The Lexington progress. (Lexington, Tenn.) 1884-current, 1920-05-21
MORE ABOUT THE BOND ISSUE.
My Fellow Citizens:

AN poppy WIG PfSJCNb OL1CIcu uo
by the State and National Govern
ments to build hard surface roads in
the county. | gave, in as brief man
ner as possible, the entire procedure
to be taken throughout. | do not de-
sire to flame your passion or warp
your judgment, but permit me to say
that the matter now before US is Of
great Importance. We are not under
obligations to ourselves alone, but al
so to generations, yet unborn. We
have failed in life, if we fail to deliver
to our posterity a better country than
we received. Cicero said: There is
no state Of life without it's obligations.
In their due discharge consists all
their nobility and in their neglect all
the disgrace of character" Some one
in an article, ostentatiously prepared
in opposition to the bond issue, said:
"Be not deceived" | heartily concur
in hat timely advice, and | am, just
here, reminded of Milton who said:
1.-THE greatest burden in the world is
superstition, not only in the ceremon-
les of the church, but Of imagination
and scarecrow sins at heme."
l have read with deep interest the il
lustrious article, referring to a great
number of farmers with poorly fed
and half clothed children. This is in
deed a sad picture. l doubt you being
able to place your camera in Hender-
con county to get the negative. i was
born and reared on a farm; remained
there until three years ago; taught
school since l was seventeen until
three years ago, and l can not recall
a farmer whose children were only
half fed and half clothed. If such be
the case, it must be due to the to some
oppressed and hard hearted landlord.
II certainly is not taxation. There is
nc man in Henderson county who owns
a farm, that has half-fed and half
clad children. II he does not own a
farm, he would not pay a cent Of tax
es to support bonds. Then how would
the matter affect him?
The same article, referred to above,
which will be found in last weeks is
sue of the Republican, states that for
the last five years we have paid road
tax to the amount of 5000 10000 70.
This, undoubtedly, must be a clerical
or typographical error, as l am reluc-
tant to believe that any mar would at
tempt to mislead the people by making
the amount approximately five times
its greatness. The tax aggregate of
the road fund for the last five years
are as follows; 1919, s ,918.76; 1918,
$9,835.9S; 1917, 9,380.34; 1916, $11,-
099.85; 1915, $2,232.15. This makes a
total for the last five years of $42,-
467.08. And of course all releases are
to be deducted from that amount. All
of above amount which is not visi-
BILE to-day has been taken away by the
rains that fall from time to time. This
is the paramount reason for building
hard surface roads. Think of the mon
ey and time spent each summer and
fall in the construction of dirt roads.
Think of the beautiful stretches COM
pleted in the fall. Think how it appears
the next spring. rs per cent of it to
be rebuild. More of our work and
money washes away each winter than
it would take to pay the interest on the
bonds. And one dollar on each acre
of land in the county will pay off the
principal in a lump sum.
| notice the writer of the above
mentioned article in last weeks is
sue of the Republican quoted Prof.
Hugh Powers as saying that some
eastern road was constructed at a
cost of $4,000 per mile. Well hat is
nice come-down from the estimate
made by Mr.. Davis, just a week earli-
er. He then had it $65 900 per mile.
Perhaps the next estimate will be
$40, 100000 per mile, as | saw that a
couple of contracts were let last week
at that price. Well, suppose that Prof.
Powers believes that it will cost $780,
O00. 100. We find him standing very
strongly in favor of the bond issue.
And he is the farmers friend. He un-
believes it to their inter-
est or he would oppose the measure.
Remember, that with a system of
hard surface roads, our county will
achieve success and become truly
great; that they will be the bedrock Of
/ successful career and the cornerstone
Of our fortune that every state and
knows what they mean and
most Of them have already begun their
good work; that the poor counties may
have them as well as the rich, when
the State and National Governments
will nav two.thirds If the cost. thew