Okolona messenger. (Okolona, Miss.) 1900-current, 1912-04-11
FEDERAL APPROPRIATIONS FOR THE
IMPROVEMENT OF OUR PUBLIC ROADS
Right and Duty of Congress JnquestiOned from the Founda-
ton of the Government

EXTRACTS from speech of Oscar W. Underwood in the U. S House of Rep
The House being in Committee of he Whole House on the state of the
appropriations for the Department Of agriculture for the fiscal year ending
M. Underwood said:
o- Mr.: chh[ nf n;r 0 o%%:i%l is made to this appropriation 4an5 d% looking l. t5ag, to the the i'm NJ
served powers Of the States WISH Ssh to %" :g' there SS.T is n %S nan an ON on ON ' the floor ~o OF OF
S STATES 4 9S9 nG sm 'eiDo bee IN M 4e desire oslr &c p5GsSs c @e re5srye the Fg Snon Oi ba ae
their duties to perform and should perform them without aid or hindrance on
should enter into the legislative heds that belong solely to the States, but l
s%! t to perform 5od .9 9nder TT the e. powers o% given it By teu cG q ST. tic s that it 5 should
q these grants Of power 70 qs the lm1guag, Of the Constitution, is TO estab-
There can be n question, whatever that 4e Constitution carries the power
Sn Iu aaa poSnToaa SD IN It the o United states ID establish m 1 R0 I. means to
t hfn may scott scot. at 5 the proposition i] and say nat ata the fathers did not conten-
they contemplated building roads to carry the all through the wilderness and
i far +; ds% s q I WA S1@ say gTSD d %s %.f that at The &c need $d' foS po 55 So%s
Mr.. Douglas Where does the gentleman fin anything in the Constitution
D Mr.. Un5eF Ho ssl' Why, i IT IS Vy Sea Gu"4 TIE K Consult Constitution gives the power
&c Mr. &e b 5Sas5a5 ' 9Ee language e0 Of ft se dod RGss2o Is IS a 5o . e@at51ba'p pos.roads,
an Mr. mat Wi hls D%n r fSd d 50 1f "a yy & S5s5se5 i N &, ihrd iu conggfe ssm and was
decided in favor Of the construction Of the Cumberland road BY some of the
Mr. Iin Underwood 5yo ;, The e.. e@ gSagom1 that j is m made fo today st by the S leaders i'd eo of the
donali power to aid the State. in building good r2ss was vas s certainly nly. not main
existence as a Government
olS 2a March a. ''a the House of Representatives passed the following res
ps oS4sssf MONEY! r'f tor e9 ': ssa. e; 2ss; Ct 9 Pa.a,, :s 3 8aHts99 and to 3d &c;
roads, and Of canals and for the Improvement Of waterways"
Thomas Jefferson said, in a letter to Mr. 1eper in 1858:
Give us peace till our revenues are liberated from debt and then if
war be necessary it can be carried on without a new tax Or loan, and
during peace we may checker our whole country with canals, roads,
etc. This is the object to which all our endeavocs should be directed"
While Secretary of War in 1919 Mr.. Calhoun made a report to the House
of Representatives O roads and canals, in which he said:
mo object of the kind is more important and there is none to which
State or individual capacity is more inadequate. 1t must be perfected
by the General Government or not perfected at all"
In addition to this, Congress has a stronger and more specific warrant for
making this appropriation, under the authority conferred by the Constitution
ito establish postofces and postroads" Cooley in his book on ConShtu-
donal Law, says:
Every road within a State, including railroads. canals unphs,
postroad, whenever, by the action of the Post-Ofne Department. pro-
vision is made for the transportation of the mails upon or oer it,