Clinch Valley news. [volume] (Jeffersonville, Va.) 18??-2019, 1910-12-23
RINGING CALL TO
GOOD CITIZENSHIP
President of Good Roads Club
Writes Broadly of Roads
and General Progress.
Editor Clinch Valley News:

Lear DIT u. promised TO say some
thing through the columns of your
paper in regard to my views pertain
ing to our "Good Roads Movement. "
We who are in favor of a bond issue
realize that there is a difference of
opinion in regard to the propriety of
such a step. Now, let it be under
stood in the beginning, that we who
are in favor of bond issue are not
disposed to be dictatorial in the mat
ter; on the contrary, our purpose and
motive is, justice to all, special fa-
vors to none. This movement does
not mean, "We, the Democrats, -
"We, the Republicans, ''We, the
Lawyers, or 1--WE, the Doctors,
1--WE, the Country People," " or "We,
the Town Folks" but, WE THE
PEOPLE-all the people!
l would-excuse me for starting to
use the egotistical eel" "I' may
have Tom Thumb back of it, or a
midget, intellectually, and echo like
sounding brass; but what effect has
it, 1--WE" might say that beef will
rise to starvation prices, which
would make the stoutest stomach
trouble, but substitute the app for
the 1--WE" and no one would give a
copper for the opinion.
Now, WE, who are in favor of :
bond issue, ask our opponents, if we
have any, to sit down and make this
kind of calculation: How much longer
L.
road than on a very bad road? Figure
your repairs and cost of at least three
or four times as many wagons and
buggies. Count something for your
comfort, also. Count that one team
and one wagon and one man will do
more than two and do it in less time
and do it with more ease and do it
better; and thus count that you
would not only conserve-a good
work nowadays-ycur working force,
but double or quadruple your possi
bilities.
We, who are in favor of bond is
sue sufficient to meet our needs, say
without any fear of successful contra
diction that every man who has any
use for roads will have money in his
pocket after paying his part Of the
proposed bonding. 1t seems to US that
to take different view would re-
quire the opponent to recline on his
Prayer Book and say, GAS it was in
the beginning, is now, and ever shall
be, world without end, amenp'
This is a grand country, clothed
naturally with luxuriant grass from
valley to mountain summit. It's val
leys and hillsides are capable of
growing thousands of profitable crops
if we only had some way of conveying
them to the railroad. Then what
diversity of product and employment
would come with good roads We
have too many men trying to do the
same thing. This one-industry condi-
tion is driving our young men away
to seek employment elsewhere. The
exclusive raising of cotton has proven
a menace to the South's folks; may
not grazing prove so to Tazewell' S
population? In diversity of industry
there is activity.
Our people are proud of their coun-
try, of their families and neighbors
and kinsmen-and nearly the whole
county are akin-and they have a
right to be; but when we compare
what other counties are doing in the
way of public improvements, we find
we are very much behind in co-opera-
tive public spirit.
Now, mot the egotistic opp
this time, but the "I" of intimate
friendship feel like ! am talking
to my friends. have had as much
to do with you, my county people,
both In business and a social way,
as perhaps, any man living today,
and 1 am Thankful to say that there is
not shadow Of i'll feeling between
me and any man, not only in this
county, but in all the surrounding
country. And stand ready to work
as neighbor with neighbor in any CO.
operative movement for the better.
ment of the county and country, anC
to do all in my power for the build
ing up of progressive citizenship
This is history-new era. The worlC
is a paradox: both larger and less
Larger in doings; less in distances
The world grows nearer together il
its civilizations, too-nearer togeth-
er religiously, politically, CONNER
cially. Gradually the burden of tina
first awful sentence, "In the swea
of thy face shalt thou eat" is bein,
lifted. Drudgery is ceasing, inspiring
activity is taking its place. VIII
stand we idle? Let us be up and do
ing--doing our part to make some O
the rough ways smoothel
F. M. MOSS,