Dakota farmers' leader. (Canton, S.D.) 1890-19??, 1891-01-01

y
it would do. My friends, 1 have been as
close an observer of public affairs as any
one for quarter of a century, and 1
know to a certainty that this government
Of. ours has, during that length Of time.
been run in the interest Of the few as
against the interest Of the many, and I
think that it is time that it was revolu-
toned, and am trying as hard as can
to revolutionize it.
We are told there was a time in Eng
land, where I was brought up, that a
man could not drive horse, hog, sheep,
OF. a goat, on a highway without paying
tribute to a corporation in the form Of
toll" But now the community of the
county takes care Of The county roads,
the community Of the city the city roads,,
and the town take care of the town roads,
and we have q great deal better roads,
and every man drives as many horses,
Z hogs, sheep and goats as he likes and pays
tribute to no one, and do not know Of
any one that wants to go back to the old
toll road. In some. sections they have
not abolished them yet. For instance in
the state Of Pennsylva they still have
them. Three years ago I delivered the
Grafton at Sunbury, forty miles from the
capital Of that state In the morning Of
that day they took me a carriage ride
over to the town of Northumberland, and
in going over there we had to pass
through bridge a quarter of a mile in
length, and when we got through the
bridge a tax gatherer stopped us and de-
manded 10 cents for going through the
bridge. We paid it and while doing so
an American citizen, a stout able bodied
young man, stood there. He, looked up
into my face and said, ssSir want to get
across that bridge and ] have not got
three cents to pay my toll and this man
will not let me 60. Will you pay it for
me?" Iput my hand in my pocket and
.lgiye the toll gatherer three centsa The
moment that it jingled in his hands, this
American citizen Strengthened himself up
and asked the toll man, 'sWill you let
me 60 now?A That is the situation in the
state Of Pennsylvania, the .'Keystone
States, which means the keystone that
holds up the arch Of this great republic,
where our American citizens cannot
walk across the state on the Fourth day
of July without swimming river a quar-
ter Of a mile if he has not got three cents
in his pocket.
l Is CENTS TO CARRY LETTER.
4 Again I am told that there was a time
j when it cost twenty five cents to carry a
letter three hundred miles. 1t was not
done by the government then. It was
done by corporations like the toll road.
Three years ago while in the city
of Washington bought copy of the
Baltimore American, a twelve page paper.
i Ht .e- 4 .
And when opened it little six column
supplement fell out. picked it up and
looked at it. 1t was fac sima16 copy of
that paper issued one hundred and fifteen
years ago. They were celebrating their
one hundredth anniversary by presenting
their customers with copy of their first
edition, one hundred and fifteen years
ago. The man who started the Balti-
more American was named William God
dard, and he was the first man that ever
ran post road in America, three wears
before the revolutionary war-and he
charged people 25 cents to CARRY letter
3 il.
from Baltimore to Philadelphia, dis
tance of n1nety-four miles. It was done
by corporation at that time, like the toll
road. Then the government took hold of
it, and they brought postage down to
twelve cents, then to three cents, then to
two cents, and now instead of it being
twenty-five cents for three hundred miles.
it is 5000 miles for two cents; and if it
does not find the fellow that you sent it
to they will bring it back for nothing. ~
zo6e Continued.
APRACTI0AL ILLUSTRATION.
How Lot Of "Extravagant" Farmers Made I'm.
porvements Without Issuing Bonds.