Clarke courier. [volume] (Berryville, Va.) 1869-1997, 1904-02-03
The Bridge Decision.

IN the light OF the very lucii decisions
rendered by our able Circuit Judge, have
placed themselves in position to be
smenable 10 the law Of the land for con-
tempt of court, or for resisting officers
in the discharge Of their duty.
A law passed by our legislature, voted
on by the people, and defined by so able
jurist as Judge Harrison ought not to
be lightly treated. have confidence
enough in the large majority of the peo-
pie OF Clarke TO believe that they will
not let it be, and will see that the bridges
are built promptly and in business like
manner. You can take the vote Of the
people of Clarke again if you please on
the Bridge Question and the anti-bridge
people will be defeated worse than they
were before, for we will try TO see that
there viii be no ingenuity employed to
split our vote as there was before, with
the three cornered ticket. New York
City politics were never slicker than
that was. II was not in accordance with
the order of the court or law of the leg
islature either
"Greenway' seems awful anxious to
have the money that was voted for the
bridges, spent on improvements Of the
rcads The road question has been agi-
tated often in past years and we don't
remember any public efforts Of his being
made to increase taxation for the im-
provement Of roads. He has had nearly
forty years since the war to improve the
roads and has never done il. He thinks
these matters ought to be left to the
real taxpayers" Who does he mean by
thesey Is our state and county govern
ment plutaOcratic or democraticg Must
we give up in despair the hope Of the
majority rulingg I imagine he would
like 10 get back the system that he &C
quiesced in for so many years-that of
having the poor man (who when he
went anywhere took a path across the
ield) work the roads three DAYS in a
year for him 10 drive over. am one
who believes that the one who gets the
most out of a country is the one who
ought to pay the most taxes.
The item Of three days in the year for
laboring man is more than one per
cent Of his income. How would our
real taxpayer like 10 pay one per cent
Of his income for road tax aloneY The
matter Of supplying wood TO the ordi-
nary family is fast becoming a serious
one in this country. When we get the
bridges built land hope the toll taken
of Of them for the next fifty years we
will be comparatively safe so Tar as
wood is concerned. The men on the
east side Of the river, who observer
des gna,es as sumac and whortleberry
sellers, will be wood sellers also, whom
we will be glad 20 welcome on this side.
l am glad 10 say a large number OF
land owners votek for the bridges not
withsianding the fact that it will In
crease their taxes-the majority Of them
| think; but il is peculiar TO see how
some others look at the matter They
say they don't want the value OF their
land increased, for fear Of course that
will increase taxes.
There isn't one OF that class but what
will petition for free rural delivery when
the fifty dollar man will do work that
pays fifteen dollars a month TO the gov
eminent. That is n direct benefit "a
them, and other people are taxed to pay
two thirds of the cost of il. am moi
opposed 10 free delivery. Let il come
with other Improvements, but let every
body be fair about the matter Of taxa
ton. Let the majority rule. lob
server thinks the editor ought TO item
ize more of the savings that the buildin.
of the bridges will occasion the county
Five hundred is not half the nnmbe
of families on this side OF the river
They will each burn eight cords of WOO,
per annum, that means four thousan,
cords at $3.50 per cord which will
amount TO ten thousand dollars Woo,
that is now rotting can be marketed.
cannot compute the amount of ordinar
lumber that will be put upon the market
1t will amount to a considerable sun
At present if you ever have occasion I
get a check from a citizen of Pari.
Blumount, or an one in Loudoun O
Fauquier county it sill be drawn o
Alexandria or Leesburg banks. Moth
, ing could show more conclusively wher
the trade of those people go to,
: Front Royal added 10 her trade i'm
mensely by building her two bridge.
The people on the north side of the rive
: formerly drove to Middletown, Stephe
City or Winchester to do their tradins
Cedarville, very small village five mile
north of Front Royal, had a merchar
3 that made enough money to buy fou
e fine farms before the bridges were bull
r Since thew were built he has sold HI
D store. and trade at Cedarville is not ha
D what IL was before. Please don't let an
: one allow himself to be fooled by thes
taxpayers" correspondents proposiu
: better roads, if there is any danger {
raising taxes to accomplish then
What one of them said about stone fel
D ces being gwen for the purpose is a fac
1 The fences from Boyce TO a few hundre
yards of White Post have been offere
for some years and money besides, bl
like the old story of the man in his co
fin who had nothing and was bein
hauled away to be buried because he d
not want to work, some one offered hi
a a barrel of corn and he raised up an
J. asked if il was shelled. When told
1 waa NOT he asid "drive IN -