The daily sentinel., 1912-11-01
THE RECORDS MADE BY DEMOCRATS
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his legal powers have permitted, he has earnestly
striven for the enforcement of all the laws upon
our books; and, if the people of Colorado by their
vote November shall give him additional
power along the line of law enforcement, we may
be confident that he will honestly and efficiently
exercise those increased powers
Mere general statements by opposing candidates,
that, if elected, they will stamp out violation of
the local option law in Mesa county, meaning
less. Let them explain to the voters, if they can,
how they will proceed to do it under the law as it
exists today.
We make apologies for Mr.. Schrader's
ord. We ask the voters to examine it for them
selves in candid, fairminded spirit and cast their
ballots accordingly.
The Democratic Party believes that in other
offices OF the county change of administration
is particularly do believe this to be
true with reference to the board of county
mssionerS.
The question of good roads is a question that
is agitating the entire nation and state this time,
and is a question that is vital to the welfare of
Mesa county. Two facts about the road situation
in Mesa county cannot be disputed. We do not
have good roads, and we spend enough money to
entite us to get them. The Democratic Party
believes that the fault is not primarily with the
individuals who have been county commissioners
and road ovcrseers in this county for the past six
years, although there have been examples of dis
honesty and inefficency; but we believe we can
never secure good roads until the system has been
changed
In 1910 we spent upon roads and bridges the
of 81 900; in 1911, the sum of $54S4S
far this year have spent $4,000; and, for the
first time in many years, Mesa county is upon
warrant and not a cash basis there being S. 5000
of warrants registered against the road fund of
Mesa county. When consider this vast amount
of money that has been expended, and then see
the character of the roads that we have in our
county, cannot help but feel that something is
radically wrong.
Under the present system, every road overseer
is very largely law unto himself. He works
when he sees fit and he fit, with only the
most general instructions from the county
mssioners. The result has been that the road
ovcrseers, most of whom have ranches other
business OF their own to attend to, work upon the
roads when their business permits it, regard
less of whether the work is needed then not;
and, when the work is needed the road they
generally too busy to put in the time and there
is no to see that the work is done.
The Democratic County Assembly has recon-
mended to the people of Mesa county that they
take advantage of the road district law recently
adopted by our state legislature, by means of
which the county will be divided into districts,
each of which will elect its road directors. These
directors appoint the road overseer for the dis
trict and have control his work, subject, how
ever, to the board of county commissioners and
the road supervisor of the county. All of the
road poll collected in the district and 25 per
cent of the property road tax in each district is
expended by the board of directors upon the main
tenancc and repair of the roads. The remaining
IS per cent of the property road tax is expended
under the direction of the county commissioners
in the construction of new roads The commits
sioners required to appoint competent person,
preferably civil engineer, road supervisor for
the entire county Under this system will have
our roads constructed under direction of compe-
tent road builders along proper lines and grades,
and the maintenance and repair of the roads will
be under the direct supervision of the people of
the road district.
If our county commissioners are elected and this
proposition meets with the approval of the people
so that IS per cent of the voters will sign petit
ton requesting the commissioners to take this step,
we believe that new era in the development of
Mesa county roads will have begun.
Our party has been pledged to better roads for
the past six years, and we ask that the people
give a chance to make good pledge. One
Democratic county commissioner can do nothing
toward carrying out these reforms We must
have two in order to have control of the board.
We ask the voters to study the records of our
Officers, the personality of our candidates and the
pledges which we have made to the people, and,
if they meet with your approval, to give us
opportunity to serve the citizens and taxpayers of