WHERE THERE'S A WILL. 77 



through tlie State, under which all the towns shall be compelled 

 to make their principal roads on the same system. I would 

 have that plan carried out until we have thoroughly good roads 

 through the Commonwealth. I incline, therefore, to no middle 

 way; I do not believe the old adage will apply here: " In media 

 via est salus " — in the middle way is safety. What we want is 

 just such a system as Mr. Flint has suggested, carried into prac- 

 tice, and our selectmen compelled to make good roads. 



The Chairman. We have with us a man who has had a good 

 deal of experience in travelling at home and, of late, in Europe ; 

 I allude to Hon. Charles G. Davis, of Plymouth. 



Mr. Dayis. I do not know that I have voice to make myself 

 heard, but I wish to say merely, as you have alluded to my hav- 

 ing been absent of late, that when I returned home a few months 

 ago, after a year's absence, I learned one thing which gratified 

 me exceedingly. The first thing I did was to look up our Ag- 

 ricultural Report for the last year, and in it I found the three 

 prize essays which I devoured immediately, and I said to myself 

 that the Board of Agriculture and the Legislature had done 

 more by drawing out those essays, than by any and all other 

 public acts that had been done in Massachusetts, during the 

 last five years. And I said it to myself, with some feeling, be- 

 cause I had been more impressed in travelling, not through 

 Scotland and England alone, but through the different coun- 

 tries of the Continent, both in the poor countries and in the 

 rich ones, by the excellence of the roads than by any other 

 single thing. I do not think that it makes much difference — 

 although we have our ideas, and I have mine upon the subject, 

 and mine are pretty radical — I do not think it makes much dif- 

 ference as to what particular mode of correcting the present 

 evil we discuss. I think it will be sufficient if we call the atten- 

 tion of the people of Massachusetts to this subject, and have it 

 discussed thoroughly. Then, where there is a will there will bo 

 found a way. 



I believe one of the greatest troubles is to know the difficul- 

 ties under which we labor, and I think Dr. Loring will agree 

 with me and with Mr. Goodman, that the chief trouble to-day 

 consists in the fact that those who have the care of our roads 

 do not know what a good road is. They have no standard to go 

 by. They have no standard of excellence, uor have they any 



