The Columbia herald. [volume] (Columbia, Tenn.) 18??-1935, 1919-06-06
THE ROAD ISSUE.


the county court of Maury county &C.
cepting the proposal made by the fed
eral and state road authorities. 1t is
assured that the counties which have
the opportunity that will be presented
to this county will accept. Giles coun-
~ did not cast single vote in the
negative and Maury county in the
past has had a more progressive court
than its neighbor. The proposition is
one that appeals to the sound judg-
ment and business instinct OF every
level headed, progressive citizen of
sthe county. II is one that needs no ar
e ument to prove, its value.
1t will indeed be a shortsighted and
foolhardy policy to refuse the oppor-
a tunity to get permanent highways
constructed at one-third of their &C.
tual cost Not only that but when
J these state and national highways are
ence. constructed they are no longer a
charge upon the county. Maury coun-
ty cannot refuse to accept the states
offer because it must pay the taxes
.V.to create the state and federal road
! funds whether we derive any benefits
i or not therefrom. In order to get
back our contribution we must arrange
{ ut once to build the forty-three miles
allotted to us.
'f- Some objection is raised to the is
suance of bonds. There are always
those opposed to debt, but few public
/. improvements would ever. be made,
few men would ever achieve success
in the business world without debt.
Ninety per cent of the worlds bust,
ness is done on credit. The men
who have made business success in
Columbia and in Maury county are the
men who had credit and used it. This
\ county enjoys fine credit and it should
not hesitate to use it for public i'm
provements. A county's progress, its
evidences of enterprise, are largely
measured by the size of it's indebted
ness.
It Is also objected that the people
Of the county should be given the op-
portunity at the polls to express them
selves on the question of issuing
bonds for the sum necessary to pay
the county's third of the cost of
building the forty three miles Of high
way. Some of those who are insisting
on direct vote are not very consist
ent. They never asked for direct
vote on the issuance of bonds to pur-
chase property for the Middle Tennes.
x see Experiment Station and in order
!. to give the people Of the county every
J opportunity to obtain the benefits of
that institution good roads are nee
essary. The Herald believes in re.
sponsible representative government.
1t does not believe that the repre-
cOhIoIiVCo VI IhO PcoPic ououiu cNduc
duty or shirk responsibility by shift
ing the burden to those who elected
them. The referendum has not been
q signal success. Fewer votes are gen.
orally cast in bond election than in
any other. This journal believes that
the members Of the county court
should have the courage to do what
/, they, think will rebound to the best
interests Of the people Of the county
and let the consequences be what they
i may. II took the same position in the
purchase Of the turnpikes and the 10.
cation of the experiment station
However, The Herald does not fear
Z an adverse vote from the people of
Maury county on the issue of road
construction as submitted by the state
and federal governments. It has too
much confidence in the judgment, the
:. Intelligence and the patriotism of the
people of Maury county to doubt for
an instant that they will give the bond
issue their approval This journal is
:. perfectly willing that the issue shall
be submitted to direct vote, It OBJ
jects to the delay and expense, but it
is. never afraid to trust the people of
Maury county. on any issue. They
have never failed to respond to a
proper appeal and this paper does not
doubt them now. They have made the
county what 1t is today, the best and
most progressive county in Tennes-
> see because majority of the voters
are intelligent, progressive and pa
triotic. II we are going to submit the
issue 1t should be done without de-
lay.
CULLEokA SCHOOL.