The weekly intelligencer. [volume] (Lexington, Mo.) 1891-1901, 1898-01-29
Good Roads Again.
Editor IntellIRencer,

Editor Intelllgencer.
1t is farthest from my wish to engage
in a newspaper controversy upon COCO
roads or any other subject, but | ash
you to let me set myself right with r
C.'s misinterpretation of my article or
good roads In your paper of January
Is. He says l indirectly hint that
am sin favor of n law compelling the
railroads to carry farm products TO the
market free of charge. How absurd!''
Yes, show absurd" and t'how
absurd it struck me when the dele
gate to the late good roads convention
told me it was his plan. No one but q
crank on good roads and farmers
rights would promulgate so prepos-
ferrous an idea. l am not guilty of
favorIng or ''Indirectly hInting'' SO
unreasonable a thing in the connection.
I quoted the conversation with the
delegate.
r. C.. quotes from my contribution;
ssThe farmers are the persons most
directly benefited by good roads - and
''therefore It would follow that they
should be correspondingly energetic
to make them good. AS a body, are
they P" 1 answer, yes. l venture
seven-eighths Of the overseers of this
county are farmers. Go any day
where the roads are being worked, and
you will find a majority of the posse
either farmers or their representatives.
He calls the railroads ''soulless cor
po~rations." Well, be that as II may,
|, for one, am q friend to railroads.
There is nothing that develops a coun-
try as rapidly as railroads.
l agree with r. c., that the work
should be done early In summer, that
the roads may be packed down before
freezing begins. 1 also agree with
him that s.our roads are L much
better condition than they were ten or
twelve years ago." Then it follows
that we are somewhat or the improve.
Now, this good roads discussion
comes periodically, and we are just
now on about the third wave within
the past ten years. There have been
several conventions. The late one in
Lexington is a fair sample, It resolved
itself into a duel of wittieisms, turned.
the whole thing into IA huge ihke, and
adjourned as others, without offering Il
practicable method of making and
maintaining good good roads beneficial
to those WHO use aud need them most.
In reply to the above he says: 'Like
the resumption of specie pay ment some
years ago, of which 1t was said, the
way to resume Is to resume so, to-
have good roads, make them good"
Now, 1 never knew before that there
was a man in our land that knew specie
payment was resumed then, and that |
have been under the delusion that
somebody said .'resume," and every
body took 1t for granted, and that was
all there was 20 it. This kind of
s'resumIng'' won't do for good roads.
Just to say they are good won't go.
The people will not believe 1t, as In the
s'specie resumption"
Now, as to his suggestions: SIRE
quire the work to be- done not later
than July 1st," l reply, goods ere
quire every voter to pay his road tax
in money"-better! "Make strict pro-
vision to enforce the collection of the
same"-gloryi
Lastly, Mr.. Editor, / endorse your
plan to the letter-to work the con-
victs on the roads. The county has TO
board them, and criminal costs are
enormous. They had as well be en-
ployed on the roads to a W some of
The county expenses. Again, | would
divide the saloon license, one-half to
be expended on the roads, and half to
the city in which paid.
Having said this much, l DOM. know
that I will again trouble you with a
communication upon ''good roads"
FARMER.