The watchman and southron. [volume] (Sumter, S.C.) 1881-1930, 1919-03-05
For Coed Roads
Bill Passed BY Senate to Pro-
vide Funds fog Permanent
Improvement Of Roads.

sssFCOfUEaDl6,.ocSp. 90. 6o.---1 Ai0 0eNSsS SN--
ate last night went on record as IA IA,
{ pDrlng as State SYSTEM Of permanent
highways when it passed a bill pro
yiding tors a levy Of one mill on al
property and an automobile tax te
provide 8 fund for the construction
a0f sueh al system. It is just the be
Ginning, q. decfared one senator after
tie passage OF the bill. It rs mere
IL a niloble but. It is paving the way
FOR bigger things next session. We
ars right now on permanent roads
where we were four years on con-
gufsofy education. Good roads will
cone faster however. than did com
pulsory education. -
S The hill now goes to the house for
Its acceptance or rejection and the
,.esponsib ibility for the passage or fail
ure of the bill will rest with that
iia6Sfy .rheS senate has spoken and
spoken decisively.
Only eight votes we're cast against
1l1e measure in the senate. These
lsers east by Senator's Baskin Of Lee;
13ethea OF Dillon; Black Of Bamberg;
aarrefso1l of Marion; Marion OF
Chester; McColl, of Marlboro; Shelor
sof Oconee and Williams OF Aiken:
Thirty votes were cast in favor of the
hsll.
Some Splendid speeches were made
IN the debate OF more than seven
huurs fEist preceded the vote on the
biif. The debate on ft was pronounc-
ed BY many to have been the finest
of The present session. Many Of the
50 hatoFs who spoke on the bill stated
frank7y that they objected to certain
pfovfssorfs of it but that they were
bread enough to support the bill even
# these objections were not removed
because they realized that it was a
great thing for the State.
Senator Johnson Of Barnwen coun-
ty aecaared that under the bill his
county vTudid not get back as much
moilev rs it paid out but he declared
tliaf he was. more than q senator
4ium Banweff county. He was a
senator for the whole State OF South
Earolina. He believed the State sys-1
tenn meant the sdawning Of a new day
III South Carolina and he declared
that ne wash enough to lay aside
nssrrsonA interests and vote for it fer
tffe,i sake of his State.
Senator Watkins OF Anderson took
4, Sffaifar view. He declared the
miassurfe a Tremendously important
Stna and said that he was going to
overlook personal interest and vote
fUT Il because he knew it meant so
much fSr the State.
Senator after senator arose and
took the same position. All agreed
that the war would have been
fought III vain if the people OF this
country have not reached the point
where they are willing to make some
sstcrfflees for; the common good.
e.Ths poor fellow who died on the
baffleAefd OF Flanders that you and
f rnigkt I've in happiness and peace
did not ask what am going to get
out Of ft?' He sacrificed his life that
1; might 1--we. An SO narrow that
i am unwilling to pay a little tax for
permanent roads because JOHN Smith
Who doesn't pay quite as much tax as
lido viii get the same benefit" This
was the argument offered by one sem
aaor
It is generally believed that the
house will pass the bill although
there will be a strong effort made to
submit it to a vote, which would de-
isiy matters one year. The senate
rs,facfed fhe referendum