French Broad hustler. [volume] (Hendersonville, N.C.) 1916-1919, 1919-03-06
E. W.EKBANK'S
:. Ia. POSITION ON ROAD BILL.
Editor Hustler

PAOpoSeo ROAD law have. TO
say: Having displaced all the char
AOtte russo, chocolate eclair and syil-
1hil6 in my vertabrae with a nrinc1-
PIE so powerful that the gates OF
F7eil cannot prevail against it." 7
venture to comply with your request.
When the road Law was :rs5 agiiat-
Cd l stated to those who approached
ne with the matter, that we had road
laws enough, but that what we had
was not carried out; that 1 feared
Snat meddling with it would only
start the usual bi-annual road law
sfuabble, and for that reason l did
lot want to serve on the committee
to formulate new bill. However.
many persons familiar with the road
conditions in the county continued to
asdtate for change, with the result
that several mass meetings were held
which the public generally-country
and town-was asked to attend with
a view to formulating bill that
would get universal support by the
people of the county. At one Of these
mass meetings a committee was ap-
pointed to draft a bill and, when pre-
pared, to give notice so that another
mass meeting might pass on the work
of the committee and change or
amend it if necessary. At this mass
meeting the proposed changes in the
road law were read and debated,
paragraph by paragraph, and as OBJ
jections were made amendments were
i greed upon until bill was proposed
that met the unanimous opinion of the
gathering. This draft of a proposed
road law was sent to Raleigh for pas
sage by the Legislature. 1t passed
the lower house before any objection
was heard from any source whatever,
as far as I know. Then objection is
suddenly made to the passage Of the
bill On the ground that it takes the
road machinery out Of the hands OF
the Democrats and commits it to the
hands of the County Commissioners,
where it ought to be.
I supported the passage OF the bill!
for the reason that it comes within
the Democratic doctrine Of local
seIf-government and because it marks
the beginning of the end Of what l
have always regarded as political pi-
racy on our part.
Shortly after the constitutional
amendment which eliminated the ne
gro from politics in this State and
, tbe MASSAGE of the law that required
the payment of poll tax prior to the
arst day of May to entisIe one 10
vote in any election, / received =
latter from our then County Chairman
acvitinE me as a democrat just come
of age. to attend d meeting OF the
Hxecutive Committee at which he de-
asred a large demo!ratic attendance III
..Sdition to the members OF the COM
snktee. / wen.
When the Committee was called to
order the Chirman stated that the oO-
sect of the meeting was to consider
ebe adyisability Of passing Dill
4hronsb the Legislature authorizing
the appointment from Raleigh OF
atout 80 democratic justices OF the
.,a.ce who would be empowered TO
. s.ao+ on a certain day in June ana
aacf a Tax Collector. Many In the
athering spoke on the question
:. e.rorins it, and when the voluntary
I o-nresaions of opinion had been given
: aor,a one called upon me to give my
..owa 7 then gave it as my OPINION
70 enact any such legislation
"a be a fatal mistake; first, De-
T. was or would be indefensloly
.-aarocratic and, secondly, because
--.o.,,d antaonize the honest con-
.ttions of men who cast their 'o'eS
] s.o,r conscientious ): ctives ana D.
-. rather than foI'R blindly any
leadership anc that suc1 men
nd he in sympathy with the party
aerlavsAAbv such leis;attor' aEd '"a'
san - las obtained anothe' sy;'-
! u not dificu't TO convefS t''
sS,npattv to support. ] cone':aeu u,
n,arks with the prediction toS !"
1agislation proDose'r vas enacted,
'ne sas mt into operation. instead
h.lu Ling Henderson County a demo
o a na stronghold as was predicted by
- ga. .s.anonents of the measure u
you'd =, drive it into the r'pas''.ah '. i0''
..x IN overwhelming majority.
was more th1n ~ years @e0
luoe q Norris.