Middlebury register. (Middlebury, Vt.) 1886-1937, 1909-04-30
Chicago, with its wide boulevards, a
Catholic priest recently spoke of

CnlCaRO, WIFI lJS Wlue DOuleVaruS, a
Catholic priest recently spoke of
AUTOMOBILES AS CRIMINALS,
declaring that a man would be justified
in killing the automobiles who threat
ened to crush out his life" and that
there is power which is not dependent
on mere suffrage, and that is, every
mans right to elf-defense," the very
basis of all governments and all laws,
especially in republic. If conditions
warranting such language exist in a
large city, it is impossible to picture those
met with on our narrow country roads.
THE WIDTH OF THE AVERAGE COUNTRY
ROAD
is not much, if any, over nine feet, the
road. bed being bounded by dangerous
and Ioften insurmountable barriers. If
the automobilist is sober, or not crazy
with the speed mania, he should have
his machine under control. 1t should
not shy. jump the track, climb stone
walls, or run into trees, poles, and other
Instructions, all of which the frightened
horse will do, no matter how intelligent
and competent the driver. Given
straight and sufficiently wide road and
an intelligent and courteous automo-
blist, and a road bed not less than 30
feet wide, the average horse is not gen.
orally afraid of the machine, as SUCH
1t is
THE FEAR OF BEING RUN INTO
which frightens horses more than any
thing else, and the presence of autos on
roads where they should not be PERMITTED,
as well as the experiences of horses with
automobiles who are without both
courtesy and common sense, which are
mostly to blame for it. When an auto
is driven at a horse at three or four times
the legal rate of speed and the automo-
bilist keeps to the road, even when the
horseman turns out to its full limits on
his side, the most fearless horse becomes
more or less dangerous. Horses that are
fearless of trains, when driven on a road
close to the tracks, cannot stand autos as
driven on country roads. In the one
case the horse is intelligent enough to
know that the train will not leave the
tracks or jump the fence; in the other,
experience has taught him that he is liza
BILE to be run into. While the so.caled
State-roads are laid out fifty feet wide,
the actual road bed is but twenty, and
outside of that lies danger. The State
roads are so largely used as speedways
by automobiles that, although built
with!public money and designed for the
use of all classes, they have become
practically deserted by horsemen using
light vehicles, who prefer to take long
way round between two points connect.
ed by the State road, in order to lessen
the dangers from autos all possible. The
Automobiles act as if the State roads
were for their exclusive use, and "cut
loose regardless of the law and the
prophets, not to speak of other people
In spite of what the eminent counsel OF
the Massachusetts Auto Association says
the fundamental law of nature, which
unlteS all people INTO clans, tribes, States
and nations, and is at the bottom of all
decent governments and all rationa
laws, gives to local authorities all right.
to protect the lives and property of citl.
zens against automobiles as much as il
does again other public dangers. If
electrics, which are confined to rails, are
not allowed on HIGHWAYS considered in.
imical to other people using them. why
should the still more dangerous automo
bile be allowed free use of such roads
RIO be continued,