The Baltimore County union. [volume] (Towsontown, Md.) 1865-1909, 1905-08-12


The press Of the country in all directions is
urging attention to the question Of national
aid to good roads. The proposition as en-
bodied in the Brownlow- Latimer bills has now
been under discussion long enough to be well
understood, and the demand for its adoption
as national policy is growing in every quar-
ter. The first Of these bills was introduced in
the House by Hon. w. P. Brownlow, OF Ten
nessee, and the other in the Senate BY Hon.
A. @. Latimer, Of South Carolina. The bills
are practically the same, both seeking to bring
IN the United States as a CO operative factor in
the systematic construction and improvement
Of the highways. the Government to supply
sum equal to the sum any State will supply up
to the maximum provided for. In speech
in Congress on his bill Representative Brown
low declared that a general plan of co-opera.
ton would have to be resorted to in order to
fairly distribute the burden of taxation neces-
sary to adequately improve the highways, and
added this forceful point:
$50 long as we pursue the original method of
taxation the entire burden of cost for highway
improvement falls upon the owners of agricul-
tural lands and the persons living in the rural
districts. When the great mass of the people
lived in the rural districts this was just and
equitable distribution of taxes for such pur-
poses, but with the changed conditions Of the
present day, when one half of the people live in
cities, and much more than one-half of the
wealth Is concentrated in these cities and In the
corporations that are so powerful at the present
time. It is absolutely necessary that some means
should be devised whereby the revenues requi
site for the great improvement that is called for
should be derived from all of the people and re-
sources of the country as nearly as possible, and
not rest as heretofore. upon the farming classes.
who are the immediate losers by every failure
of crops and sufferers by every decline in price
of agricultural products
About onethird of our people bear the total
cost of the construction and improvement of
the common roads. They are the people of
the country districts who constitute the mud
sill upon which is built the political and in
dustrial development which is our boast. To
them, in larger degree than any other class.
we owe the magnitude Of the position to which
we have attained along all lines. Upon them
the heavy hand of taxation falls relentlessly.
They never dodge the tax-gatherer, but bear
the largest proportion of the burdens of Gov
eminent and receive the smallest OF its bene-
fits. 1t is an unjust and unequal distribution
of the burdens and benefits of Government,
and it is to correct in measure these inequali-
ties and hardships that the bills under discus
sion are being urged by the people every where.
Senate Document No. 2O4, Fifty Eighth Gen.
gress, second session, is q compendium that
ought to be in the hands of every citizen, and
it can be bad by writing TO your U. 8. Senator
and asking for it. We are authorized to say
that Representative Brownlow will be glad to
send copy of his bill to any one writing for it.
In AN interview short time ago with a cor
respondent of the Philadelphia North american
on the subject of the political ring of that city
Mr.. Charles J. Bonaparte, the present Secre-
tary of the Navy, said: when man is in
politics for what be can get out of it he be-
longs to no political party at all. He only
pretends to be party man. And that mans
fraudulent professions of party loyalty are ag-
gravations of his offense.' Continuing Mr..
Bonaparte said: There is no more reason for
saddling the crimes of the Philadelphia gang
upon the Republican party than there was for
saddling the crimes of the German. Rasin ring
in Maryland, in the old days of boss rule, upon
the Democratic party. Personally, ! am Re-
publican. Many of the best friends have in
Maryland are Democrats, but we worked side
by side there for the cause of good government
without questioning a mans political convic-
tions. In recruiting for the cause of good gov
eminent It is necessary to bear in mind ques-
49,, 80 ,rveo;a,,oo The frot thine A., oo,,o;dor
is: Is be an honest man? That is the test,
and my Democratic friends in Maryland and
l acted alike on that principle. Other men
who claim to be honest will act upon the same
principle in fighting the cause of good govern
ment, no matter where the battle ground may
happen to be"
SENATOR CULLoM, of Illinois, said in Wash
ington that Congress must curtaiI expenses to
cut down the Treasury deficit, and leaders in
Congress are also giving much attention to the
proposed reform of department methods.
Even if virtue comes from the pressure of ne
cessity still it is good. It is surely better for
Congress to run the country on present income
than to increase taxation. The best way to
raise additional revenue is to adopt the reci-
procity treaties formulated by ex-senator Kas-
son and so earnestly urged by the late Secre-
tary Hay. There is no doubt that all the de.
partments need an overhauling, as they are
slow, in places corrupt, and every place too
many employees on very short hours. Fewer
clerks and better paid ones in the higher ranks
would be good reform. Happily, as things
are going, President Roosevelt will leave q
clean Civil Service to his successor and make
Congressional economy fashionable.
ANOTHER ADVANCE of ten cents a ton on all
grades of anthracite coal has gone into effect.
This, no doubt, is prelude to a further adj
vance, which may ultimately reach fifty cents
ton when people most need fuel and will put
millions into the pockets of the barons. It
may be that portion of this increased price
will go to the miners, not willingly, but to
prevent now talked of strike. OF course, the
consumer pays the piper, and as the majority
are the poor, who buy small quantities. nobody
will be satisfied save the barons, for it is gen.
orally believed the mine owners can make
money at lower price and yet pay the miner
more wages instead of taking the increase to
labor by levying contribution on the wash
woman's coal bucket-a kind of robbing Peter
to pay Paul.
DESPITE THE rumbles of war still heard in
the East all signs continue to point to peace.
In New York theater the other night party