Peninsula enterprise. [volume] (Accomac, Va.) 1881-1965, 1892-01-09

little to my drummer friend, butit is
considerable to alaboring man. Now
what would so cents per capita yield
in Accomac? I answer about $500.
Ten cents on the 500 property tax
would yield, say $500, and about
that sum is now expended on our
roads. These sums added together
would make about s14,5OO-more in
my opinion than would be necessary
to keep our roads in good condition
with improved machinery. The sur
plus (Which ought to be $4,000 could
go into the sinking fund to pay Off
the bonds. This plan may seem wild
to friend Warren, but in my opinion,
it isn't half SO wild as his pet Keller
panacea, for delinquent road hand
and laziness. Indeed. [ think this
wonderful panacea was born in the
wrong country If it had been born
on the banks of the Ncva. the Gar
would have fallen down andworship-
ped it. This creature just suits the
genius of his government. On another
point, my friend seems greatly be-
wildered I threw o text Of Scripture
ct his great panacea, just as David
threw the stone at Goliah, and 10!
behold. friend Warren mistooll that
text, Exodus Wis, for "Egyptian
brickyard.n Terrible mistake. Well
he charges mo with making him
aodiousn to the laboring class. /
didn't do it. His great invent ton is
the odlous thing.
Again, he thinks 7 want office-no,
my friend, I want no Office. was
elected to the Legislature in 1876 and
got all the glory want.in that line.
I do not flatter the poor laborer but
I want him to have Justice md to
feel contented, and that his interests
are as well protected here as any
where he can go. We want him to
stay with us. On his strong muscu-
lar arms depends our prosperity.
There is q right way and a wrong
way to do everything. The right
way to build public works of every
kind, roads included, is for the State
or municipality to 70 into the mar
ket and hire it's labor, just as private
individuals do. No government has
the right to compel the service of its
citizens, except for public defense, or
in the enforcement OF it's laws. To
do so is m unwarranted and undem-
ocratic Interference with individual
liberty. The State can levy capita
ton or property taxes and hire it's
labor. thus preventing the friction,
odium and harrassment OF compulsory
labor--alwavs inefficient. fut an in
crease IF the capitation tax is obnox-
ions to taA present constitution, and
therefor, tho wiscst plan is that sus-
gastad By Mr.. Gillet to permit the
road hands to commute by the pre-
payment; of very moderate tax be-
fore thu commencement of the road
year. NV friend Warren was greatly
confused on this point. He asserts
that 1.-TWO OF four days labor on the
roads is not tn much to require out
of 365.n Flo don't allow for Sundays
and bad days. But which does he
mean 1.-TWO or four?'' Hos bcwilder-
cd. Four days each for the 1000
road haads would be os,Ooo days that
labor would contribute annually TO-
wards keeping our roads in repair,
which ut so cents per day would
amount to 1000, more than enough
to pay the whole cost of keeping
them in repair with good machinery.
Two days labor with tho privilege of
committing by the prepayment Of
one dollar is the ultimatum that
should be exactcd. a larger sum will
cause dissatisfaction, Ito that large
element of our population the oys-
termen and laboring poor who are
far less interested in good public
roads than the property holders.
j. D. PARSONS.