The Republican. [volume] (Oakland, Md.) 1877-current, 1903-01-22
GOOD ROADS MOVEMENT
The BrownIOw Good Roads Bill Com
mented Upon By Cor
respondent.
THE PUBLIC MUST Be EDUCATED
Before Good Roads Can BE Secured. The
Highways of This Country the Poorest
In the World. Maryland Behind the
Times In Particular.

Inc bTOWnlOW UOOu ROADS Bill
lately introduced by the Tennessee
Congressman is IA measure of great
Importance affecting the entire rural
population. Political economists as
sert the bulk of the worlds wealth is
produced by agriculture. Does not
the very existence of agriculture de-
pend upon roads to market its pro.
duets.
The wonder of intelligent foreign
ers who visit US is the condition of
our roads. They are said to he the
worst in the civilized world Equal
ing or excelling in every field of
thought or labor, mechanism or in
vention, that we should be so shame
fully diStanced in the making and
management of our highways is mar
Vicious. The reasons given for such
conditions are ignorance, parsimony
and poverty. II the complaint was
local or confined to certain States or
communities these might suffice, but
it appears the criticism is general,
confined to no particular locality,
hence we must seek another cause.
Can it be the mad rush in railroad
building. Commonwealth, cities and
counties have allied with each other
in expanding the taxpayers money
for the benefit of rapaclous corpora
tions, which have robbed the people
of their rights and privileges and
stolen their money-neglecting our
county roads and abandoning them
to the care of ignorance and incom-
potency. We will not stop to discuss
how the means should be raised to
build better roads. Our object is to
aid in the education of the public to
the point that good roads are not
only profitable, but that farmers lose
half of Cheir just rewards by loss in
transportation of their products to
market and the decrease in value of
property by bad roads.
Maryland is one of the original 10
States and was not lower than third
on the list a century ago. No State
in the Union possesses greater uatur-
al advantages. In agriculture today
she holds a proud place near the head
of the line. In public improvements
she once led. The Chesapeake and
Ohio Canal, one Of the great inland
waterways, was largely built by the
State. One of the worlds greatest
highways traYerseS Maryland for $50
miles. This road from Baltimore TO
Cumberland was built with MARYLAND
money. The National Pike started
from Cumberland. Nearly 100000
was spent upon the road by the u. s.
Government. Henry Clay was the
great protector of this magnificent
highway, the equal of any road ever
built by man. Atan expense of $4,000
per mile it was carried across the AL
legheny Mountains. The bridges and
culverts to this day are marvel of
masonry, Were they notin theirpresent
state OF decay and devastation. This
route through Garrett COT ntv is said
TO BETTE worst il the State The walls
of the bridges are mutiialed and fall
ing, the splendidly dressed stones re-
moved tofurnish foundations for barns
and other buildings, tie arches OF the
culvertS crnmbling, the very bed
rocks of the road carried away. A
poor dietricr road marks the lines
where one of the worlds wonders
once carried the traffic of the Ohio
Valley TO eastern markets and gilded
coaches COZ raining Presidents, Sena,
tors, Cabin t Officers and Congress
men i'll trilmphal procession TO the
Capital Shades OF Immortal Clay
When The State passed this road
oyer to the care and custody of the
county it was III fairly good condition.
The TOLL ga es abolished its traffic
taken 10y the railroads After the
Civil War General Sherman's wagon
trains pass Il over the Pike leaving it
in bad condition, but the chief dep
redator is and was the Western Union
Telegraph Co. They haze actually
taken possession of the Pike, lining
each side with huge poles, leaying
barely twenty seet of passage at
places nearly destroying one of the
finest single arch stone bridges in
America by planting large poles over
the arch. We refer to that splendid
structure spanning the Casselmau
River at the Little Crossings. Strange
to say that neither the public or
county officials have protested or
made an effort to protect the road or
bridges. Some seasons the Pike is
almost impassihle for vehicles. Four