The Indiana State sentinel. [volume] (Indianapolis) 1868-1895, 1894-01-10

tate using every means and opportunity
for spreading information on the sub
1ect. The facts and arguments should
be put before the farmers meetings in
ever locality, and should be regularly
ana increasingly supplied to the public
through the medium of the newspapers.
There would be nothing lost by carrying
the agitation into politics without at
tempting, however, to connect the move
men with any particular party. Candi-
dates for the legislature should be re-
quired TO declare themselves on the sub
jet. 1t is enough to demand that they
pledge their support simply to legisla-
ton which would assure honest and eff
cient expenditure of the revenues al
ready provided for the improvement of
the highways. Mr. Fortune believed il
unnecessary that there should be any
increase of taxation. Under the present
laws, he said, there is now over 81 000-
600 a year wasted on the roads of In
diana. If this were intelligently and
honestly applied it would give the state
the best system of highways in the
union in ten years. A step had been
taken il the right direction by the legis-
lature at its last session in passing a bill
which provided that road supervisors
should be appointed by the township
trustee, instead of elected by the voters
of the district, who too often select the
man believed to be most in sympathy
with their antipathy to either paying
their taxes or rendering the required
service. This, however, was but a short
step. Trustees are little, if any, better
qualified than the supervisors for prop
erly directing the work Of making roads.
They need supervision and direction of
a capable kind removed from local in
huences. With a line Of authority eX-
tending from an intelligent directing
power down to the local supervisor, who
could be compelled to perform his duty
in spite of unreasonable OBJ
jectiOns from his neighbor, there would
then be better results
The good roads movement, Mr.. For
tune said, represented no special in
terests. Primarily. it would benefit the
farmers more largely than any other
class Of people, but their increased pros
perity would of course be shared 10
some extent by all. He confidently be-
lieved that in no way could Indiana be
advanced commercially, socially and in
all things that pertain to the betterment
Of mankind than by a complete system
Of good roads. They would, more than
ANYTHING else possibly could put the
state cOnspicuously ahead in a progress
sive way.
The election of officers resulted as fol-
lows. there being no contests:
PRESIDENT. A. Mount, Shannondale.
ecretary-Evans WoOllen, IndianapO-
lis.
decentralization Holler. St. Jo-
seph county.
The Resolutions.
G. w. Alexander of this city submitted
the following resolutions:
Whereas, In our annual meetings Of
the Indiana highway improvement as
ISOLATION we have heard with pleasure
and profit the various papers on the gen
eral subject of road improvement con-
tanning many valuable thoughts and
suggestion, the general diffusion of
which we believe will do much good;
therefore,
Resolved. That We request the vari-
Gus newspapers in our state to kindly
give the fullest and widest circulation
of them; and,
Resolved, That it is the sense of this
convention that no increased burden Of
taxation is necessary at this time.
That coming to the variety OF condl-
tons in the different counties and parts
OF the state, we deem ii ineXpedient to
try to form any general plan of opera
ton that will take Statutory form more
than we now have, except possibly some
slight amendments to the law now in
force; and,
Resolved, That we earnestly recon-
mend to all the people in the counties
of the state to give the subject of road
making careful thought and considera-
ton to the end that they may be able
to see reasons why there should be CO.
operation all along the line in this work,
for when one suffers all suffer from this
inconvenience and what is for the inter
est of one if for the interest of all. In
this way the people will become a law
unto themselves, as in union there is
strength in all great enterprises.
That we believe an ounce of law on the
inside Of a man is worth more than a
pound on the outside of him in a book
where it takes courts, constables, and
sheriffs to make it operative; and,
Resolved, That we are aware that
this kind of advancement entails much
sacrifice and patience, working in many
cases hardships that seemingly can
scarcely be borne; yet We believe it is
the true way and that out of it will
come the highest, truest and most sub
stantial reforms; and,
Resolved, That to this end we recon-
mend the formation of road missionary
societies that will visit various counties
with the view of stimulating public SEN
timent on this question"
A motion to adopt the resolution as
read, the one opposing taxation not be-
ing included at that time, met with
pronounced opposition, many not favor
ing the passage of any resolutions at all.
Secretary Woollen offered as a substi-
tute to all following the first clause the
one opposing taxation out of Difference
to the suggestion of Governor Matthews
i'm his letter, and the resolutions en-
bracing these two clauses only We're
then