The Lexington dispatch. [volume] (Lexington, South Carolina) 1870-1917, 1903-08-26
Too Much Politics.
To the Editor of the Dispatch:

COQVentlOu ab iSA Abk 'oh oo o4S ~o""
think about how much we were bene-
fted by said meeting, also how many
we're disappointed. 1t Is evident
that the people expected something
by the number in attendance. l can
give my opinion of it in short torm'
for I considered it nothing, and #
each man that attended would have
took his shovel and spent the time
sboveling dirt on the roads We would
have done more good than attending
the convention.
It looks strange that as many men
would assemble on the all important
question of the day and then hear
only one speech on good roads.
That was the speech OF Senator Latl-
mer. He gave his plans. others
spoke but gave no plans. The meet
ing then adjourned until 3 o'clock.
At 3 o'clock nobody was in the court
house. I looked around and tried to
stir up those who I thought the
proper ones to go ahead, but no etir.
I was expecting to hear the opinions
of the mass of the people on the
plans laid down by former speakers.
There were plenty Of red hot good
roads men there that I think were
almost bursting with speeches, but 1
think they were like Senator Tillman
a little. At one time be stopped and
inquired where he was at on the road
question. As the former speakers
differed I think others thought that
if they made speech where would
they land at, for this good roads
question is expected to be the lead
ing question in the next campaign.
Now, MIR. Editor, 1 think if the peo-
ple had assembled at 3 o'clock and
gave their opinions We could have
done some good. If I had not heard
better plans than mine I would have
given my plans and if another meet
ing should be called I will attend one
more, for I feel that something must
be done, for the present plans OF
working roads will not do. Some
blame the Legislators; some blame
the County Commissioners; some
blame the overseers and some blame
the road hands.
In the first place, it has been an
unusually bad year on roads, then
there were no copies of road law on
hand when the new board took
charge Of the Office and the Legisla-
ture had up the road question, SO the
board thought best to wait and hear
the result of the legislature. The
acts never came out until sometime
in June, then it was the first OF
August until the copies of the act
could be gotten in the hands OF the
overseers. Then in some parts or Sec
tons Of roads every hand had paid
communication tax; some sections had
but eight or ten hands on which
means that many dollars. Over
seers had to be hired and could not
be hired for less than one dollar per
day. Then especially on clay roads
it was useless to work roads before
they dried eff from continued rains;
then the planting season was on and
farmers needed every hand and
would not hire them to work roads.
Now, suppose an oyerseer could have
hired one or two hands, his first day
would take his dollar he had paid in
and each day from then would take
another hands dollar until the over
seer would soon consume the COM
mutation tax, let alone extravagant
prices for hands to work.
Now, the overseers have the law
and hands can be hired as cheap as
at any time, and they will be re.
qnested to work the roads or show
the reason why they do not. Hope
ing the above will give satisfaction to
the many who have been asking and
writing the irquiry why have the
roads not been worked.
w