The Columbia herald. [volume] (Columbia, Tenn.) 18??-1935, 1912-10-18

purpose of building this road made
| the suggestion that the money for de-
fraying the expenses of the survey be
raised by the sale of highway buttons,
and the money was so raised, | visited
the Federal Bureau Roads at Wash
ington, at the request of the commits
sion, and procured the assignment of
! government road engineers to do the
engineering work on the highway.
The commission of eleven did not
adopt my suggestion that one or two
days be set apart for voluntary public
work on the highway, after the engineer
had staked it off, ana the bridge and
culvert worl had been put III place. As
matter of course, the grading of the
road could not have been absolutely COM
| pleted in two days, but tremendous
amount of work could have been done
that would have made it certainty.
Met With Ridicule.
This suggestion met with great ridi-
cule upon the part of certain opposition
: newspapers, who declared the jmpossi-
bility, in the face of the fact that the
same thing had been done in several
other states. The whole Memphis-to-
Bristol road proposition was fought from
/ the start by considerable number of
small-bore politicians, simply because my
name was connected with it. But in
spite of all political opposition, and the
frequent lack of harmony among a few
members of the commission, the follow
ing results have been accomplished in
the various counties:
Between Memphis and Nashville, TWEEN
ty-six miles have been and are being
built in Shelby, six in Fayette, the en-
tire distance across Haywood, the few
miles necessary in Madison, $4,000
worth in Humphreys, and some work
has been done in Carroll. Much educa-
tional work has been done in the other
counties.
Between Bristol and Nashville, 1892
miles of the preliminary survey have
been completed, and 94.5 miles of the
location survey Contracts have been
let on T6.5 miles, and 1877 miles is be-
ing done by force account. Cannon
| county has appropriated $4,000 bonds;
Warren, $11,S00; White, 100000; Cum
berland, $4,000; Roane, $4,000; Lou
don, 100000; Washington, $6O,OOO; Car
ter, $6o,ooO and Sullivan and Hamblen
a sufficient part of a general bond is
sue. There were already 1S1 miles of
macadamized road on this eastern end
of the route.
Completion Assured.
This assures the completion of the
highway. The building of this road, and
the agitation incident thereto, have slim
ulated good road building all over the
state, as well as building combinations
of the highway both in Mississippi and
Virginia.
l repeat, / have no desire to deprive
any of the numerous good citizens OF
any part of the large credit due them
for their part in this enterprise. Many
of them have devoted ten times more
attention to it than had to give. l
am not even entitled to- the compliment
implied in a remark made by the la
mented Senator Taylor, at Cookeville,
about year ago, when he made refer
ence to the "Hooper-to-Memphis high
way"
Among the many robust, vigorous and
progressive declarations in McMillins
platform is the one on good roads,
1--WE declare in favor of the building
of good roads in all the counties of the
state, and that encouragement be given
to every movement for the betterment
of the public highways"
1t certainly required men of thought
and action to deliver such radical ut
terance as that.
Convicts on the Roads.
In another place, the McMillin plat
form says: eve favor the working of
short-term convicts upon the public
roads of the state"
Two years ago | would have quickly
subscribed to this declaration. Now |
would hesitate somewhat Then I would
have considered the proposition from
the standpoint of good roads. Now |
would consider it first from the stand
point of the convict and the people.
The troublesome feature of working
convicts upon any sort of temporary,
moving work, is that their quarters are
usually temporary, unsanitary and other
wise unfit. If the woking of state con-
victs on the public roads means just
what the working of county convicts has
meant, | will never be- for it. If it
means, as it does in Davidson county,
the railroading of frienoless men, black
and white, into prison to get few more
road hands, and the crowding of human
beings into snail animal cages, reeking
with filth and vermin, I will never favor
it. l am in favor of good roads, but
am not in favor of matchmaking them
with human bones, cemented with the
blood of men.
If way can be found that will prove
beneficial to the prisoner, as well as the
roads, will favor it. 1t must always
be remembered that the prisoner is
man, and that he will soon be free
man again. If decent quarters can be
provided for the prisoners, and class
OF them can be worked upon the roads
that could be placed upon their honor,
without chain, shackle or guard, as is
done in Colorado, it will be great sys-
ten. for it would be making men as well
as roads.
VIII favor law for the working of
short-term convicts upon the public high
ways if it is carefully and wisely drawn
to embody the principles 1 have just adj
vCcated.
The Competition of Convict With Free
Labor.