The Pascagoula democrat-star. (Pascagoula, Miss.) 1878-1920, 1897-05-21
II NEW ROAD LAW.
Editor Democrat Star.

FOSTAINEBLEAU Miss, Nay l., 1877.
As our State lawmakers have seen
ft to give the people a e road law,
and have left il to the supervisors OF
the several counties whether 1t shall
be operative in their counties, our
honorable body may wish To know the
sentiment OF the people "f the county
as a guide to their action. mat a
new road Law is needed, none will deny,
but the requirements OF that law may
! give rise To different opinions. Ihat
good roads together with good
schools are an index TO a country,
none who have visited different sec
tions Of the country will deny, Pass
through a country where good roads
prevail and you will tnd as a rule a
%contented people, Ask to buy a farm
and there is none for sale, but pass
through where the roads are stumpy
and crooked, with pole bridges or
none at all, and where you "a drive
IA quarter Of Il mile up or down the
slough to cross on the grass, and al
the corner of every farm you will find
a sale notice stuck un, and often In
this style: fARM fur sA | l.,
What are the requirements OF a road
law? There must be labor and money
provided, as good roads require a good
deal Of both, and both should bt
judicially applied. Who should furn'
ish this labor and money? AS it is
for the good Of all, all should con
tribute to it, and in a measure as near
ly as practicable to the benefits de
rived from 1t. AS the value of lane
Is measured by its accessibility tC
markets, land should bear its share OF
road-making, as also all other prop
erty; and as all other persons arc
interested, all able-bodicd men from
twenty-five to forty-hve years of age
should contribute, and men should bt
allowed 10 work as nearly as practica
bic where their interest lies, ther
they will work as men and not as con
victs. Does our present law meet tn,
requirements as at present admins
tered in this county?
The burden is laid on men and MOI
on property, and the burden OF road
making is on the labOrer. The mar
with a little money can commute a
fifty cents a day, but the laborinl
man a hardly spare s. at one time
so he must work ten days on the road
and as he has no horse nor oxen h,
only uses the road occasionally OF
foot; he feels he Is working for tn,
benefit OF others and the least worl
he a do suits him best. | hay,
seen tand it is familiar to all ObServ
ers) men, supporting families by thei
labor, working on the road on which
they never went only when working
the road, and other men drive b.
them in tlne turn-OntS who own thou
sands of acres of land, flocks OF sheep
herds OF cattle and drOveS Of horses
yet who did not contribute to the rOa,
when the road contributed largely Il
their welfare. Did you ever thin
how great a tax is laid on the labOrini
man, a man who supports his famil
by ms labor? His time is his capital
Ten days is 3 per cent of his capital
Put that test to the pr0perty-holder
and | think most Of them would Sa
it was a burden too grievOus to b
borne, The man Of property coul
pay 1t easier than the laborer, 70
every days work the labOrer's famil
must fOregO some Of the n~eCeSSarieS G
life. Under these conditions 1T is n
wonder the roads do not improve.
/ have in mind "A road that is tray
eled a great deal: has been IA publ
road for more than fifty years, and
number Of men put i'll their ten day
on it each year, yet we can scarCel
: see where work has been done; place
where, after a considerable rain, waite
stands in the road half knee deep to
horse for rods, where a nan with
shovel could drain off the water i
half a days time. But who cares
The men that use it do not WORK
and the men who work the rOa'
do not travel it. Does the new LAY
correct the evil in the old law? Doe
it place the burden where it belongs
The labor 0 our roads is all don
without pay. Our oyersccrS are re
!, quired to direct the labor, make thel
reports, etc, without pay, and to plac
psei '.eui sh'aaieu olaoe, WIZ Is PEI
maps nn n,o'I c~o,npe.env, nnu WI
so competent to direct the work as b
who is on the ground all the time an
- aoqu"In..u WIZ" US to'i.'C,ons'
no., rHv omHuo W u uesu lusu,I
hme 'onu' noeu C"'1 u''ous nouV ".
ycai, ~ .ne new Jaw t.G "o'k - .
oe uo.iJ AZ Ga,e t'iie VI nea',i 81, wn,c
- ah auu'.ional ou,u'n w. U,e lapo,el
NY soason9 WIN vnc le" Jaw otuel
, I'le "oik W oe uole are rainy SEA
| SUITS, wlen ~ Moth eau VI lone Vi
peIrhaI.Gmv c%na,acseL,
o, ine . n gn9d p dea, o u, our JounJy wlll re re