The Farmville herald. [volume] (Farmville, Va.) 1890-1934, 1908-06-05
pnRLIC ROADS AGAIN.

"All roads lead 10 huilV an" "''
subjects of public interest lead us To
our public road system, eNecfaole rs IL
is in present conditions and demand
ing prompt and heroic treatment We
hear il often said, "the government
has nothing TO do with the building or
care Of the public roads Of the country.
II cannot constitutiOnally engage in
sneh work. Ignoring for the time
being that the government violently
took from the people Of the Southern
States. without just compensation,
property which was sacredly theirs by
the provisions of the constitution, that
II has engaged in Philippine Porto
Rican, Cuban and Panama ventures
and that it contemplates vast waller
WAYS and irrigation schemes, let s
snend moment with that immortal
man, Henry Clay, who was al one
time violently opposed to the estao-
Hshment of national banks by the
general government and who after
wards became its warm and able
champion, and listen to his reasons Tor
the change Of front on so important
public question: "Ihe constructed
mowers being auxiliary To the specili-
cally granted powers, and depending
for their sanction and existence upon
a necessity to give effect to the latter
which necessity is to be soughtfor aud
ascertained by a sound aud honest
discretion-iti is manifest that this ne
cessity may not be perceived at one
time. under one State Of things,
when it is perceived at another time,
under different state of things. lDe
Constitution, il is true, never changes,
it is always the same; but the force OF
circumstances and the rights OF eX-
perience may evolve, to the ialllole
persons charged with its administra-
ton, the fitness and necessity OF par
ticular exercise Of constructive power
TODAY which they did not see at a form
er period" True TO this position II
has been replied: "By such law OF
INTERPRETATION the jurisdiction of the
Federal government is made unlimiI-
ed and instead of possessing delegated
specifically defined and limited powers
il becomes magnificent, all absorb
ing, all governing empire, with qnre-
strained and unlimited authority"
But where comes in the danger If, IN
the words of Mr.. Clay, "sound ana
honest discretion" have hold Of The
wheel of the ship Of state and is there
a sane and honest mind in all the
land that does not perceive the urgent
necessity at this time in the history
of the nation for better highways?
And again may we not ask hasn't
the general government the power to
establish not only pOstoillces but post
roads ? ,decent and travable post
roads? and to provide for the general
welfare Of all the people Of the Re
public? and what, pray, would CON
tribute SO much to the general welfare
of all the people or the general better
ment of our public highways ? Away |
with Constitutio nal scruples in pre-
sence Of a crying want, a constant /
menance. Let US repeat and empha-
sise the fact that we now grOan be-
meath an annual bad-rOads tax OF
500. OOO, 900. Let's unload from under
this unnecessary, unproductive, unre-
lenting tax-burden, and take up in IFS
stead an annual 100000 900 tax-load
Just the amount the Waterways Com
mission is asking for, and within a
decade we will have gotten out Of the
old ruts and no longer be forced TO pay
exacting and irritating tribute to the
mud king.
Some questions have two sides-this
has but one. To the rescue, We men
CT authority, who have been placed
by the people in honorable positions
and charged with sacred trusts.