Herald and news. [volume] (West Randolph, Vt.) 1878-1943, 1890-04-24

SNOh III NV pioou hSii VI ue'J anu az
darkness falls safety disappears. Peo-
pie are not so anxious to obtain the
Gospel as to rush after it under such
adverse circumstances. We don't be-
lieve there is man in the country
sharp enough TO work up first class
revival in a community where no decent
roads exist. There are great many
people who would be decently religious
if they could come into religious asso-
citation with religious people more fire.
quently. The religious element of the
state is confined largely to villages and
a radius Of a mile or two around. Be-
yond this there dwell the outside bar
barians with sprinklingof Christians.
These people are forced into this posi-
ton BY the system of roads which they
help to maintain. There are some
pretty vigorous village Christians whose
light would 90 ont under the pressure
ofthe road system in the back districts.
Good morals and vigorous religious
life are not compatible with poor roads.
Account for il as you will, the virtues
are strengthened by human associations
and humans cannot associate TO any
great extent where there are poorroads.
During quite portion Of the year our
Sunday congregations are thin, ,and you
win hear the people excuse themselves
and others ON the plea that the roads
are poor. OF course, this obstacle can
be more easily overcome for any other
purpose than church attendance, and
while il requires considerable coaxing
and coddling to keep most men and wo-
men up TO the average standard IN vir-
tue aud religion, the fact remains that
poor roads are difficult obstacle TO
surmount. In Africa they begin mis-
sionpry operations by wrapping the ma
tives in shirts. The place to begin
missionary operations in Vermont is to
make good roads. Our increasing bar
barism has moved along in line with
our road decay. If people are not as
good as they used to be, the remark is
likewise common that the roads were
never so poor as now. There is only
one road kept in thorough repair, that
is the broad road of which some of our
readers may have heard, and perhaps |
this can he accounted for from the fact
that selectmen and highway surveyors
have no monopoly in working it. The
way to promote our morals is to repair
our roads. Make the facilities for in
tercourse between the various families
Of community easy and delightful.
In ancient times when princes travelled
through their provinces there was
general road repairing. Men went be-
fore and cut out the brush and picked
up the stone, and filled up the valleys
and leveled down the hills. We are all
princes in Vermont except road super
,isors and these are appointedto 80 be-
ore and make smooth places for our
Get. lpon them rests a large share
# the responsibility for that state of at-
airs of which we hear complaint. Let
here be good road built TO every
mans house; let mud holes be macad-
lmized: let concrete sidewalks be con-
tructed make the country roads equal
o the roads in our most prosperous
-illages, and you will see the number
# outside barbarians gradually dimin-
shing. People can come together with
leasure and comparative ease, and the !
ssemblies of the people for all purpos- l
5 of social and moral Improvement
ill be much more frequent and profit
bic than they now are. The streets
f the New Jerusalem are said to be /
aved with gold. We do not expect {
, indulge in any such Injuries here.
ut if we can advance as far as good :
'arre granite chips ii viii help us won- !
erfully in our preparation to walk the t
ighways of that better civilization. {
he facts are, looked at in a clear cold i
ght, that we are no better than swe p
nght TO be; the roads we travel are ]
ute as bad as we are; we fool away r
q immense amount of money on road {
pair, and unless we change front in J
few years we shall wander through o
rests, directing our course by mark /