Watauga Democrat. [volume] (Boone, Watauga County, N.C.) 1888-current, 1922-06-22
"by Their Fruits 70 Shall Know Them. u

advanced some good logic in his
article that recently appeared in
your paper, entitled: wv h
Should Foot The Bill" in keeping
up our public roads, wish to,
say that, in part, he has a mista
ken idea as to how to raise the
money by taxation so as to put
the burden where it rightfully
belongs.
He states that our officers,
school teachers and postmasters
should be taxed. as they are the
suckers that draw the life blood
from the roads of the county: l
say that Mr.. Ward is wrong
when he states that school teach
ers should be taxed to raise mon.
ey to keep up the public roads,
for our State Constitution pro-
vides in Sec. 81, "The people
have the right to the privilege of
education and tits the duty of the
State to guard and maintain that
right" Article TX, Sec.. /: ''Reli.
gion, morality and knowledge be.
Ing necessary to good govern
ment and to the happiness of
mankind, schools and the means
of education shall forever be en-.
couraged."
Mr.. Ward, if we are to have a
good government, people must
be educated, so that they can cry
out and detest wrongs that in.
suit the human race. That is just
Why we will not tolerate working
the public road like black slaves
from Africa. I am for justice and
right, and I know that Truth
crushed to earth willrise again, "
therefore I, like st. Paul, speak
boldly without fear or hope of re.
ward.
I believe the way to raise reve-
nue. for keeping upthe roads will
be to have uniform or gradua.
ted tax by taxing the personal
and real property enough to
keep up the roads. Some will
howl Il cannot stand that for the
little fellow will not pay scarcely
anything. But just think W h Q
fought your battles on foreign
soil-th young men while you
were safe and secure thousands
of miles from the battle front.
l can say with a mighty voice
that the young men should not
be taxed, because the Great Gre
ator has blessed them with life,
pure air and sunshine, but that
is just what big property hold
ers would do if given chace by
the young, progressive voters
that elect office. seeking men who
will grind us to dust and throw
our ashes to the four winds.
About a year ago l stood in the
court house in Boone, and saw
Mr.. Hayes, the prosecuting at
torney for the State, mol pros
some cases against some certain
Good Road Commissioners of the
county which he threw down ir
the waste basket, while there
we're bills being drawn for t h {
the poor battle scared boys wht
were just home from the Euro
pean mix.up, and who was hat
not more than time to get OIL civ
ilian clothes until they were serv
ed with a summons that h e ]
must work the road and be un
der an overseer without pay, o.
the law would be enforced to thu
limit.
I.want to ask the good people
of our county this question: How
long can we endure such meth
DDS of injustice? Hew long can W.
sit idly by and let the higher. up.
ut our own throats? The time Il
near at hand when Righteousness.
! shall prevail, and it seems thai
November will be the date.
! l may be hated by some fol
} the stand have taken for justict
and right, but as sure as there /.
a living God who metes out Jus