The Leon reporter. (Leon, Iowa) 1887-1930, 1903-12-17


pie, and will contribute more to their
social elevation and moral strength
than anything else. People will have
more time for social entertainment, edu-
cation, and going to church if they have
good roads. 1t will not take SO much
of their time to travel.
Our foreign commerce In 1902 amount
ed to over q, millions and 63fs was agri-
cultural products and nearly all of this
passed over wagon roads. The appro-
priations for rivers and harbors by |
last Congress was over 81 million. If
! this amount had been spent on the roads
nearly every citizen Of the United States
would have been benefited by it. How
many of us have derived any immediate
benefits for this large expenditure on
rivers and harbors? There is not one
case in thousand where there has been
a reduction in rates Of freight by these
expenditures. There is no use for me
to go into details and tell the direct
benefits of good roads, for l have given
it before and the people are intelligent
enough to know it. The United States
is regarded by the people of other
nations as the most powerful agent in
ameliorating the conditions of the peo-
pie of the world. In all that is progress
sive except good roads, she is first. It's
! laws and government are best calculat-
ed to insure happiness, to inspire the
loyalty Of the citizens and to bring
prosperity. Yet there has been less
done for the original producers of all
this wealth and greatness than for that
class of any other country. The farm
ers have done their full duty in peace
and in war under every condition of
distress and hardship. Yet the govern
ment has not done for them what it has
done for the iron master, the coal miner,
the merchant or the manufacturer. Is
agriculture entitled to recognition.
The drought of 1901 ruined the crops in
Kansas and Missouri to some extent.
In a few other states corn went up to
go cents per bushel, hay SIS per ton,
beef 81 per hundred, and some people
went hungry. Our total exports fell off
S10O,O0O,OO0, all because of crop
failure in these two states Of the union.
Is the farmer of small Importance?
stand here telling you to sit no longer.
If you want any thing get up and go
after it. 1t is your own fault you don't
} get it. 1t puts me in mind of little
circumstance that happened when was
boy. A certain young lady gave a
young man the mitten and his sister
took her to task about it and sho laid it
on her ma. She said: 81 know better, it
was your fool. SELF 1t is our own
selves that are to blame for bad roads.
, We must have good roads or we never
can have the consolidation of the rural
! schools: How much better 1t would be
for the pupils to be hauled to school in
/, bad weather, and for the little school
9 ma am who has to take her skirt in hand,
( her books under her arm and walk from
!, the Atlantic to the Pacific, bringing en-
| lightenment and education to every
part of the country. With the consoli-
\ dation of schools it would save exposure
and hard travel. When we speak of
o the Romans we speak of them as rulers,
i conquerors, administrators and as road
! builders. There are empires that rose
and fell over night whose influence was
~
q leaving trace of their former exist,
q ence. But wherever the Romans estab-
q lished their rule, the traces Of that rule
O remain deep today, stamped on the
4 language and customs Of the people, OF
! stamped in tangible form on the soil it's
s self.
9 Passing through Britain fifteen cen
= turtles after the dominion of Rome haC
j. passed away we can see that the Roman
# roads still remain. The faculty, art anC
m habit of road building works in nation
4 those solid, stable qualities which tel
s. for permanent greatness. We don't
q have the advantages that the city does
d / want to see them go hand in hand
& Then instead of our best young men ant
women going to the city, we will see
J. the good ones coming to the country
= They are needed for the social and bust
.s ness conditions of the country. The
= winter means long line of morasse.
" through which the farmer has to move
N his goods if bent on business, to wade o.
N swim if bent on pleasure. An ordinar.
o rain means the stoppage of the girls o.
f boys bicycles. l have known us t.
q have a mud blockade and it is nothing
l. to see buggies stuck all over thu
- prairies in March.
TO sat and listened with great interes
is to the great men on our national goot
10 roads convention. Gov. Dockery, O
I.