The weekly intelligencer. [volume] (Lexington, Mo.) 1891-1901, 1897-11-27
GOOD
Coy. Stephens Letter TO the President
of the st. Louis Convention.

81 = a sAN@S=N - ~h,HN
IS97.-IIon. W. ii. Moore, presideI
= Good Roads and Public Improvement
- convention, ST. Louis, NO; Dea
Il Sir-Ne more important convention, i
5 my judgment. has been called in Mis-
$ our Tor many years than b ''Goo
Roads aud rnbliu Improvements cor
> v~cniion." trust from its deliheration
forces will he set in motion that Wi
. SolFe for our people Mt u very early ia
e the good roads problem, ia well q
Others in which the public IL ,ieePl
concerned. In the very beginning @
your deliberations let me suggest tn
l right kind of roads cannot be bullt il
Missouri by theorists, on wind, nj con
. Ventions. 1t takes intelligent agitation
cooperation, hard work and lots y
money. The people OF Missouri nr'
waiting and are anxious 10 defy tht
author or promoter OF The scheme
which will meet with the approval o,
the lawmakers, which will be enacted
into law and which will lift us u o.
the clay onto The solid rock.
There ia not q a. payer In Missouri
who is not vitality Interested in the
question of good roads, it matters not
whether he lives in the country, in ;he
village, town or city il matters no
or q popalist, on the platform of ''good
roads" divorced from politics, we can
all stand and make great strides toward
better conditions If we give the subject
unr best thought and apply to il an
unstinted energy.
Wih'good roads, where farmers can
market their products when their fields
are too wet for cultivation, and return
with the needed supplies for the farm,
where aeighbors, church, school and
| city are placed an easy reach, the bright
! sunlight: OF happiness. prosperity and
| couteniment will shine where farm life
Is now drugery aud discomfort. Good
roads connecting the county seats and
important towns OF our state would
enhance the value of every one OF our
A, zoo, 900 acres OF land and would be
worth more TO US than ten new rail-
roads running from one end Of the state
to the other.
There is no question but that the
present load law, as administered, is a
failure. This seems to be admitted by
one and oil. That it will be improved
is only a question Of time. When peo-
pie 90 10 work improving the roads as
best they can under existing statutes
and then determine what they need and
the reforms wanted and work together
with q determination to win, they will
be speedily enacted by the general
assembly.
The present system of charging the
expenditure of road 10 mex
perienced and unskilled road overseers,
without Instructions or advice, will
never result in improving highways,
and is an inexcusRble waste of money.
To my mind IL seems also that the poll
tax should be paid in money rather
snan of labor. II seems also to me
feasible that We should have a state
supervisor OF public roads. We have a
state superintendent OF banks, of build
lug and loan associations, of Insurance..
of schools, railway commissioners, etc.
The rGSds are equally as important and
should be carefully looked after by state
Supervision of some kind
is absolutely nee essary. II has been
suggested that each road overseer has
= plan OF his own, and, rs a rule, il
anything IL accomplished by him 1t is
the result of accident instead OF
Under our present constitution, with
is limitations as TO taxation, il ia moi
for us TO permanently improve
bur highways as they should be Inn
The question of a constiiu-
ional convention " m amendment 10
he present constitution should, and !
presume will, engage your serious at
eution at this time. While on the sub :
Of q constitutional convention | de- {
Ire TO repeat here what / stated IN my {
inaugural address before the Thirty 8
ninth general assembly, which ! sub 7
nit for your consideration. /
s.Many OF the most eminent ~jurists G
4 the state and q large number OF
prominent citizens have expressed to 4
BE the opinion that q convention I
hould be called at an early date 10 re- r
use the constitution. am not certain
such a convention il necessary, s
ut whether so or not Is a question 3
OF sufficient importance to o
nerit your careful attention. The r
resent constitution was adopted over 4
Eeuty years ago. II has many excel II
mt provisions which should be pre- o
erved, but il also has many provisions Il
1Rt might, as I believe, be eYpnnged
I materially changed to the advantage
I the tate. I concur 10 the view that
mr. fundamental Law should be liberal r.
ed in some directions and broadened !.
its general scope so as TO adapt itself l
10 the requirements OF the C
day. Some have expressed an Il
p~prehension that it might be unsafe to a
TO remodel The constitution,
Though it is admittedly Imperfect and st
but when we remember o.
lat any change TIE convention might Il
ropose eould not be made effective .,
ntil adopted by the people, | see no
'ason for apprehension. The people
IN certsInly both trust snd take care Of :.
| at Least hope that the NJ
snerRl assembly will take this matter di
ADJUSTMENT and give Il such de- &C
as it may deserve" te
Any action your convention takes on I,
e question Of q new constitution, or !.
! amendment to the constitution 0t
bicb will allow our people to Issue pi
,nds for the purpose of improving our sc
ads, will haze great weight, | am ds
res With Inc people OF missouri and 40
IT'D our next general assembly. -
Any outlay OF money for the perma-
Mt Improvement of our roads can ,
Il, in my mind, be termed an sex ~
but really an investment which ST
enhance the values of farming -
operty especially and which will
ED handaome results to onr tax q
generally.
Personally, do not favor the utiliza
Of eOnyicts in the state peniten-
'ry 10 working upon u public high
Iys, but ! believe it would be q good y
IN TO use such copEjcts as may not be
employed in preparing road
a~terials, crushing rock, etc, etc, to
supplied to the counties of the state -
such a figure os will pay the state "a,
e cost OF maintaining and guarding y
EN- while thus engaged-ns long,
Eeyer, a. they can be sept at work q I
or nesT tue prison, where material is Vis
undant. There j. no reason why Nc
SRgrnnis end county prisoners cit
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