Mr. SANDS. That Is our own fault. The
supervisors are responsible, and they are in-
dictable if they do not keep the roads in good
repair. They are indictable if they do not
keep them in pond passable order.
Mr, DAVIS, of Washington. So far as my
observation has gone, the 'public opinion in
my county is decidedly. averse to the elec-
tion of supervisors. It is universally con-
demned in the county. I have been ap-
proached on the subject by intelligent farmers
over and over again in Washington county,
begging me if possible to get the Convention
to change the system. They complain that
their roads in every section of the county are
miserably managed.
Mr. PURNELL resumed; I had not concluded
my remarks. I merely yielded to the gentle-
man from Howard (Mr. Sands) supposing that
he wished to ask me a question. So far from
endangering the ratification or adoption of
this Constitution by changing this system, I
think such an argument cannot seriously pre-
vail. I think that if I were to return to my
constituents and say to them that I had voted
to retain this provision in the Constitution
for the election of road supervisors and all
these subordinate officers, they would say to
me very properly, we have no further use for
your services. You have misrepresented us.
With that view of the subject I could not
under any circumstances advocate the amend-
ment proposed by my friend from Washing-
ton county. I think really it is one of those
questions of reform which addresses itself
more directly to the sound discretion of this
Convention than any other perhaps that may
come before them. It is true those officers are
of a subordinate character; yet they are no
less important. There is nothing that con-
duces more to the prosperity of a county,
than good roads. We cannot have good
roads, I maintain, under the existing system.
There must be a change. Whether we return
too the old system of district overseers, or
adopt any other of a more practical charac-
ter, some change is necessary.
Then, regarding the experience of the past
as being well founded, having been carried
out practically in all its operation, and worked
well, I should be in favor of restoring the
appointment of these officers to the county
commissioners. They are generally distrib-
uted over the county. They are cognizant of
the wants and necessities of the county. They
travel to and fro frequently, and they have a
general supervision over the roads, and over
the conduct of the officers. If it is deemed
necessary to increase the number at any point,
they can do so. If it is deemed necessary to
curtail the expense, by employing a less num-
ber, they can do that. But under the present
system there is a supervisor who receives thir-
teen or fourteen hundred dollars for doing
nothing, That has prevailed, I am informed, to
some extent. I do not know the fact of my own |
knowledge, but I have heard the complaint
frequently that the supervisor will go to a
farmer and say, I want your hands such a
day; it is your lime to work on the road; and
the farmer will say, I am very busy, I cannot
spare them; what will you charge me to fur-
nish me a substitute 7 The arrangement is
made for one, two, three or four dollars, and
the overseer pockets hi» three or four dollars,
and the roads are not worked. I have under-
stood that such has been the case. Instead of
placing it in the power of any one to extort
money under such false pretencea, I say that
there can be no practical road in a communi-
ty where this practice obtains.
Mr, CHAMBERS I rise to give my testi-
mony; not to offer an argument. I should
be recreant to my duty as representative of
my counity if I did not take this occasion to
say that the election of these officers has been
productive of mischief and nothing else but
mischief; especially with regard to the roads.
The deterioration in the character of the roads
has been such as would scarcely be believed
by persons not cognizant of the fact. There
is a general belief that there is an entire irre-
sponsibility upon tire subject. A popular
man wants to make a few dollars; and with-
out the slightest qualification he puts himself
up as a candidate for election, and becomes
road supervisor for the county, and farms out
particular districts to Dick, Tom and Henry,
nobody knows why or wherefore, but every-
body knows that most of the roads are unfit
for travel. My colleagues, I believe, can tes-
tify to the very same state of facts. And so
far as I know, in the adjoining counties it i»
just as load
But I have other objections, upon principle,
to this amendment. I believe it is not un-
known to the history of these elections that
some of the most important officers of the
government have been swapped—in the midst
of the river too—for an insignificant officer
like a constable or road supervisor. I believe
there is much more corruption practiced in
electing a constable or a supervisor, than in
electing a member of Congress or member of
the count. This business of making exchanges,
bartering at elections, is one, I think, of more
serious consequence than is generally suspect-
ed. I go on principle as well as on experi-
ence in denouncing this system of electing
these petty officers.
Something has been said about the motive
of putting this into the Constitution. It is a
most extraordinary idea that. any man here
should conceive it possible that a member of
this body would deliberately have inserted in
this Constitution a provision which in his
conscience he did not think proper. I do not
believe—1 cannot believe there is such a man
in this house. I should fear, on the contrary
that there were some gentlemen who having
incorporated one great fact, are willing to
keep out things which might be useful lest it |
