The Montgomery advertiser., 1908-10-08
Leffers fo The Editor
The Good Roads Amendment.

Editor of the Advertiser:
 I have read. carefully the arg arsusrst aSyasssS sSs sSa Gy Ryoas. 5Sass SHiS tSs beginning of this short eommun.rssrvhl urarsanal desire to say that have nc psss pc or nor political interest in the ,hsr thsn failure of said amendment other ana', I.ai i Msifare Ss of the oe people. M Without being prejudiced for or against: l nave nave Hot eS been able to enteirtiain IhT respect him greatly and value his oplniosns, sn,1n 36in31 but In this matter l dlner dTo,ii o.,ihiongh, It seems to me that the cehiraa ro,,nnent about which he clusters ms sLsuset ststs is the Legislature will ruin lne f'd. n.aSe If you give them rein. In my JSWhtia ment thls argument Is not sound. sr he proceeds to substantiate IL by FeleI ence to the Carpet Bag era. that IS an era which has passed never 10 rsturn rst,,,. ]. and there is no fairness in compar!nS conditions now with % %condltieShiss Siste aliens were in power in our state. .
 However much we may dlHer ds to the expediency of certain laws enactea by the recent Legislature. we nave no right to conclude that all future 5,ts,rs Lens latures will be reckless in eSpendlture;; The people have the opportuhity expressing themselves when tney eieEs r Legislators, and this they VIII aSrsa with enactments. They will serVe as q check to anything that bears a lkeHess to conditions under the Carpet-oas regime.
 Almost without exception the Legls:: lature is governed in the passage or laws by the will of the people as 1x, pressed by an overWhSeinins S. sn ,nnp pu'ias as the people want school approprlati ons and Confederate pensions lnereaseo' the Legislature will increase them as well with the passage of this amendment as without It. Sometimes. when public sentiment Is thoroughly arousej, lt swings too far. and drastic measures ,In'n are demanded; but with nrr6oarabYe eoo.ahY ',ne von can depend upon it there VIII De an vuIsion, and that same public sentiment will guide to safety. ,ra,, cd that an appropriation can be made in the event sufficient funds are on nand to justify 1t. otherwise not. The con stitution fixes the tax rate at sixty five cents on the hundred dollars ana the proposed amendment does not. dl- rectly nor indirectly, increase taxes. To say that the Legislature will torcS higher valuation Is no argument Ine proposed amendment neither ados to nor takes from their power In that direction.
 had the attention of our people. A large part of the states revenue mas gone for public schools. and the ap- propriations, are on the increase year ca by year-and this is as It should pc. Have you heard voice raised against It? Has anyone seen fit to condemn the Legislatures which have thus eX. pended the peoples money? The people are willing because they see the ad- vantages. Every dollar that Is proper ly expended on the roads IS money invested at good interest. The cor responding increase in property values than interest in the shape of revenue and this too in a natural way. without the aid 9s bsen 0t e and time again. Examine the history or good roads in any country or. communi- ty. See what the results of state aid
 The argument that you fear the Leglslatureu Is no argument. You might as well say take from the Legis- lature the power to regulate rates be- cause you do not agree with the rail- road rate laws as enacted by them.
 It seems to me that the most impor- tant question before us today is ways are not destined to much further pro- gress until we have some permanent highways. Our. schools In. the rural of their usefulness until made more accessible by passable roads: our waste lands will never be brought back into high state of cultivation until pro- ducts can be carried to the railroads and markets. progressive and inter prising Northerners and Westerners will never come In to i'll up and de- velop our country until we have good roads.
 The saving in dollars and cents of teams and vehicles would be more than to. The idea has been advanced that under the proposed amendment, rural counties would have the advantage of those counties which have already i'm. proved their roads without state aid. Has this been true of scho aproprias tlons? I see no sound reason why it should not apply to one as well as to the other.
 Respectfully yours.
 N. D. Goodblood. Camden. Ala,
 Oct, 5th. 1908.