People's voice. [volume] (Wellington, Sumner County, Kansas) 1890-1917, 1893-01-13
THE PUBLIC ROAD QUESTION.
A Few Thoughts In Relation Thereto
Ernr, tho nraIns of lIan. rII.I.--

ton goes merrily on. Subsidized plu-
tocratic sheets, great and small, keep
up continual harping on good roads.
Some of the great metropolitan dailies
run cartoons showing up the disad-
vantages of bad roads. And what is
all this for? Is it in the interest of the
producing masses? Does it arise from
a patriotic desire to advance the gen.
eral welfare? Not at all 1t is to d.
vert the minds of the people from the
railroad question and the money ques-
ton. 1t is to secure the issue of county
and district bonds in which the Shy
locks of this country and Europe may
invest The strongest advocates OF
good roads are men who are opposed to
government ownership of railways,
free coinage of silver, the abolition of
trusts, the prevention of option dealing
and every other great measure of re-
form agitated by the people Let the
people beware how they fall in line I'M
der such leadership"
But it remained for the Topeka
Kan Advocate to turn food of light
upon the question in the following
article:
1--WE have been for some time past
receiving numerous circulars, and
marked copies of newspapers from all
parts of the United STAGES in which the
improvement of the public highways
was very enthusiastically advocated.
To all outward appearance this wide.
spread agitation was the spontaneous
outgrowth of great public necessity,
and yet the very fact that the subject
was taken up atabout the same time in
all parts Of the country, and was favor.
ably treated in the papers irrespective
of party, tended to excite curiosity, il
nothing more, in the mind of the reader
as to the character of the prime motive
behind it all.
1--WE have not thus far participated
in this discussion, and, for some reason,
we have failed to imbibe any of the
prevailing enthusiasm. We have beer
watching for developments and fully
expecting that time would reveal the
motive power behind this movement,
and at last the light begins to dawn.
"a few days ago a petition to con.
gress was presented to us for signature,
asking for the creation of the office Of
national road commissioner, and the
establishment of bureau of public
roads with retinue of national Off
Gals, to whose tender care these great
public improvements should be commit.
ted We noticed on that petition the
names Of some persons who have here
tofore manifested considerable dread OF
paternalism-men who believe the gov.
eminent ownership and operation Of
the railroads would be dangerous to the
public interests, and who, under no cir.
cumstances, would consent to such q
thing There is no doubt that the
country has been flooded with these pc.
titions. There is no doubt that they
will be signed by great many people,
and that great pressure will be
brought to bear upon congress to estab-
lish this bureau and create the offices
required to carry out the purposes Of
the promoters of this movement 1t i.
important, therefore, that the people
shall understand just what is believed
the scheme
"0f course it will not be difficult t
discover the incentive for the creation
OF the new Offices demanded. The in
crease of the public patronage, and the
additional sinecures to be provided ar,
a sufficient object to secure large sup
port to this part Of the programme
But what are these officers to do, AM
how are they to do it? The revenues
Of the government are insufficient t,
undertake the vast system of improve
ments contemplated without specia
provision for the expense. What pro
vision is proposed TO be made?
"Since the widespread discussion tina
has taken place upon this subject ha
awakened some public. sentiment il
favor of it, some of the newspapers ar,
beginning the discussion of details, anC
in doing this they have let the cat on
Of the bag. The same old devil-fisl
that for years has been sapping the life
blood of the people is behind all thi
agitation for the improvement Of on
public roads The scheme contemplate
the issue of new interest bearing gov
ernement bonds which would at once b
purchased by the same sharks, both il
England and America, who have con
trolled the financial policy Of this gov
eminent through the treason of our ma
tional legislators for more than quar-
ter of century. The following fror
the St Joseph Herald upon the subjec
Of the bonds is sufficiently explicit to b
understood:
III issued continuously and to the exter
they probably would be, they should at one
settle the question OF the life Of the nations
banking system, supposed to depend upon ii
life OF the present government bonds, as the
would be equally as valuable and acceptable a
security for the notes Of national banks as Ii
government bonds now are, which Is a most in
poriant consideration; indeed, 1t would seer
second only TO that Of the improvement OF tn
roads.
Here, then, is the real meat in tn
cocoanut The issue Of new govern
ment bonds, the continual interes
drain upon the industries of the cour
try that would 60 to further enrich tn
favored few, the perpetuation Of tn
national banking system, and the in