The Democratic advocate., 1909-08-13

alone to their own particular one 1t
is a strange thing that the men who
drew the constitution and necessarily
ought to have known something about
1t insisted upon building roads with
government money. They were a
poor ignorant set. were Hamilton, JEFF
ferson and men Of his kind and we
waited until the reign of of Cannon
the First, before VIC discovered IT,
he, the man who had the supreme
nerve to inform the National Good
Roads Congress last spring that
though he was in favor of It, that
nothing would be done by the Govern
ment to aid In the building Of good
roads. because It would be unconsti-
tutional. Well, If he was sin
cere, he can prove it, for there
Is one thing the Government
can do that cannot be accused
Of unconsttutionally If they are will
ing to help the cause, and that Is
build a great highway from Washing
ton to Gettysburg as a Memorial to
Abraham Lincoln Ii is going to
spend millions of dollars in some kind
OF memorial to that great Ameri-
can, and what more fitting tribute to
his memory could there be than n
great road. IL would be typical Of
the man, 1t would be useful, IL would
be something that would serve the
people. not a thing to be looked at.
The lessons learned by It's construc-
ton would be of aid to us all In road
building, and II built on the lines sug-
gested by Mr.. Lafean and outlined by
Mr. McCleary, and then called the
Lincoln way, the memory OF that great
man would never perish as long as
as our hills and valleys last
IL may be thought that ] am vast
ing time talking about Il. as Speaker
Cannon says we can't have Il: he
wants to spend s4.O00,000 In beautI-
flying that vacant lot of ground be-
tween Union Station and the Capitol,
while some OF his friends are inter-
ested IN land along the Potomac
River. which they wish TO sell for
park. Why, he and the Republican
House Of Representatives are so au-
premely Indifferent to our demands
that they actually turned down SenR-
tors Knox's resolution which had
passed the Senate appropriating $780,
600 for a survey for the highway from
Washington to Gettysburg. So you
Etf AaAEAH ~ AkA lNhAA NANN VI MY
general legislation IN Congress bcne-
ficlal to the farmer as Il Is at pres
ent constituted and Will not be until
the Republicans wake up and send
different kind OF men to represent
them, men who will make the exiA-
tence 0f the rule ~ Cannon and hts
kind impossible AZ present our case
before the National Government does
not appear 10 have ans one represent
ing us and the question ~ aid to road
building Is laughed at But yet be-
lieye that " you get after them you
can NJ least set the Lincoln Way and
this would be good beginning tn the
right direction.
State Roads.
The signs. though In the State are
more encouraging. We have a good
or bad Roads Commission, according
20 ones point of view. which has
clearly spent Is months Kestiag ready
to build roads The suppressed en-
erRy which Il has concentrated dur
Ing this period Of time when releaa-
cd should accomplish much In Car
roll county Il has 40 far succeeded
In selecting the routes 81 the roads
TO be improved. two OF which. the
one 10 Taneytown and the one 20 Man
chester. will serve a large number OF
people, win ac, An trunk lines and n
built, will be of ineatimhblo benefit
Why this commission should have se.
loctcd a side road in the Southern
part Of our county l am not prepared
10 say. In fact, II 10 such a delicate
subject with me that | will drop It
at once, and. leaving thn State work.
come to our county, for from the pres
ent progress In State road building.
II looks like the greater part Of this
work will have 20 begin nj home. "
we wish 10 enjoy H.
Oar County.
We have bad roads and 3 fairly
good road law. but this alone is not
adequate TO the conditions confront
ing us. Under Il we can repair all
our roads and improve portions.
When the State builds its roads. those
Of our people who are not living on
or near them will want improved
roads alao.and they should have them
They can only. however. be given
these roads BY bonding the county
and building the roads ourselves.
Now. bonding the county II nothing
10 terrify one. for tho bonds should
be for long period so that we. and
our children. and those that come
after them. who will receive the bene-
fit OF these roads could help pay for
them. There are about 500 miles OF
roads In Carroll county including the
turnpikes. and taking OF the pixies
and the roads that the State will Inn
prove, will leave Us about 730 miles
TO take care Of There are about
272 GAO acres OF land In the county
and az the average saving Of 60 cents
per acre, you can pay si77. .2i6 a year
which you save. which will pay 3ts
per cent interest on 10000 and put
$l07.2iG to the sinking fund. This
would pay off the bonds In twenty
years II this is too Hrort, we would
make them for fifty years, and pay In
only half Of what we save. The cal
culation is based on what II is esti-
mated would be saved each year As
this money would not be collected and
handed over directly. II would neces-
state being included In our tax levy.
which would raise the taxes about
one-half per cent on the dollar, at our
present taxable basis The increase
In the value OF land. however. In New
Jersey was SO great that II was not
necessary to raise the levy, and this
might be so here. Again, 81 900 900
would improve ever, road. There are
many side roads that are little used
that could be left out, and ! believe
when the question is carefully ex-
amined II will be found that $1,000
900 would be all that we need In ad-
dition we can build cheaper than the
State, but this Is a matter OF detail
which | have not the time IN 90 into