Keowee courier. [volume] (Pickens Court House, S.C.) 1849-current, 1903-07-22
GOOD ROADS ASSOCIATION.
A Fairly Good Attendance Speeches by Sena.
tor Latimer and Congressman Aiken.

lNewberry Observer, July 14th.
There was a pretty fair gathering
in the Court House yesterday to
hear the speeches of Senator Lati-
mer and Congressman Aiken.
Senator Latimer made o very
strong and practical speech, showing
he had given a great deal of study
to the subject. He is in the good
roads movement with all his earnest
and aggressive disposition; and he
can be counted on to help along in
tho cause.
Senator Latimer's proposition is
for counties to tax themselves for
road Improvement. The speaker
said that he had not seen a man
from town or city who opposed a
road tax. They see the need of
good roads. In his own county of
Anderson, he said, the city of Ander-
son would pay 60 per cent of the
road tax, the railroads would pay Is
per cent--leaving only 25 per cent
to be paid by the people of the coun-
try.
Among the benefits of good roads
the Senator mentioned better schools
NOT 80 many of them, but farther
apart, with fine libraries, thorough
teachers, and conveyances to gather
up the children and carry them to
school; better churches and larger
attendance when few miles distance
more or less would make little differ
ence; more social pleasures and
greater ncighborliness.
Senator Latimer made very
strong presentation of his idea of
Federal aid, telling how Calhoun and
Clay in the Senate and Jefferson rs
President had favored the idea, and
how Sl40,0O0,0O0 was spent during
JcfferSon's administration for this
purpose. He gave a very reasonable
explanation of the dropping of pub
lie roads from the list of "internal
improvements" which is that the
farmers have simply not looked after
their interests as closely as have
boards of trade and other CONNER
cial bodies in cities. Among the in
ternal improvements that have been
fostcred by the general government
are Rivers and harbors to the
amount of 100000, 900; the Missis-
seppi river, $36,OOO,O0O, and the
government has just appropriated
$l5,OOO,O0O for irrigating lands in
some of the Northwestern States.
The government has spent recently
one million dollars to get good roads
in Porto Rico and has appropriated
three millions for good roads in the
Philippines. Why not spend money
for the same purpose at home?
The receipts of the treasury will
be the same under the tariff laws
an excess of one to two hundred
millions year-and this will be
spent in some way; perhaps in a
way that we will get none Of it, un-
less aportion be spent for good roads,
in which the South would get a
share.
The Senator advised against fight
ing over details, and urged that the
people contine themselves to the
proposition that they want good
roads and are willing to pay for
them--3 mills, S mills for five years,
ten years, or as long as necessary to
get them.
At the conclusion of this speech
Senator Latimer called upon all who
favored the proposition to rise, and
practically the entire audience rose.
When the converse of the PROPOSE
tion was presented nobody rose.
Senator Latimer was followed by
Congressman Aiken, who made his
remarks short because the ground
had been so fully covered by Mr..
Latimer. He endorsed what Mr..
Latimer said, and urged the agita-
tion of the question. He presented
the idea that every man is stock
holder in the public roads and should
be willing to contribute to putting
them in such condition that they
would yield proper returns.