The commercial. (Union City, Tenn.) 190?-193?, 1906-06-08
GOOD ROADS.

Following is one of the excellent
speeches made in the debate OF
good roads by Fred Cloyes of the
Union City High School during
the closing exercises at the Opera
house last Thursday night:
| Question: Resolved. That Obiou
i County should issue bonds to build
good roads.
Mr.. President, Judges, Ladies' and
Gentlemen: | am glad to have the
honor of speaking tonight in favor OF
the good roads question. question
which though it has been sadly neg
lected, is to day receiving the most
careful attention of those most inter-
ested in the welfare of our country.
The question OF good roads is undoubt-
eddy the most important one for our
consideration that has or ever will
present itself 10 the people. The
roads of a country are its veins through
which all progress and advancement
is kept alive. AS we compare the
roads OF the South with those Of the
North and East, we feel urged to
shout, Awake, South. Our veins are
clog1ed! Why should other sections
of our country always lead? Now that
the plan of good roads has proven sue
cessful in certain portions of our own
State, why need we allow the North
to build her fine roads everywhere,
which she is constantly doing, and
then stand mocking the civilization of
the South. saving that we "are stuck
fast in the mud?'
& | affirm that with this one great
barrier removed, the South with her
unequalled climate and rich soil would
ere long hold all portions of our land
in amazement at our advancement in
wealth and the conyeniences OF life.
And we might add that to the credit
Of our progressive citizens and as a
good proof that our plan would be en-
tirely successful If practiced here, the
Good Roads Movement is rapidly gain
ing ground, $ constantly making
friends and we believe that the time
is not far distant when few old finn
sy objections will be disregarded and
our modern plan pushed forward TO
execution.
The matter of cost has always been
the bugbear in the way of the con-
struction of stone roads. This might
have been very good reason in the
days of Andrew Jackson, but now
when, as my colleague has we'll shown,
the modern road may be constructed
at so small cost, when as we have
shown it actually adds much more
than It's own cost to the taxable
wealth OF county, it seems that no
reasonable person would balk on this
excuse.
The farmers living near Jackson and
in fact at almost every place where
the plan has been tested, at first OPP
posed the movement on accountof the
cost, but now they head the list for
the advancement Of the good roads
system. They have seen the advan-
tages, they have seen, according to
the statement of Mr.. Lancaster of
Jackson. how land has increased in
value from 100 to 300 per cent. The
same eminent authority, speaking fur
ther Of the roads, says: bad roads
cost as much as good ones and good
ones can be made without having pos
terity pay all the cost. The genera
tion born to-day will not feel the bur-
den of bond issues for road making.
Inmy county the benefits have gone
beyond anything expected" AS to
the practicabllitysof the plan in Obion
County, Mr.. Lancaster said that we
could have good roads as we'll as any
place in the country.
These kind words come from man
who has given much Of his time to the
study of the construction of good
roads and by advocating his theory
has moved Madison County to action,
a county which now holds the distinc-
tion OF being the pioneer in the move
ment for good roads ia West Tennes-
see. This gentleman is not personally
interested in our county and would
not expect to gain anything by Obion
County's adoption Of the plan, yet he
Is friend of the peoples best inter-
ests, aud would enjoy seeing the
growth of the cause for which he has
labored SO hard to inaugurate. How
far should the opinion Of man who
has never studied the question and