Yorkville enquirer. [volume] (Yorkville, S.C.) 1855-2006, 1919-06-24
HERE AND THERE

"They call me a crank on the road
question" said DR.. ]. B. Johnson of
Rock Hill, the other day, but I am
not. What worries me Is why we
should spend all these thousands of
dollars in making good roads and then
make no provision for keeping the
roads in shape after they have been
built. The first two miles Of that ex-
pensive road that was built from the
river toward Rock Hill, is already get
ting in bad shape, and unless it Is re-
paired soon 1t will go all to pieces.
Take the road from Chester to the
York. They were built at great ex-
pense; but almost no provision is made
to keep them up. / am just back from
a trip to Blowing Rock, and I tell you
they have first class roads up that way.
They were economically constructed to
begin with and now they are seeing to
1t that the roads are kept in shape.
Hon. w. F. Stevenson is to be one of
the speakers at the big celebration to
be held in Yorkville on July 4, and he
is looking forward to the occasion with
pleasant anticipation. The fact that
Mr.. Stevenson Is to be here has been
generally announced, and that he is
looking forward to the occasion with
pleasure, Here and There learned from
him during a visit to the congressman
office last Friday. Mr.. Stevenson was
alone when Here and There entered,
almost hidden amongst pile OF leath-
er bound public records. 1t developed
pretty shortly that he was hunting up
facts in refutation Of a claim that had
been made on the floor Of the house a
day or two previously that President
Wilson's refusal to take the senate into
his confidence in connection with the
peace treaty was unprecedented. he
had found what he wanted. George
Washington had made the mistake OF
publishing treaty in advance OF
agreement between the principals, and
as the result the senate had smashed
things because no two members hao
been able to bring their minds in
agreement. Washington had got pref
ty hot over the matter, and in a writ
ten communication he virtually told
the senators that they might go to a
hotter climate. After that he declined
to give the senate any advance infor-
nation. Thomas Jefferson and other
presidents had taken the same posi-
ton. AS a matter Of fact nobody mas
ever asked the assistance of the senate
in treaty negotiations-not since the
unhappy and disastrous experience OF
washington. After reviewing the data
he had Just collected, Mr.. Stevenson
said he was coming down to the cele-
brati9n on the Fourth and 1t Is his in
tention to talk principally about the
league of nations, because that Is now
the great political question now before
the world, and about grade crossings,
because that is a subject In strict pro-
priety with the occasion Of the celebra-
ton. II am going to tell the people
something about this grade crossing
question that will interest them not
little. I have a right to claim to be
quite an authority on that question be-
cause I have handled hundreds ard
hundreds Of cases growing out Of all
kinds of accidents at grace crossings.
There Is no question in my mind that
grade crossings should be abolished =
every one of them. They should be
abolished, in the first, place, out OF re-
rard for the public safety, and in the
second place because Of their terrible
expense to the railroads and to the
public. The railroads have paid out
enough money for litigation and dam
ages in connection with grade crossing
ragedies to do away with every grade
crossing in the United States, and the
cost to the public has been hardly less
than the cost to the railroads. But
this is only a part Of what Mr.. Steven :
son will have to say on the subject.
He understands the subject as re"
other men in South Carolina under
stand it, and what he will have TO say
will be calculated to make people
think.