The Dillon herald. [volume] (Dillon, S.C.) 1894-????, 1909-11-18

l the counties ana townships 10 declare
| for. and tax themselves for, good
roads in return for and in considera-
| ton of assistance from the state at
! large. To the end OF highways that
shall be properly constructed. that
shall be judiciously planned and that
shall be the logical parts OF n s. stem
destined TO network the state with
| pike and by-road. each adequately
! constructed and maintained. 1 take il
that the greatest measure of success
will follow uron the highest uniform
I ry OF conception and construction.
| Once the state is as thoroughly COM
nitted to the principle OF good roads
as the people are to good schools.
| there will be at once the end OF hap
hazard method and ill-defined plan.
fhe old religious conception OF the
moral advantage OF n rough and mar
row" way has been relegated finally
to the realm of allegory. That is
where it belongs. "Facilis dcscensus
/ averni" may have once be sn true. Our
| aim now ought to be to make the way
| to market equally broad and equally
smooth. 1t is To an industrial and
| commercial haven that we must look
FOR the broadest measure of moral
I
is row the road preferred by vice
and Stunned by virtue. The church
and the school house seek the high
way. Heretofore, the very vital need
vn-Ch every resident of our country
districts has felt for improved high
ways has, in sense, contributed
| through jealousy and contention to
| postpone and hamper the good work.
nS ini- ~,
spectacle of county wrargIrs over
road routes? Who, If he has ever
yielded so far to ambition as to sit
! on a county board. has not prayed
| fcrvoTtly TO be delivered? Or. if ne
mas beer merely spectator of their
troubles and an auditor of the abuse
md scandal heaped upon their de-
I, Selcss heads. has not taken sat-
i. action in the thought that his trou-
blcs, at least. were not complicated
by the laudahlc desire to shoulder
those OF his friends and ncighbors?
From the Very nature of the case. the
county unit is too small an one 10
permit of the proper mapping of even
its own roads.
Individual Work
However well the work may be
done in the individual county-and
there are brilliant cXamplcs-it must
inevitably. if performed with sole re-
gard for such 4 unit, not only result
in discord and lamcrtable d!sscnsion.
but it must also fail OF it's best op-
portunity. in scope, in purpose and in
progressive economy. What we need
therefore. in these comparatively
cmalIcr counties Cf the west. is Il Sys-
tom of roau building. declared upon
and endorsed by the state. which will
AID the county in it's work. while at
tn" same time giving fun SCOPE
Tor t!c exercise of county enterprise
and the enlistment of county pride.
Already there is in the state policy
towards schools Il feature that it seems
to me is direct precedent and JUS
tihcation of the general plan that l
have in mind on this road matter. l
refer to the funG from which We are
establishing the rural school libraries.
have not the figures at hand. nor
"m proposing To deal in figures.
,cvcn statiSlician must now and
then take a day of in the interest of
truth) but we all know the gratifying
success and extension which has FOL-
lowed the execution of that policy. In
@,
raised by taxation out OF the whole
people. and says to every school dis
trict in the state: See here. do you
want a library in your school? Then
go TO work to get one.
State Aid.
Raise Il certain amount and the
state will supplement the fund in
your district out Of the fund collect
ed from the whole people, whether
they qualify themselves for libraries
or not" We know the result and il
took but a superficial knowledge OF
human nature to forecast 1t. There
is something of the trader in us all
ana little more-if reports OF some
doWn-castcrncrs alleged experiences
be true-in us. of the west than in
others. "he state is dotted with rural
libTariea. selected by the far-sighted
and cultured heads or the educational
department. which were purchased
by the people with voluntary dona-
tions Of their means because they
wanted to get the benefit of the state
fund. AS q result, there have been
placed in the hands or the poor the
magic means whereby their souls are
stirred to rise. There haze been placed
before the wondering eyes of those
ripining in darkness the radiant Vis-
ions or the fields Of !i2ht which they
may hope to win; there has been held
forth to cropping ambition and fet-
tered genius the golden ward Of op-
portunity aHd inspiration. Who can
measure the volume or gauge the
current OF the swelling food of in
huence for good set in motion by this
one simple device. the beanty of which
Is its utter democracy OF operation,
from centralized charity or patronage.
And have we not in the library meth
cd and the kindred policy Of the
stniG lOMnrIs the snnninl snhnnl tn..