The Stark County Democrat. [volume] (Canton, Ohio) 1833-1912, 1906-03-30

road they helped to build, and meet
a horse and buggy or an automobile,
they must get off the road to leave
the forgetful driever pass him, or her
Have you, Mr. Brissel, any idea
how many of our people have no way
to travel except by foot or electric car
or other hire? For the above rea-
sons would not ask that class to con-
tribute to the poll tax, or work two
| days on the roads. There is still an
other side for the laboring class. Ii
we built roads TO your ideas SO that
| the automobile can travel at all times
of the year, 1t would not be long until
the automobile would be hauling those
who could afford TO ride on their car
to and from the city, and the poorer
class could take the street car, and in
a short time the street car companies,
who have to build their own roads,
would have to increase their fares in
order to live and operate their lines.
Now, Mr.. Brissel do you not think
the electric railroads are one of the
greatest improvements for all the
people? / do, and we need many
more lines yet. But / don't believe
that they ought to be built on or along
side of the public road but ON private
right of way And neither do | be
lieve that the people should builG
automobile roads.
| Let me give you an idea of what we
think of the automobile on the road,
that is in the way they are used.
Ten to one, we would rather meet a
car as cross a railroad track, because
we know the car has only one track
\ to travel on, while the automobile
can travel anywhere and on all roads
over all roads, but all over the roads,
and drive the country people off the
roads. Last fall | took short trip
on the machines, and they are nice
to ride in, but on the trip | saw two
different places farmers women out
driving. The first place was Marlboro
Center. There two women had driven
way out in the field and were down
in front of the horse trying to hold
him while we rode past. Another
time, on the same trip, was in my
own town, Uniontown. There again
were two women trying to keep their
horse from climbing over the hitch
ing post as we rode by. You can
imagine my feelings about that time
when | thought, is it possible that
the time has come when our wives
and daughters of the country can nc
longer drive out to market or to Sun
day school? 1t certainly is becoming
serious, and is time to call halt.
That is not all. ] know of horses
that have been spoilt by running away
and becoming so bad to handle that
it would take one of the most cour
ageous men to hitch him up, and they
could not break him. l have two
horses that the women use to drive tC
Canton, and until the 10th Of June il
will be two years since l drove t
Canton. ! met two automobiles clost
this side of Canton and my family
horse nearly tore things to pieces
Since then, we take the street car II
we want to go to Canton, and my wife
has not driven out alone since.
Now, these things are not the best
condition of affairs for our home city
market, because our potatoes and
many other products are loaded or
board of cars and sold elsewhere ol
come to you at advanced price; and
when we take the car to go shopping
we may go to larger cities. This is
my knowledge of these matters, and
have no objection to automobiles or
our public roads, as | believe they
have as much right to travel on the
road as we have. But 1t is the abuse
of that privilege. Your neighbor's
safety should be guarded as well as
your own, but i object to- building
permanent roads for their especial
benefit and then claim it can be done
without increase of the tax levy,
which any man with common sense
knows cannot be done.
When you speak of the lifetime OF
the permanent road, do not fool the
people. l have seen in the last 81
years three new coats of paved street
blocks laid on the same street and or
as good solid foundation as you dare
try to build, and still they give way,
Now, Mr.. Brissel, | notice an ar
ticle entitled, The Cat out of the
Bag" 1t seems to me that the time
will never come when the people viii
elect to the Office of county commits
sioner man who is wanting to build
boulevards and macadam roads. The
writer of that article also says the
people would not want to be taxed tc
the amount of $125,000 to widen the
road between Canton and Massillor
for street railroad benefit. I don't be
lieve people would, but ! believe that
it would be cheaper to give the 1925,
900 and then forever drop building
roads for privileged class.
1t is also said in that article that
the commissioners told the Canton
| Akron Co If thew wanted land fOi