The News-Herald. [volume] (Hillsboro, Highland Co., Ohio) 1886-1973, 1910-04-21
THEME, Good ROADS
JESSE TAYLOR, OF JAMESTOWN,
o., ADDRESSES OHIO COUNTY
MIssIoNERs.
Speaker Takes for Text, the Highway
Sections From the Leading Ma
tionsI Platforms Of the
1908 Campaign.

Address of Jesse Taylor, Of James
town, o., before the County Commis-
sioners Association of Ohio at the
29th annual convention held In Column
bus, o., January 18th, 1901
Mr.. Chairman and Members OF the
Association:
To my surprise few days ago your
chairman invited me to address your
association on THE Organization OF
the Good Roads Movement"
| thank you for this opportunity to
address you second time and will
take my text. for this address, In the
1908 National Platforms Of the Repub-
lican and Democratic parties, which
read as follows:
THE Democratic Platform: 1--WE
fcvor federal aid to state and local
authorities in the construction of post
roads"
(The Republican Platform): I'VE
recognize the socia' and economic ad-
vantages of good country roads, main
tanned more and more largely at pub
lie expense and less and less at the
expense of the abutting owner. In
this work we commend the growing
practice of the state aid and we ap-
prove the efforts of the National Agri-
tultural Department, by experiment
and otherwise. to make clear to the
public the best methods Of road con-
struction."
Good Roads Of Years Ago.
And my references-the declara-
tions OF Presidents Mckinley, Roose-
welt and Taft, the statements of the
rulers Of every civilized tribe and ma.
tion and the demand of every citizen
since 1t is recorded in the message OF
Moses to the King of Edom, when
Moses begged liberty to pass through
the land OF the Edomites with the
Children of Israel, that Moses said
Let us pass, ! pray thee, through
thy country. We will not pass through
the fields, or through the vineyards,
neither will we drink OF the water of
the wells; we will go by the King s
Highway, we will not turn to the right
hand nor to the left, until we have
Highway" commentator tells us, ap-
pears to have been a public road made
by the Kings authority at the expense
OF the state.
In the days of Moses we find no &C
count OF sign boards along the roads
but Josephus tells us that Moses com
manded his people: 1T is duty to
A.. IL. - xsrh.x do mi
know them, and not to esteem 1t q
matter of sport, when We hinder 9th
er's advantages by setting them ir
the wrong way"
Good Roads Theme Ancient.
Good roads were even looked for
ward to by the prophet Isaiah who
saidi an that day shall there be q
highway out of Egypt to Assyria, anc
the Assyrians shall come into Egyp
and the Egyptians into Assyria."
A research of history shows us tha
the road question has been an impor
tant one since the first record of hu
man events, but the earliest exten
sive road building was by the Cartha
genians when Carthage was the com
merciaI metropolis OF the Mediterra
mean.
From them the Romans learned tn,
art OF road building and whereve
Rome extended her power a we'll bull
road was constructed to some cente
from which communication could b.
maintained with Rome, and between
$40 and 306 b. G.. they built the .Ap
plan way, $50 miles in length, from
Rome to Brundusium. Those road
were paved with square blocks o
stone carefully Joined together, whicl
rested on foundations of rough ston,
consolidated into one mass by liqui'
mortar and grout. and were covere,
with gravel, furnished with stones 70
mounting and descending from horse
back, with milestones, and witt
houses at which to lodge. some o
which are in good condition after
constant travel of 1000 years.
Art Of Road Building.
The art of road building was adopt
ed all over Europe. and the first rec
ord we have of the repair OF roads 1
by Macauley, who says that In 1885
'In some parts of Kent and SUISSE
none but the strongest horses could
In winter, get through the bog, Il
which, at every step, they sank deer
The markets were often inaccessibl
during several months, II is said tina
the fruits OF the earth were some
times suffered to rot In one place
while In another place. distant only
few miles, the supply fell short of tn
demand. When Prince George @
Denmark visited the stately mansio
OF Petworth in wet weather, he wa
six hours In going nine miles; and
was necessary that body of sturd
hinls should be on each side of hi
coach, in order to prop 1t.
Cause Of Bad Roads.
One chief cause OF the badness G
the roads seems to have been the d,