than
taxes would buy to get to market.
The south side members Of the court
won't let the north side do any good
thing-make good roads or free
bridges, because they have this bur
den of ferriage to pay crossing Cum
bertrand river, and entertain no hope
of a bridge. Nearly all of our fire
wood comes from the south side, sells
for $3.50 per cord, and the ferriage tax
is 50 cents. The cost Of cutting the
wood is one dollar, and the man and
his team can earn only a dollar a
day at this business, which should
pay profit, and so with everything
else.
Now The thing for the south side
people to do is to rise up vigorous and
strong and demand Of the county
court and the city that Il bridge be
built across Cumberland river, and
the Red river bridges be made free,
and let the county finance up to it,.
Certainly if Cheatham county can
build bridge across the Cumber-
land, Montgomery can, and when
ever the south side magistrates will
come up demanding it the bridge
will be built.
The poverty plea will not do. The
county has the credit if not the
money, and this is like stocking Il
farm with teams and tools, it must
he done before any profit can come Of
farming. Besides, there is no sense
in forcing this generation to struggle
through poverty to live, that the
next may be free from debt and
taxes. The taxes the present gener
alton would have to pay for such en-
terprisc would be light compared to
the tolls they are now paying, to say
nothing of the wear and tear Of We
hiclcs.
Moreover, we will soon have a
great iron furnace and other enter
prises in operation, and the ore and
timber must all come from the south
side Build this bridge and allow
the people to come to town with
their ore, timber and all little savings
free of tolls, and in less than ten
years the south side, now the poor
est, will become the richest part of
the county, and will never feel the
taxes it will cost to build the bridge
ana make good roads.
Thirteen years ago the people felt
that they were too poor to build de
cent courthouse, though the old one
was nearly ready to fall down and not
at all suited for the business. But
when the fire swept il ont of cXis-
tcnce they turned in and built a new
one, costing 100000. The court
house neither saves expenses nor
brings in revenue, yet it is useful and
the people are proud of it, Now
free bridges, costing half Of that
amount, would save the people -
per cent. of the cost every year
Let the people make this question
hot