The watchman and southron. [volume] (Sumter, S.C.) 1881-1930, 1911-07-29

forests paths were mark OF un-
civilized nations. Every civilized
nation on earth had tried to build
good, permanent roads. Ninevah.
Egypt and Rome had built these
roads; Europe had built COM
pletc system over the whole CONT
nent. The South conld not DO with
out good roads, if it expected to
keep up with other sections Of the
country and right now it is wasting
millions Of dollars because Of pet
ideas about saving, which We're not
really saving, but eXtravagances.
Competition must be net with
competition. The South must set
forth the same and additional ad-
vantages to other sections, if 1t
expected to be an important part
OF the country. He was glad to see
that Sumter county was doing
things that tended towards the ma
terial progress Of the country.
He said in regard to the bond is
sue that it was a system as old as
the government and law itself.
Recently a most effective drainage
law had been enacted, but when it was
desired TO put it into operation some
Of those men who would have been
benefited, with their narrow ideas rails
ed the cry that it was unconstitutional,
and the Attorney General had just
found it to be constitutional.
The bond issue which was to be
hoated was very small comparatively
speaking and those who paid out the
money would scarcely notice the
difference in taxes. The enhance
me1t n value of property would
many times report them for the
amount expended in taxes. At the
same time the taxes would become
lighter year after year after the
road were built and when new peo-
pie came into this county from other
counties.
He said that the burdens on the
country people were the greatest be-
cause they were the ones most ben
Gifted. lin Marion county the bon is
had been put in without reference
to the people and no one at all was
kicking about the small amount of
extra taxes and the good roads that
they had to travel over in going about
the county. The cost of hauling now
was on an average Of ~ cents a
ton Tor one mile. The cost would
be reduced to eight cents. This
meant saving TO the people of the
county of many million dollars each
year.
de said that in regard to the la
bor leaving the farm, which was one
point brought against the building
OF the roads, that he had found, and
he had had much experience, that
1t rather tended to keep The negro
on the farm, for those who lived on
the farm were accustomed to farm
work and would do no other kind.
The kind of labor that did the work
was the shifting labor that would
not tie itself down to any one place.
He hoped that on August 1st the
people Of the county would go to
the polls with the idea that they
were putting money into their own
pockets when they voted for the
bond lssue-aS they We're in reali-
ty doing-and make this the banner
county of the State when il came to
the matter OF road building. This
was the first county to advocate
complete plan whereby they would
get complete system OF good roads
throughout the whole county and
it deserved a great deal Of credit if
the plan was successful. but would
be discredited in future if the plan
was unsuccessful and the county
had to wait ten years to get a COM
plete system of good roads