The times dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1903-1914, 1905-01-21
v SATURDAY, JANUARY 81, 4 q, z

SATURDAY, 5JANUARY q, 1870. 4.
l.55 " Good Roads and Religion.
The st. Louis Christian dvoca'te which
naturally secs from q religious point q q
n view, lias como to the conclusion ! ha ma
tlcrcEis a. direct connection between rel I'll
& s zion ana good ronds. Perhaps our CO.
n tcmporary had in mind that road to te-
$ struction which Is said In proven 70 10 20
y payed with good Intentions, for 1T has
been we'll illustrated in the South mat ll at
y good intentions do not mako good pay 'l "
Is ilg ma terial and do not I,revent 8vehiicles
\, rom ,nlring inthe8mud during the rainy
N season. II but whatever the ms irations our
n contemporary ys has published o very pious
ana pointed article, entitled "a Good u oa ttl
n and Religion The ARTICLES IA story tor
Will, a moral ut Is related that tho road
BET een Vienna ana schoenbrnnnE has for
a. long time been in bad colidi t!on n and
although frequent complaints were t' made Ff'a
u to tile road commissioner, nothing was
8 done At last tho Emp ror5 sent 81 tele-.
a granite that functionary, requc:ssting MS
n presence a 12 u o clock on a, certain dty]
N and sending a carriago K for him. De
$5lightcd with the greatness thus thrust
9lupon him, the commissioner got himself
II lip regardless of expense but ero entering
1.-THE carriage, was Informed by the lackey
THAT oyercoats wero prohibited at court,
~
i to freeze rather. than offend the majesty;
" of Austria, The went without IN overcoat.
& The coach,nan3 drove Mt breakneck speed
through the streets Of ~ Vienna and out on
n theE Schoenbrunn highway. syS' no $p poor
commissioner2was spattered from head to
81 foot with the water and filth o E the road,
land arrived at the palace in a shameful
condition. 81 There he X found IA brilliant
4 receptlonfin progress, and In spite his
{ protests. was hurried into the presence
Y Of the eIJmp error, who shook him cordially
5by the hand, said that he wished to say
b q few words to him on the state of the
roads, but would first Introduce him to
z the distinguished company present. So
the commissioner. with his shirt looking
AZ like 1t came out of q ever, and q dress
coat, vest and pants that no pawn shop
4 would accept as security for the smallest
loan, was introduced to generals. arch
dukes, princes and ministers. Not a
IS SMILE save on the sly was seen upon
& the faces OF tho company present. but the
]. commissioner understood that every
glance at his mud ltcd beard and water
bedraggled suit was a comment on the
state OF tho road between the capital
X and the pala CO.. 5lS W 35a
i \ 58Si The sequel TO the story Is that three
4 hundred men are now working on that
road. The conclusion OF our religious con-
d temporary Is that while we do not want
XII enlperors in the South, II road commits
s!oners could occasionally be driven over
& their own roads. the results might be
beneficial to the public, and It then goes
on to show how good roads not only pro-
mote the material welfare OF a commu-
nifty. but help the churches, the Sunday
schools and tho day schools.
II the fault lay entirely at the doors
K of the road overseers wo might resort to
r the autocratic method OF tho Emperor Of
Austria, and literally ding mud at them
until they would DO compelled in self
v defense to have the roads improved But
s. the overseers cannot improve the roads
" without money, and the money must
come out OF tho pockets Of the taxpayers,
iWe OF Virginia have had many cam
ImIgns OF education on the subject Of
h matchmaking, and all sorts Of means to
I improve the roads have been suggested
we have shown great ingenuity in de-
yising plans. We have talked about ma
tionul aid, about State aid, about using
The conyicts-we have tried every pos
.6 sible experiment except that Of raising the
money by taxing ourselves. Many OF
Il The counties have been very willing 70
vote large subscriptions 10 railroads, hut
very few OF them have been willing tc
issue bonds for the building OF dirt roads
a A few of the counties have employed
state conyicts, but the experiments have
not proved successful, and IL the peo.
i 4 pie Of the counties depend upon the con.
riets 70 make good roads for them, they
E VII never have good roads, They mug
L raise the money in sufficient sums to d.
he work, aud they must have the worl
done under expert Supervision and dIree
tion When the people make up ihei
minds to DO this. It VIII not be long he
fore there viii be good roads III all parts
& Of tho State, and not until tNsn.
No commend this plain fact 10 III,
promoters o. the good roads movement Il
panyille, "A aq
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The Two Plans.