The Anderson intelligencer. [volume] (Anderson Court House, S.C.) 1860-1914, 1892-09-14
How to Get Good Roads.

The Baltimore SIN published few
DAYS ago very interesting article on
roadmaking, in which the people of the
United States are compared with the an
cient Romans, in respect of sciente and
common sense displayed in roadmaking,
very much to the advantage of the older
and supposedly less ciyilized people.
The Romans made the best roads the
world has ever seen, and many of them,
most of them, are in service to-day, 2,0oO
years after they were built-for they were
literally built. We make the worst roads
the world has ever seen, and they last
about year-if the weather is good-at
the end of which time they are usually
made over, in spots, under somewha
worse system OF manipulation than that
employed In their construction. In clos
ing it's article the Sun says:
lit would be incredible that intelligent
people would endure the prevailing system
were the fact less familiar. They do it at
loss to themselves. Bad roads leading to
q town. some one has truly said, are the
equivalent of wall around it, with no
means of ingress. They are like protec-
tive tariffs, which make expensive or
keep you from the necessaries of life.
They are like DEGREES of exclusion, for
bidding trade to enter, while good roads
are like open doors, inviting business"
All this is true, and great deal more
to the same general purpose is current
in the press Throughout the country. The
subject of real road improvement is re-
ceiving more attention now than it has
of the nation. A we'll organized effort is
being made to have an exhibit at the Chi
cago Exposition which will serve in SOM o
way, it is hoped, to educate visitors to
that affair up to the point of KNOWN g
what good road is, and perhaps of en-
listing their interest in procuring legisla-
ton in promotion Of "road reform" We
do not, however, expect much practical
good to result from this effort-or indeed
from all that has been said, or can be said
FOR wears to come, on the limo of ap-
peals to the popular interest.
Certainly there is small reason to ex-
pect any earnest effort in a very large
part Of the country, including the South
ern States. The population in this section
to limit the present view to this section
is too sparse and too poor to undertake
the kind of work that is needed. Where
the roads are worst, moreover, the popu-
lation is the thinnest and poorest, as in
mountain districts, and where the roads
are "best," 80 to speak, they are very
likely to be adjudged good enough by the
people who complain that they are al
ready overburdened with taxes. We can
not find any ground for the belief that
the road reform movement, if dependent
on increased taxation and public eXpend-
iture, will find much favor anywhere in
this part of the world. Candidates repre-
senting such q cause, we suspect, would
find their road to Office the very
toughest and stumpiest one in their res
pective counties, and few ambitious
men would care to travel it twice.
We incline to the opinion, however,
that better roads can be had in some pla.
ces where the need is sorest by plan
that has the merits at least OF not being
new, not involving an increased tax levy,
and not being dependent for it's continued
operation on heavy drafts on the public
purse-that is, the plan Of encouraging
the construction of good roads by private
enterprise. Let the State or county au-
izens to improve and maintain important
highways, wi3h the privilege Of collect
ing reasonable tolls for their use from
the travelling and hauling public and the
problem would be solved at once.
There is no need to enlarge on this sug.
gestion. It's merits are apparent. twill
induce the early Improvement of many
roads, will insure their maintenance in
good condition, will fairly compensate
those who do the work, whether individ
uals or local organizations of farmers or
other citizens, and will place the small
tax for the support of the system, where
it should be placed, on those who are
benefited by it.
Most of our poraries have had
great deal to say in regard to impracti-
cable suggestions on this subject. What
have they to say about this thoroughly
practicable one?-News and Courier: